Philippine Statehood

Out of sheer curiosity, what kind of changes would be needed to make the Philippines into a state or states of the US?
 

Phyrx

Banned
First thing that came to my mind was to have the Philippines threatened by (presumably) Japan -- which they already were. I suppose if WWII ended with some kind of stalemate where the Japanese Empire surrounded the Philippines, but did not occupy them, there would likely be a lot more pressure for the Philippines to join the United States. That could result from a neutral US, or from a peace treaty returning any US territory occupied by the Axis.

Even with this, Philippine statehood seems unlikely. The Filipinos were very eager to gain independence, and the US was happy to give it to them because the US sugar industry was having a hard time competing with the cheap labor available in the Philippines. More likely a threatened Philippines would simply ally with the United States but retain its independence.

Of course, looking for a POD, you can go back a lot farther than WWII. All the better if you can prevent the Philippine-American War.
 
It would be pre-1900, but if during the Spanish-American war there was no major or decisive combat in the Pacific? A different US commander decides to play fleet-in-being, and so when the war ends the Spanish retain the PI.

Elements in the PI then rebel against Spain, just as in OTL they rebelled against the US. The Spanish crack down hard and indiscriminately, determined for reasons of national pride to retain one of their few colonial possessions. Low-level guerrilla warfare continues until the Spanish Civil War. As Spain beats itself up, the US quietly backs one of the revolting factions, hoping to break the PI free and get a basing deal, or at least a friend in the region. This plan is short-circuited when the Japanese invade at the end of 1941 (the Japanese grabbed Indochina, why not the PI?). Circa 1944 the US invades the islands to kick out the Japanese, having in the meantime provided some support (OSS and the like).

Post-war, Spain demands the return of the PI. As they weren't on the Allied side and the US is friendly with the locals, the US says not only "no" but "$^#! no!" A referendum is held, and by a narrow margin the population votes to become a US territory, with a promise that they can hold a referendum on statehood after certain criteria are met. Some years later the referendum is held, and again by a narrow margin the PI votes to become a state. This is approved by the US.
 
PI would have to be broken up into multiple states (probably similar lines to their OTL provinces) given population size.
 
There is also the aspect that many would oppose the admittance of a non-white state. That's what held up the admission of Hawaii until 1959 and the Philippines are of course much bigger - about 20 million in 1950. So some way would have to be found to overcome these objections.
 
PI would have to be broken up into multiple states (probably similar lines to their OTL provinces) given population size.

I always thought three would split the archipelago smoothly, but having five states makes the populations of each much more realistic.
 
I always thought three would split the archipelago smoothly, but having five states makes the populations of each much more realistic.

I was thinking three or four at most. Though, if it was admitted as a state, depending on when, the population may not boom, and continental interests might not want such clout in the Senate for a single, nonwhite archipelago.
 
Why the US is going to go for that from a strategic perspective is one issue. It's a far-off territory that's historically wanted nothing to do with any foreign colonial power ruling its territory, and it's proven that the US isn't willing to make a commitment to defend such a far-flung territory from attack. The Phillipines also has an enormous population and would be a force to be reckoned with in Congress.

The social stigma against taking in new states full of "Orientals" is just gravy and will only further set back the chances of an already unlikely proposition.
 
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