Phillipines Become US State

[JJ18160]

Can anyone think of a realistic scenario where the Phillipines could become one or more states

[JJ18160]

although perhaps they would have to be several states or else the population would be too large for one state

[The Kiat]

Perhaps if there was no Filipino Insurrection. Even then, racism was so casual back then that I'm kind of skepitical that the Phillipines would be a state before Hawaii; White Man had a firmer control on those little islands.

[IchBinDieKaiser]

If we didn't annex Cuba, why would we annex The Philippines. This isn't a fair statement, we annexed Hawaii, but not Cuba.

The war was shown to the public as a war of liberation. We were "Liberating" the Cubans from Spanish oppression. We were helping their rebels fight against a foreign power thousands of miles away. This idea appealed to Americans. In order to have this happen, you need to make the U.S. government and the U.S. people feel like this was the final step of Manifest Destiny.

How you convince the U.S. government to annex the Philippines instead of just adding it to the U.S. commonwealth is beyond me.

[The Kiat]

On the other hand, the Phillipines were kind of American (controlled/ruled) territory in 1942, where Americans died defending it, and still ours in 1944 when Americans died liberating it. You know what? America is a kind Imperialists. Europeans would have had the attitude that if they shed blood for it, then it is theirs.

But, I must ask, what would be the advantage to America to make the Phillies a State? What would we gain from it?

[Minchandre]

On the other hand, the Phillipines were kind of American (controlled/ruled) territory in 1942, where Americans died defending it, and still ours in 1944 when Americans died liberating it. You know what? America is a kind Imperialists. Europeans would have had the attitude that if they shed blood for it, then it is theirs.

But, I must ask, what would be the advantage to America to make the Phillies a State? What would we gain from it?

A quarter more people? Some natural resources? A strong presence in East Asia?

I don't see the Philippines becoming a state before, like, the 60s at least - perhaps in a reaction to Vietnam, as we want an even stronger presence in that quadrant to keep the Commies at bay. Making this happen...I dunno. Most of the Filipinos didn't hate the Americans more than most colonial peoples, but things weren't exactly buddy-buddy.

[alphaboi867]

For starters there would have to be a huge pro-statehood movement in the Phillipines. Very big. The Statehood party would need to gain control of the legislature and there would need to be a plebiscite where statehood won a landslide victory. How does that happen? It's an even bigger hurdle to overcome than the racism.

[Corbell Mark IV]

For starters there would have to be a huge pro-statehood movement in the Phillipines. Very big. The Statehood party would need to gain control of the legislature and there would need to be a plebiscite where statehood won a landslide victory. How does that happen? It's an even bigger hurdle to overcome than the racism.

A local oligarchy that convinces itself that it can milk big money through US statehood?

Perhaps a fear of spreading communism leads to a Marshall II? Giving them a taste for Uncle Sugar?

[Hörnla]

We should take the question of a POD into account.

#1 The POD shouldn't be prior to WW1. For the reasons given in the threat, statehood seems ASB in the aftermath of the conquest of the Phillipines.

#2 There has to be a POD prior to Phillipine independance in the 1940s. If you reckon the island are going to reach statehood in the 1950s or 1960's, independance has to be averted somehow beforehands.

[Greenlanterncorps]

Statehood would take a while. However, awhile back there was another thread on a similar subject and it got me thinking. I worked out a very rough proto-timeline that does not get statehood, but does get the Philippines Commonwealth status, like Puerto Rico and the Northern Marianas (Though CNMI gets butterflied away.)

Here is a very rough time line:

1930-1941 US and Filipinos begin negotiations on a path to independence, like in our timeline. However instead of passing in 1935, the legislation gets bogged down over details and languishes in the Congress. Congress starts to act in the fall of 1941 but the outbreak of war puts the Philippines situation on hold.

1941-1945 World War II fought on schedule. MacArthur is still involved and the US still loses the Philippines to Japan. Japan sets up a puppet republic that is not recognized.

1945 -1950 Philippine efforts concentrate on reconstruction, independence is on the back burner.

1946 Former Japanese territories in the Pacific become the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands

1947 US Air Force born. Clark Field becomes Clark Air Force Base.

1950-1953 Korean War breaks out as in OTL. Philippines useful as a forward supply point for Korea, economy grows as a result of US military spending. Clark Air Force Base, Subic Bay Naval Station, Cavite Naval Station, Camp O'Donnell all see considerable growth.

1952 Puerto Rico becomes a Commonwealth.


1955 In a hostile Pacific, with Red China close by and a war in Vietnam former pro-independence Filipino politicians find themselves looking at Puerto Rico's situation with envy.

1956 After much lobying, Congress passes a law allowing the Philippines to write their own constitution. In the fall of 1956 the Constitutional Convention convenes in Manila.

1957 The Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Philippines is sent to the voters of the Philippines and passes overwhelmingly. The Congress approves the constitution and also give Filipinos US Citizenship.

1958 On January 3rd, 1958, the Governor, Lt. Governor, members of of the General Assembly (consisting of a House and Senate), and Supreme Court of the Commonwealth are sworn in. Many are carry overs from the previous territorial legislature.

(I'll have to post an additional update later, real life calls...)

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

I suspect that if the US had no plans for Philippines independence by WWII, that the Filipinos would be much less pro-US and more pro-Japan. I suspect strongly that they would demand independence at the end of WWII, and as the US was pressing so hard for the European nations to give up Imperialism, they could hardly deny independence to the Philippines.

Ya, there was a thread recently, and a few before that IIRC, but I can't get the Search function to work today. Nor is it in the last 30 pages of this forum...

