Educating the Empire: American Teachers and Contested Colonization in the Philippines

This book explores how education shaped the US empire in the Philippines by examining the interactions between American teachers and Filipinos. It shows how education was used to justify empire but was implemented differently than expected, with American teachers sometimes challenging colonial policies and Filipinos using the system to articulate their own understandings of empire. Schools were a microcosm for the colonial state, with contests over education reflecting the broader colonial relationship.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 339 pages
Publication date: 03 June 2021
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

This captivating book delves into the intricate relationship between education and the establishment of the United States empire in the Philippines, specifically examining the role of American teachers and the Filipino people with whom they interacted. While education played a central role in justifying the empire, the actual implementation of schooling on the islands deviated from the expectations of the colonial state. American teachers, at times, upheld, adapted, circumvented, or entirely disregarded colonial policies, showcasing their agency and influence.

Despite the prevailing discourse of white masculinity that permeated imperial discourse, the appointment of white women and black men as teachers facilitated their ability to claim roles and identities that challenged traditional notions of gender and race. Filipinos also utilized the American educational system to articulate their own perspectives on empire, seeing schools as microcosms of the colonial state where contests over education often mirrored the broader colonial relationship.

The book explores the complex dynamics between American teachers, Filipino students, and the broader social and political context of the time. It sheds light on the ways in which education both facilitated and hindered the development of Filipino nationalism and the struggle for independence. By examining the experiences of American teachers and the Filipino people, the book provides a nuanced and multifaceted understanding of the complex web of factors that shaped the imperial project in the Philippines.

Weight: 516g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108461009