Asian American Resources

 

Asia in the Age of Empire Global Immigration American Imperialism

Asia in the Age of Empire

Imperialism and colonialism have played a significant role in shaping the continent's history, cultures and people. Through colonialism, parts of Asia have been heavily influenced by other parts of the world, creating new markets and commodities, along with dynamic and hybrid cultures and societies. European powers such as Portugal, Spain, France, the Netherlands and Great Britain colonized significant parts of Asia from the 1500s to the 1900s, imposing political, economic and cultural dominance over South and Southeast Asia for more than 400 years. The Philippines, a Spanish colony since 1521, became a United States colony after the Spanish-American War of 1898. In the 20th century, Japan extended its empire across Korea, Manchuria, and parts of China and Southeast Asia. Despite the challenges that have arisen from colonialism and imperialism, Asia has remained resilient and continues to be a vibrant and dynamic part of the world today.

Global Immigration

Although European countries actively moved into Asian territories, Asian immigrants often faced restrictions in Europeanized parts of the world. Between 1901 and 1975, Australia’s Immigration Restriction Act — also known as the White Australia Policy — allowed immigration officers to give non-European migrants a 50-word dictation test in the migrant's preferred language. However the test was often manipulated and if the migrant failed, they would be deported. Likewise, from 1885 to 1947, Canada’s Chinese Immigration Act forced immigrants to pay a tax ranging from $50 to $500. Canada’s Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923 restricted who could enter the country based on their occupation and citizenship status. Other laws in Canada during this time directly impacted Japanese and Indian immigrants. Under Apartheid in South Africa, Asian people were classified as non-White, Coloured, Asian or Chinese and were subjected to legal discrimination until 1993. The United States had comparable laws from 1882 to 1965, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, literacy test laws and the Immigration Act of 1924, which restricted immigration from Asia along with Eastern and Southern Europe. In spite of these restrictions, Asian immigrants played a crucial role in the 19th century, building railroads and working in mines and plantations across the Americas and the Pacific. By the 1950s, Chinese immigrants owned many of the imports and exports of countries in Central America and found ways to prosper during unfavorable times.

 

American Imperialism

The United States has a long history of imperialism in Asia, which dates back to the mid-19th century. During the age of global empire, American expansionism reached across the Pacific, driven by economic interests, geopolitical ambitions and the prevailing ideologies of the time. In Asia, this manifested through a series of economic impositions, territorial acquisitions and military interventions, aimed at securing resources, labor, trade and other strategic goals.

From Commodore Matthew Perry’s 1852 mission to open Japan to the geopolitics of the late 20th century, American imperialism in Asia has reshaped the region’s political and economic landscapes and left a lasting impact on its societies.

Since the 19th century the United States has worked to expand its economic influence in Asia through economic liberalization policies, free trade agreements, opening Asian markets and tapping Asian labor for manufacturing. The United States acquired its first Asian territorial colony in 1898 with the acquisition of the Philippines after the Spanish American War. Forty years later, rising economic and diplomatic tensions with expansionist Japan paved the way to the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

After World War II, the rise of communism and nuclear proliferation reshaped the goals and means of U.S. activities in Asia. During the Cold War, the U.S. pursued strategic imperialism in Asia by backing anti-communist regimes like South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines. Part of the containment strategy against communist expansion, this support involved aiding authoritarian regimes, including those with records of human rights abuses and repression of dissent. Since World War II, the United States has maintained a substantial military presence in Asia, with bases and alliances in countries like Japan and South Korea.

These complex and evolving forms of economic, military and political engagement between the United States and Asia have also created pathways for migration, with a mix of push and pull factors that continue to energize immigration between Asia and America.