[RogueBeaver]

Unless the butterflies are particularly careful, you just might wind up with a Republican POTUS Marcos. :eek:

[The Kiat]

I suspect that if the US had no plans for Philippines independence by WWII, that the Filipinos would be much less pro-US and more pro-Japan. I suspect strongly that they would demand independence at the end of WWII, and as the US was pressing so hard for the European nations to give up Imperialism, they could hardly deny independence to the Philippines.

Ya, there was a thread recently, and a few before that IIRC, but I can't get the Search function to work today. Nor is it in the last 30 pages of this forum...


Considering how the Japanese treated conquered peoples, it's kind of hard imagining anybody being Pro-Japan and Anti-America.

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

Considering how the Japanese treated conquered peoples, it's kind of hard imagining anybody being Pro-Japan and Anti-America.
"much less pro-US" and "more pro-Japan" were, I believe, my words. Perhaps I should have said, "less anti-Japan" or "more willing to work with Japan" or some such.

Note that if the Navy was in charge, as in Taiwan, the oppression was relatively gentle. Certainly, if the Army was in charge, as Korea, the oppression was awful. OTOH, lots of Asian nationalists believed Japanese rhetoric, and sided with them (see Burma, Thailand), and others believed it long enough for the Japanese to get their foot in the door, at which point they regretted it (Indonesia?).

How the Japanese would have treated the Philippines if at least some of the Philippine army had been on their side is an interesting question...

[proximefactum]

Statehood for the Phillipines would require a noticeable overhaul of the House seating chart given the very large population of the islands. I suspect that the Phillipines would get a set number of House seats regardless of population fluctuations.

Could "Protestant America", especially in the 50's and 60's, tolerate a populous commonwealth or state that is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic? It's true that Phillipine statehood would probably not create the religious friction that JFK's candidacy produced. Still, an admission of the Phillipines to the Union could bring back religious bigotry and/or nativist fears. Then again, racism would also play a sizeable role in the status of the Phillipines in a commonwealth/statehood ATL. What would be the combined effects of nativism, religious bigotry, and racism on Filipinos?

[GreatScottMarty]

Can anyone think of a realistic scenario where the Phillipines could become one or more states

This never would have happened. never ever. We took it because we could in a moment of imperial vision, that we never really took to its maximum extent. in the Early 1900s when the Phillipines were taken the country was entirely to rascist to make that area into one state let alone several states. Maybe if they were majority christian than it enters the realm of what if, but a bunch of muslims as Americans, with the likes of TR, McKinley, Nelson Miles, Taft, Wilson, possibly in charge during the Phillipines statehood debate?

Maybe if there was open space for a settler colony than that colony would be a state but there is entirely to many people who are white christians for that place to be considered for statehood. Also in OTL I believe the Platt Amendment which forbid Cuban Statehood, might have included a provision for the Phillipines. Sorry to rain on your parade.:)

[Whanztastic]

Commonwealth status seems much more likely. Going with Greenlanterncorps' TL in 1960 the US population was 179,323,175 while the Philippines were at 27,087,685, or more than 10 million more than New York, the largest state at the time. Individual statehood is pretty much out of the question, not wanting any state to have that much sway, especially such a remote one.

Given today's populations (falsely assuming parallel development and growth), The Philippines is still nearly three times as large as California. So if statehood would ever be considered, it would have to be as multiple states. The most obvious answer is to divide it by the three traditional regional divisions: Luzon, Visayas and Mindano. This however would still leave Luzon with a massive population and perhaps requiring yet another division.

The argument against so many divisions is that with each state carved out of The Philippines is another two senators which may be opposed by more conservative elements in the continental United States.

[King Henry]

This never would have happened. never ever. We took it because we could in a moment of imperial vision, that we never really took to its maximum extent. in the Early 1900s when the Phillipines were taken the country was entirely to rascist to make that area into one state let alone several states. Maybe if they were majority christian than it enters the realm of what if, but a bunch of muslims as Americans, with the likes of TR, McKinley, Nelson Miles, Taft, Wilson, possibly in charge during the Phillipines statehood debate?


Aren't the Philippines majority Catholic?

[XNM]

If the Philippines were a U.S. state today, it would have 141 Congressmen. Added to the 435 already in Congress, the Philippine delegation would make up a quarter of the House (Even without the Reapportionment Act of 1929, the proportion would still be roughly the same). I don't think very many people in the mainland would like the idea of a quarter of the House being Filipino, especially considering the racism of the time. I think that the Philippines would remain a commonwealth like Puerto Rico, until social changes create a political climate more friendly to the Filipinos, and whatever party is favorable to a majority of Filipinos wins the White House and both houses of Congress (Republicans aren't going to want to give the Philippines statehood if a majority of Filipinos vote Democratic).

[Paul V McNutt]

Maybe Paul V McNutt gets his way when he calls for a realistic rexwkinstoj of Phillipine independence in 1937.

[KingByng]

What if they just keep part of the Philippines and cut the rest loose? Say the Americans keep Luzon, and admit it as one (or two, considering the population size) state, and rid themselves of Mindanao and Visayas? Plausible?

[Hörnla]

What if they just keep part of the Philippines and cut the rest loose? Say the Americans keep Luzon, and admit it as one (or two, considering the population size) state, and rid themselves of Mindanao and Visayas? Plausible?

I guess it would be a too thinly veiled "divide et impera"-concept to be successful in the end. The US would end between all chairs, being asked why the other islands won't get statehood while on the other hand rebellious Luzonians envy the "free islands".