Warwick Anderson deftly captures the additional narrative of the colonization of the Philipines by the U.S. military at the turn of the twentieth century; that of medical imperialism. Catagorizing the colonized as "other" while stratifying the population along arbitrary lines are basic imperialist strategies. However, in the Philipines in addition to these stategies "physicians extended their power to inspect and regulate the personal cleanliness and the social life of naturally erring Filipinos" (106). Thus hygiene worked to define Filipinos as "other" (unhealty and unclean), while while establishing a hierarchy of health (for example: the "health index" set up for each child in a particular class.
The fludity of race is also once again demonstrated through the U.S. military and medical establishment's belief that through proper training natives could attain proper citizenship. However, Anderson is carefull to point out the self-fulfilling prophecy of imperialist ideology. Even though many believed Filipinos could be so trained, few believed that their inherent character would allow them to.
Also, how about that 1908 float on page 126.
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