American Subjects or Citizens?
Filipinos pose in front of a sari-sari store. Scattered all over the Philippines, these shops supplied towns and cities with goods and served as impromptu community centers. Courtesy of University of Wisconsin Digital Collections via Recollection Wisconsin.
American imperialism involved more than the politicians, soldiers, businesses, and patriots who designed the empire in their favor. US imperial policies posed deeper questions about the concept of the citizen.
How far did the Constitution follow the flag?
For the millions of men and women in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the Philippines who suddenly found themselves living on American soil, one question prevailed: What new opportunities did life in America's empire allow? This section investigates how Hawaiians, Puerto Ricans, and Filipinos staked their claim in the American empire. They did not enjoy the full rights and privileges allotted to American citizens. Nevertheless, these individuals navigated courses across the Pacific and Caribbean in search of agency and opportunity. The stories featured here are exceptional, representing the lives of the privileged few. Taken together, however, they reveal how native peoples fashioned themselves as American citizens.
