In modern day America there is a movement of leftist Taliban-like groups which have been adamant that statues commemorating Confederate heroes be expunged from the public square. These groups have been successful in not only lobbying local city councils to remove these memorials but they have also destroyed several of them. The reason given is that these statues commemorate racism and are an evil legacy of an evil time in the United States' history. Ultimately what these actions do is erase the past and cause citizens to forget or deny such events as slavery and the civil war ever happened.
Such is the context within which this story appears from San Francisco.
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| https://usa.inquirer.net/16169/sf-agrees-to-change-dewey-plaque-to-include-ph-american-war |
After nearly half a century of persistent efforts by well-meaning Filipino Americans to correct the Union Square monument plaque honoring Commodore George Dewey’s 1898 naval victory in Manila Bay, the city finally approved the posting of a corrective text.
The revision clarifies that Filipinos had already risen up for their independence from Spain and that Filipino revolutionaries resisted the U.S. decision to seize the archipelago for itself, leading to the Philippine American War.
The original inscription seen by thousands of tourists reads:
“On the night of April 30, 1898 Commodore Dewey’s squadron entered Manila Bay and, undaunted by the danger of submerged explosives, reached Manila at dawn of May 1, 1898. Attacked and destroyed the Spanish fleet of ten war ships. Reduced the forts and held the city in subjection until the arrival of troops from America.”
The correction will read:
The Battle of Manila Bay and the Philippine American War
“The people of the Philippines struggled against Spanish colonial rule for over 300 years. At the outbreak of the Spanish American War, Filipinos joined with American forces and rejoiced in Commodore George Dewey’s decisive defeat of the archipelago’s Spanish fleet in May 1, 1898 Battle of Manila Bay.
“Within a month of that naval victory, the Philippines declared its freedom from Spain, marking June 12, 1898 as Philippine Independence Day. Filipinos took the historic occasion to declare their national sovereignty and to establish the first republic of record in Southeast Asia.
“The Spanish American War ended with the Treaty of Paris in December, 1898. However, the United States’ continued military presence in the Philippines led to the conflict later known as the Philippine American War. In that dark period, 4,400 American soldiers died, together with 20,000 Filipino combatants. Civilian lives lost numbered in the hundreds of thousands. The Philippines remained a colony of the United States from 1899 to 1935, and granted commonwealth status thereafter.
“The crucible of World War II bonded together the United States and the Philippines as never before against a common enemy. The extraordinary sacrifice and heroism of Filipinos in that struggle for freedom led to the United States’ acknowledgement of Philippine Independence on July 4, 1946. –Philippine American War Centennial Committee, San Francisco, California 2018”
Filipino community leader Rudy Asercion, among the most persistent campaigners for the revision, was elated: “Some people celebrate Filipino American History Month, but we are part of making history today with this unanimous approval. It was a big help that the Filipino community, not just by one person or one organization but the whole community, showed and up and spoke in behalf and in favor of the plaque,” Asercion beamed. “We are doing this thing for our children so that they know that rich history of the Filipinos with regards to the Filipino American War.”
“It is a cautionary tale so that the U.S. doesn’t go to other countries thinking that what Dewey did would be the motto for invading other countries. They should know that there were human consequences to that invasion,” asserts Rodis, adding that Filipino Americans must understand that the Filipinos in the Philippines “believed in freedom and democracy and were willing to fight for it and they were central players not just bit players in the drama of Commodore George Dewey, the U.S. Navy and the Spanish fleet.”
Half a century of lobbying to change this monument? That is what you call persistence. But this is no victory for truth. Let's break this down.
This statue was erected in 1903 to commemorate Admiral Dewey's defeat of the Spanish armada in Manila Bay. It is not a commemoration of the Spanish-American war. Nor is it is a commemoration of the Philippine-American war. It is a monument to Dewey and to the singular action of his victory in Manila Bay.
The monument was erected to honor Admiral George Dewey, a hero of the Spanish–American War, for his victory in the Battle of Manila Bay.
On May 23, 1901, President President William McKinley visited San Francisco to break ground for the monument. Six months later McKinley was assassinated and was succeeded by his vice president, Theodore Roosevelt. On May 14, 1903, Roosevelt officially dedicated the monument, which "commemorates the victory of Admiral George Dewey and the American fleet over Spanish forces at Manila Bay, the Philippines, on May 1, 1898, during the Spanish–American War" and also is a tribute to the sailors of the United States Navy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewey_Monument
There also four inscriptions on this monument.
1. American squadron at Manila Bay: Olympia (flagship), Baltimore, Raleigh, Boston, Concord, Petrel, McColloch.
On May 14, 1903 this monument was dedicated by President Theodore Roosevelt.
2. Secretary of the Navy John D. Long to Commodore George Dewey April 24, 1898:
'War has commenced between the United States and Spain. Proceed at once to the Philippine Islands and capture or destroy the Spanish fleet'.
