The “American Century” in Asia

APA MediaTuesday, March 10, 2015

Recapping Our Methods

Recapping Our Methods

• Cultural Studies: how do we know what we know? How do “structures of feeling” help us understand what is knowable? (American vs. North American)

Recapping Our Methods

• Cultural Studies: how do we know what we know? How do “structures of feeling” help us understand what is knowable? (American vs. North American)

• Critical Race Theory: how are racial categories produced, sustained, or revised?

Recapping Our Methods

• Cultural Studies: how do we know what we know? How do “structures of feeling” help us understand what is knowable? (American vs. North American)

• Critical Race Theory: how are racial categories produced, sustained, or revised?

• Asian American Studies: what is the difference that “Asian” makes? How does XYZ change if we examine it through the lens of Asian American experiences, cultural practices, or histories?

What does modern U.S. history look like through As Am Studies?

What does modern U.S. history look like through As Am Studies?

• “The American Century” – term coined in 1941 by Henry Luce, publisher of Time magazine, in an editorial

What does modern U.S. history look like through As Am Studies?

• “The American Century” – term coined in 1941 by Henry Luce, publisher of Time magazine, in an editorial

• Urged U.S. to stop being isolationist and start taking a leadership role in world affairs, under the guise of spreading democracy (what Mimi Nguyen will later call “the gift of freedom”)

What does modern U.S. history look like through As Am Studies?

• “The American Century” – term coined in 1941 by Henry Luce, publisher of Time magazine, in an editorial

• Urged U.S. to stop being isolationist and start taking a leadership role in world affairs, under the guise of spreading democracy (what Mimi Nguyen will later call “the gift of freedom”)

• How to accomplish this? Ironically…war.

Precursor: Philippine–American War

Precursor: Philippine–American War

• 1898: USA fought Spain (which had colonized the Philippines) for control of the Philippines in Spanish-American War – U.S. “won”

Precursor: Philippine–American War

• 1898: USA fought Spain (which had colonized the Philippines) for control of the Philippines in Spanish-American War – U.S. “won”

• 1899-1902: Philippine-American War, USA vs. Filipino revolutionaries (Filipinos wanted to be free!) – “Little Brown Brothers” (structure of feeling)

Precursor: Philippine–American War

• 1898: USA fought Spain (which had colonized the Philippines) for control of the Philippines in Spanish-American War – U.S. “won”

• 1899-1902: Philippine-American War, USA vs. Filipino revolutionaries (Filipinos wanted to be free!) – “Little Brown Brothers” (structure of feeling)

• Result: U.S. occupies the Philippines until 1946 [after WWII, when Philippines had played an important geographic role for U.S. as a base]

Continuing through the 20th c.

Continuing through the 20th c.

• WWI: U.S. tries to stay isolationist.

Continuing through the 20th c.

• WWI: U.S. tries to stay isolationist.• WWII: The “American Century” becomes a

structure of feeling which rationalizes U.S. involvement in war (amongst other things)

Continuing through the 20th c.

• WWI: U.S. tries to stay isolationist.• WWII: The “American Century” becomes a

structure of feeling which rationalizes U.S. involvement in war (amongst other things)

• Pearl Harbor: Japan bombs U.S.; U.S. enters war

Continuing through the 20th c.

• WWI: U.S. tries to stay isolationist.• WWII: The “American Century” becomes a

structure of feeling which rationalizes U.S. involvement in war (amongst other things)

• Pearl Harbor: Japan bombs U.S.; U.S. enters war

• Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (also lesser-known Firebombing of Tokyo, killed over 100,000)

The Cold War (roughly 1947-1991)

The Cold War (roughly 1947-1991)

• Western Bloc (U.S., NATO allies) vs. Eastern Bloc (Soviets, Communists)

The Cold War (roughly 1947-1991)

• Western Bloc (U.S., NATO allies) vs. Eastern Bloc (Soviets, Communists)

• USA: “freedom,” “democracy,” capitalism

The Cold War (roughly 1947-1991)

• Western Bloc (U.S., NATO allies) vs. Eastern Bloc (Soviets, Communists)

• USA: “freedom,” “democracy,” capitalism• USSR, PRC: communism (devolved into

totalitarian sh*tshow)

The Cold War (roughly 1947-1991)

• Western Bloc (U.S., NATO allies) vs. Eastern Bloc (Soviets, Communists)

• USA: “freedom,” “democracy,” capitalism• USSR, PRC: communism (devolved into

totalitarian sh*tshow)• “Cold” because no direct military fighting

(played through threats of nuclear attack, a strategy termed “brinkmanship”)

The Cold War (roughly 1947-1991)

• Western Bloc (U.S., NATO allies) vs. Eastern Bloc (Soviets, Communists)

• USA: “freedom,” “democracy,” capitalism• USSR, PRC: communism (devolved into totalitarian

sh*tshow)• “Cold” because no direct military fighting (played

through threats of nuclear attack, a strategy termed “brinkmanship”)

• In Asia: Chinese Civil War, Korean War, Vietnam War

Chinese Civil War

Chinese Civil War

• Roughly 1927-1936 & 1946-1950

Chinese Civil War

• Roughly 1927-1936 & 1946-1950• Mao Zedong (Communist) People’s Liberation

Army vs. Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang (KMT) nationalist party (backed by U.S.)

