Essay Sample on Political Cartoon Images

Introduction

Filipinos are Asians in America and form the second largest group with most of them primarily living in the largest cities of the United States. The Filipinos were granted immigration into the United States without restriction and be part of the American nationals. Over the long period Filipinos lived in the United States, they faced all forms of race-based violence, discrimination, and federal legislation that restricted their civil rights. The Filipino Americans were subjected to unfavorable political, social, economic and cultural conditions in the Philippines during the colonization time under Americans.

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Description of Political Condition

From the first image "The Senate Philippine Bill offers great Inducements to the bad Filipino" depicts the political, economic, social, and the cultural conditions that the Filipino underwent through in the Philippines. Political, this image illustrates that the Filipinos, by then, while living in the Philippines, they never ruled themselves but were under the colonial domination and their land occupied by the foreign powers. First, they were under Spanish powers before the Americans took over to control their territory. In the image, they are more of lesser citizens who lack the same rights their colonizers. Thus, it is all indicative that by the time the picture was taken, the Filipinos had not had a chance to have freedom and rights in their own country because of the power exchange in the hands of the colonizers. The dominance of foreign power including America over Filipinos is depicted by the Filipino living in the harsh environment while the American soldiers watch from above. The same colonial power dominance is depicted in the second image by R.C Bowman based on the clothing, and the pie that Filipino is shown in the picture has worn. It shows that everything they had has been taken away by the colonizers and was left with racks to use and live in extreme poverty.

Description of Economic Condition

The images also depict the economic conditions that the Filipino Americans lived in by the time they were under various colonies including the United States. First, looking at the clothes owned and worn by the Filipinos pictured, it tells a lot about their state of the economy. The first image by Minneapolis Tribune shows a Filipino man having no shirt and shoes to wear. The second image indicates that the Filipino man appears different from the Cuban woman. He has no shoes, and his clothes look like racks, long hair, and a plate-like head cape. Furthermore, the conditions they are in is worse. This is all indicative that they cannot afford any good clothes and shoes for themselves. Additionally, the surroundings in these images tell a lot about where they live. It is grass all over, nothing good and seems worried people as if they had not eaten any time in the recent. The conditions alone show the place where they live which is the Philippines has no development at all. These people are likely to have high levels of poverty, hunger, and diseases that will affect them from improving their economic conditions. The conditions seem entirely different from the way the other group of the fellow Filipino brothers appears. They are smartly dressed, shaved, and at the top showing different economic conditions.

Description of Social Condition

The images also tell a lot on the social conditions of the Filipino Americans by the time their country was undergoing colonization. First, both the images portray racial and social discrimination against the Filipinos from the color of the images. In the first image, the Filipino American seated down in the grass is black while those looking at him from the top are whites. Similarly, the second image shows a Philippine black man with nothing. Thus, the Filipino Americans were discriminated based on their color. Social stratification as well seems to dominate following the different state in which the people in the images appear. The first picture shows a poor Philippines in conditions that are bad as compared to others who seem to have everything and living happier lives. The same applies to the second image indicating the isolated Philippines who has no food and left with nothing. The instances in the images show different treatment of groups based on social status to show that some groups deserve more than others. The image as well indicates that Filipinos are referred to as "little brown brother" to suggest that socially they are not the same as the Americans or those other Filipinos who have accepted to be part of the colony. Thus, there is unfair treatment of the two groups of the Philippines. Social stratification is also depicted from the two conditions the groups in the first image have been portrayed. The fact that the Philippines have been presented in severe and dangerous conditions indicates that treatment of people was based on the classes of people and that the Philippines were treated as lesser humans than the rest. Also, the identity of the Philippines is based on the physical ability based on the way the Filipinos are presented in the image. They are deliberately presented as humans with long arms, but their feet are short indicating that they are not rational human beings like the rest. The United States is also using the Philippines to help gain access to the natural resources with a high value indicating that they were forced into the relationship with the Americans.

Description of Cultural Condition

The images as well as depict a lot in terms of the culture of the Filipino Americans. First, the way the two groups wear indicates that Filipinos have their ways of wearing regardless of whether the way of clothing is the exact one presented in the image. Instead, what comes out is that the mode of dressing of Filipino was different from how the rest wore. The poor treatment that the Philippines are exposed to in the images indicates the attempts by the American power to influence the way of life of the Filipinos. The images showing the many Philippines on the upper side of the image seem educated and worn smart clothes that reflect the American styles. The ability of the Philippines brother to communicate with Americans in English indicates that the Philippines agreed to adopt the learning system of the Americans. The ill-treatment of the few Filipinos is to coerce them to adopt the American culture.

Thus, during the colonization period, the Filipino Americans underwent rough political, economic, social, cultural conditions as the American tried to take over them. Their country, Philippines was colonized and ruled over by various foreign powers living Filipinos with no political right and freedom. Economically, they were less developed, had no clothes, and food. They were socially discriminated based on their race and social classes. At the same time, the Americans wanted to force them to adopt the American culture such as education system and way of dressing.