3. On the night of April 30, 1898 Commodore Dewey's squadron entered Manila Bay and, undaunted by the danger of submerged explosives, reached Manila at dawn of May 1, 1898. Attacked and destroyed the Spanish fleet of ten war ships. Reduced the forts and held the city in subjection until the arrival of troops from America.
4. Erected by the citizens of San Francisco to commemorate the victory of the American Navy under Commodore George Dewey at Manila Bay on May 1, 1898.
On May 23, 1901 the ground for this monument was broken by President William McKinley.
What is historically and factually wrong with either of these four inscriptions? Where is the correction that must be made? It is not there because this monument is factually correct. There is a list of the ships sent to Manila Bay, the communique sent to Dewey from naval Secretary John D. Long, a statement of fact as to what Dewey did, and the reason for and the date when the monument was erected.
Atop of the statue is Nike, the goddess of victory. That is because this whole monument is about the victory of Dewey over the Spanish armada in Manila Bay. It is not about the Spanish-American war or the Philippine-American war. It is about one specific event.
The whole Filipino community in San Fransisco showed up to speak up for this plaque according to activist Rudy Asercion. He also says this is all for the children so they will know the rich history of Filipinos in the Philippine-American war. What a bunch of lies that is. You can know it's all lies because of these lines in the new plaque:
Within a month of that naval victory, the Philippines declared its freedom from Spain, marking June 12, 1898 as Philippine Independence Day.
And:
The extraordinary sacrifice and heroism of Filipinos in that struggle for freedom led to the United States’ acknowledgement of Philippine Independence on July 4, 1946.
Those are both lies! Philippine independence did not happen on June 12th, 1898 only to be finally recognised by the USA after World War 2. Not at all. Not even close! Philippine Independence Day is July 4th, 1946 and to say ought else is to deny the facts of history. You can read more about that here.
The assertion that this is a cautionary tale so that the USA doesn't take Dewey as a model for invading other countries is absolute nonsense. Not only does this statement not take into account the intricacies of the Spanish-American war but the USA has since continually invaded countries and the CIA has manipulated governments from behind the scenes and none of that has anything to do with Dewey. Ask any average american who Admiral Dewey is and you will likely get a blank stare.
Next is the mention that Filipinos were fighters for democracy and freedom and not just bit players. But notice that the monument does not name a single Filipino revolutionary. Not one. Not even Emilio Aguinaldo who worked in close conjunction with Dewey!
The question must be asked, Why didn't these Filipinos simply lobby to have their own monument built? Why deface a monument that already exists and which is a monument to a very specific event? Why make everything about them and diminish the achievement of Admiral Dewey and the sailors under his command?
Because it's not enough. It's not enough for these people to have their very own monument. They must rewrite history and paint the colonial master as an evil oppressor. That is the subtext in this whole mockery of history. It is not a correction, it is an erasure.
What are these activists doing to actually help their own community in San Fransisco? Are they aware there is a large population of homeless Filipinos in San Fransisco?
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/10/14/17/box-city-a-community-of-homeless-filipinos-in-san-francisco |
The encampment, which consists of mostly Filipino dwellers, is led by Edwin Marangco, 41, who moved to the US from Malabon in 1991.
“We’re like family. One cooks, everyone’s invited. Sometimes, we chip in to buy some food. They want to eat some rice and adobo. We cook," he said.
Despite his street alias "Bad Boy," Edwin prefers to be called a town leader, someone who makes sure that everyone living in "Box City" behaves in a manner that doesn’t scare other people living in the area.
“One day, we’ll get along. We watch their cars. They watch over us. They give us food. That’s how life is here,” he said.
Box City’s designated cook is Aliren “Yen” Sunga who migrated to the U.S. in 2013 from Pampanga, Philippines.
The homeless pitch in whatever money they have so Yen can cook up a feast.
Yen said she remembers what it’s like living comfortably in the Philippines.
“When I was in the Philippines, I never worked, never did chores. All I did was sleep. That’s why my parents and grandparents were so scared when I left for America thinking of what I’m going to do when I live here,” she said.
She moved to the U.S. for love for an ex-husband, who she said cheated on her and beat her up.
Marcela Flores, 42, meanwhile said that she doesn’t have to be homeless. She chose to be one because her boyfriend is homeless and wherever he goes, she goes.
“People here at Box City, they need me. They're like my family, that’s why I can’t leave them,” she said.
"When I was in the Philippines.....all I did was sleep." How many other Filipinas have the same lifestyle of doing nothing until Prince Charming whisks them away to the first world?
These activists are full of it. They lobby for 50 years to change a statue into a mess of lies but this encampment of homeless Pinoys continues with apparently nary a peep from them. That is not much different from this country. People focus on issues that do not matter while underneath them in the substrata of society the poor barely get by.
Ultimately those homeless people don't matter to these activists. What does matter to them is getting a potshot victory over a memorial to a white man's accomplishments. Accomplishments which set in motion the events which led to their country's independence.
Why don't they just go home? The Balangiga Bells will finally be returned very soon. Surely these activists can take heart knowing that the Philippine-American war is now officially over and they can regale their children with stories about the atrocities of the evil Americans in Balangiga so long ago.