Chinese Civil War

• Roughly 1927-1936 & 1946-1950• Mao Zedong (Communist) People’s Liberation

Army vs. Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang (KMT) nationalist party (backed by U.S.)

• Creation of two states: Communist People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan (capitalist; supported by U.S.)

Korean War (1950-1953)

Korean War (1950-1953)

• North Korea, Communist (supported by China and the Soviet Union) vs. South Korea (supported by USA, United Nations, etc.)

Korean War (1950-1953)

• North Korea, Communist (supported by China and the Soviet Union) vs. South Korea (supported by USA, United Nations, etc.)

• Result: stalemate. Two Koreas.

Vietnam War (1955-1975)

Vietnam War (1955-1975)

• Vietnam colonized by the French (part of French group of colonies called “Indochina” including Cambodia and Laos)

Vietnam War (1955-1975)

• Vietnam colonized by the French (part of French group of colonies called “Indochina” including Cambodia and Laos)

• Vietnamese won independence from France in the First Indochina War (1945-1954)

Vietnam War (1955-1975)

• Vietnam colonized by the French (part of French group of colonies called “Indochina” including Cambodia and Laos)

• Vietnamese won independence from France in the First Indochina War (1945-1954)

• Vietnam split in two: Communist North, and Western-backed South.

Vietnam War (1955-1975)

• Vietnam colonized by the French (part of French group of colonies called “Indochina” including Cambodia and Laos)

• Vietnamese won independence from France in the First Indochina War (1945-1954)

• Vietnam split in two: Communist North, and Western-backed South.

• Both the North and South wanted an independent Vietnam free of Western control.

Vietnam War (1955-1975)

Vietnam War (1955-1975)

• Outcome of Vietnam War: ends when North takes control of Saigon (stronghold of South). (The “Fall of Saigon” is depicted in The Deer Hunter.)

Vietnam War (1955-1975)

• Outcome of Vietnam War: ends when North takes control of Saigon (stronghold of South). (The “Fall of Saigon” is depicted in The Deer Hunter.)

• MILLIONS – MILLIONS! – DIE on all sides. (In USA, the mandatory draft disproportionally pulled in black and brown youth. You could be exempt if you were in college, for example.)

Vietnam War (1955-1975)

• Outcome of Vietnam War: ends when North takes control of Saigon (stronghold of South). (The “Fall of Saigon” is depicted in The Deer Hunter.)

• MILLIONS – MILLIONS! – DIE on all sides. (In USA, the mandatory draft disproportionally pulled in black and brown youth. You could be exempt if you were in college, for example.)

• Basically, everywhere in the region (Burma, Laos, Cambodia, etc.) in a shambles. Also affected were places the U.S. had allies/military bases in Asia (Thailand, Philipp.)

Vietnam War (1955-1975)• Outcome of Vietnam War: ends when North takes control of

Saigon (stronghold of South). (The “Fall of Saigon” is depicted in The Deer Hunter.)

• MILLIONS – MILLIONS! – DIE on all sides. (In USA, the mandatory draft disproportionally pulled in black and brown youth. You could be exempt if you were in college, for example.)

• Basically, everywhere in the region (Burma, Laos, Cambodia, etc.) in a shambles. Also affected were places the U.S. had allies/military bases in Asia (Thailand, Philipp.)

• USA peaces out. Takes in some refugees (“Boat People”) but many Americans resent them.

Why was the U.S. even involved?

Why was the U.S. even involved?

• U.S. was “leader of the free world” and wanted to spread “freedom, democracy, capitalism” (structure of feeling)

Why was the U.S. even involved?

• U.S. was “leader of the free world” and wanted to spread “freedom, democracy, capitalism” (structure of feeling)

• Wanted to ensure each country had a government that was favorable to them.

Why was the U.S. even involved?

• U.S. was “leader of the free world” and wanted to spread “freedom, democracy, capitalism” (structure of feeling)

• Wanted to ensure each country had a government that was favorable to US.

• Wanted to make sure the Communists (USSR/PRC) did not take global control from US.

Why was the U.S. even involved?

• U.S. was “leader of the free world” and wanted to spread “freedom, democracy, capitalism” (structure of feeling)

• Wanted to ensure each country had a government that was favorable to US.

• Wanted to make sure the Communists (USSR/PRC) did not take global control from US.

• Overlooked legacy: for much of 20th c., the U.S. at war w/ an Asian nation (affected whole regions).

• Another legacy: homeless vets

The Global Twentieth Century

The Global Twentieth Century

• After WWII, many countries in a shambles and many colonized nations fought for freedom – had to decide their new form of governance

The Global Twentieth Century

• After WWII, many countries in a shambles and many colonized nations fought for freedom – had to decide their new form of governance

• India, Gandhi, black freedom struggles

The Global Twentieth Century

• After WWII, many countries in a shambles and many colonized nations fought for freedom – had to decide their new form of governance

• India, Gandhi, black freedom struggles• The major power players wanted to see their

ideology rule the world (capitalism vs. communism)

The Global Twentieth Century

• After WWII, many countries in a shambles and many colonized nations fought for freedom – had to decide their new form of governance

• India, Gandhi, black freedom struggles• The major power players wanted to see their ideology

rule the world (capitalism vs. communism)• Created a legacy in which democracy became tied to

capitalism, and communism became tied to totalitarianism – BUT! many countries saw the USA and its implementation of capitalism as a new colonizing force (meet the new boss, same as the old boss)