Imperialistic Powers: From Colonialism to Neocolonialism

Imperialistic Powers: From Colonialism to Neocolonialism

Nicole Harris

University of Washington

August 19, 2016

Learning is a constant process and once we feel that we are experts on a particular subject, we have allowed ourselves to cap out. The purposes of taking this course were for me to gain a deeper understanding of colonialism, the effects on the psyche of the colonized and have the opportunity to have a global comparison between my own experiences, the racial and colonial history of our country and the effects that it has had on the Philippines. My goal in this final analysis is to show how some of the overarching themes of colonial mentality, (mis)education, knowledge construction and identity are governed by a hierarchy of imperialist power through white privilege and supremacy. 

1914

My understanding of colonialism when I started this program was through the forms of education, religion and geography. Throughout the educational course this recurring theme continued to cycle but formed even deeper critique. The learning curve for me was when I realized that colonialism through occupation had deeper motive and even though the U.S.A. and other colonizers have physically left, we/they have transformed our power through capital wealth. Through the opportunities of the readings and field experience I was able to accumulate further knowledge and critical analysis of the U.S.A. occupation of the Philippines.

 Festinger's (1957) cognitive dissonance theory suggests that we have an inner drive to hold all our attitudes and beliefs in harmony and avoid disharmony or dissonance (Mcleod, 2014). My thoughts on the colonized through a colonial mentality has definitely changed as I was able to see the depth that it has achieved. I not only saw it as an issue facing Filipinos here in the Philippines, I discovered that it incorporates and imprisons the minds of Filipino Americans as well as others on a global scale and even people of color in our study abroad group.  As I self-reflect, I must ask if I myself am biased through my knowledge seeking that I may too be a victim of colonial mentality and don’t realize it?

My colleagues and I, within our respective group, collaborated on a project focusing on colonial mentality and the implications on Filipino and Filipino American identity. What we discovered throughout our research and interviews was how deep colonial debt really is, the tolerance of oppression (David & Okazaki, 2006, pg 242) and the effects that is having on the mental health as well as the economy here in the Philippines. Collectively we were able to create a group project that reflected our own experiences with the systems of power that continue to oppress people economically, emotionally and academically in the Philippines.

When we focused on knowledge construction we understand that it “reflects the power and social relationships within society” (Banks, 1996, pg 16). Through (mis)education there is a diluted sense of reality, forgetfulness and forgiveness (as the bible and education instructs as to do). Constantino warned of this as he stated “the most effective means of subjugating a people is to capture their minds” (Constantino, 1982, pg 178). Unfortunately this forgetfulness, cognitive dissonance and colonial mentality has allowed the continuance of economic exploitation that has been happening since occupation.

The worst part is the constant social expectation and internalized belief that has been primed and primped through (mis)education of Filipinos to keep a smile on their face, continue dancing and bend like a bamboo. At some point the bamboo has got to break and the only solution to this is decolonizing the mind and severing ties with imperialistic countries, companies and men that are white faced and greedy for green (money). 

According to the New World Encyclopedia, neocolonialism is a term used by post-colonial critics of developed countries' involvement in the developing world (Tanabe, 2014). Following the Marcos regime, the country has been in debt to the U.S.A. as well as other countries and financial corporations such as the World Bank and IMF. We still have our hand in the cookie jar with a happy smiling Filipino to say thank you sir, thank you ma’am.

            I started this course from a simple understanding of colonialism being just mere physical occupation of land and consumption to a deeper understanding of how colonialism operates as an imperialistic power gaining capital generating wealth through investment that I now know is neocolonialism. The Filipino people have been blindfolded (ironically so is the statue of Liberty) and blindsided in attempts to keep them sitting in the dark (Twain, 2002) so we can continue to rob them while getting fat everyday. The juxtaposition of poverty with high rise condos, hotels and American owned companies is quite disgusting. I can’t help but to ask, how can people not see the huge disparity? Tupac Shakur knew and saw it as shown in the video embedded:

https://youtu.be/bFv-cISaqkw?list=RDnS_1ZUKBK6w  Original interview retrieved from

http://weblog.liberatormagazine.com/2006/09/tupac-lost-interview.html

           
 I end this course with a lingering question of how do we put an end to imperialist powers that began as colonialism and has now full blown manifested in neocolonialism? What are the solutions to decolonzing the mind and re-educating so there is a paradigm shift in the way that we think, the way that we act and treat eachother? When are white men (and women) going to be held accountable for the atrocities that they have done? When does forgetting and friendship become resistance and reflection through social action and demanding of equal treatment? I believe that only through a complete mental and economic revolution will this ever be achieved. 

            We must fight the power, the ones who hold “truth” and the key to access- academic and economic wealth. The themes and theories that are discusses are highly intertwined and interdependent and together as Brown and Black folk we must dismantle the system, the house and the masters and replace them with our own. Power to the People that are oppressed.

References

Andrew (Photograph). (2010). World empires and colonies in 1914, just before the First World

War. (Photograph). Retrieved from

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:World_1914_empires_colonies_territory.PNG

Banks, J.A. (1996). Multicultural education, transformative knowledge, and action. New York:

Teachers College Press.

BlackHistoryStudies. (Photograph). (2014). Frantz Fanon on Cognitive Dissonance.

(Photograph). Retrieved from  https://twitter.com/blkhiststudies/status/419901097101512704

Constantino, R. (1982). Miseducation of Filipinos. In I In A.V. Shaw & L.H Francia, Vestiges of 

war. (pp. 177-192). New York: New York Press.

David, E.J.R., & Okazaki, S. (2006). The Colonial Mentality Scale (CMS) for Filipino

Americans: Scale construction and psychological implications: A review and recommendation. Journal of Counseling Psychology 53 (1), pp. 241-252.

McLeod, S. A. (Photograph). (2014). Cognitive Dissonance. Retrieved from

www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-dissonance.html

Murphy, C. (Photograph). (2011). Neocolonialism. (Photograph) Retrieved from

            https://murphymla.voices.wooster.edu/neocolonialism/

Snaresallday. (2012, Jul. 22). Krazy: Remix Instrumental, 2Pac: The Lost Interview. [Video file].

Retrieved

https://youtu.be/bFv-cISaqkw?list=RDnS_1ZUKBK6w

Original interview retrieved from

http://weblog.liberatormagazine.com/2006/09/tupac-lost-interview.html

Tsiagalakis, G. (Photograph). (2014). Colonial Empires in 1800. (Photograph), Retrieved from

https://www.boundless.com/sociology/textbooks/boundless-sociology-textbook/global-stratification-and-inequality-8/stratification-in-the-world-system-69/colonialism-and-neocolonialism-406-10460/

Tanabe, R. (2014, December 26). Neocolonialism. New World Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:47,

August 19, 2016 from http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Neocolonialism&oldid=986053

Twain, M. (2002). To the person sitting in darkness. In Shaw, A.V. & Francia, L.H.

                        Vestiges of war. (pp. 57-68). New York: New York Press.