Empire’s Gender Politics in Segregation:

The United States Leprosy Segregation in the Philippines,

1900s-1930s

The hansenites were caught in a period of great changes in the Philippines at the end of the
nineteenth century. The Filipino revolutionaries were in state of war against the Spanish,
hoping to end the 333 years of colonial rule. The Americans aided the Filipinos in their wars
only to find out months later that the Americans occupied the whole archipelago. During this
tumultuous period, the condition in the Philippines was chaotic, peace and order was
something everyone wants to achieve. Health and education institution had to temporarily
closed down due to the ongoing disorder.

Late nineteenth century, a period of great changes in the Philippines. As Filipino

revolutionaries declared war against the Spanish colonial government for independence. The
Americans coming in to help the Filipino revolutionaries in their fight against the Spaniards
only to end months after as new colony of the United States. In this era, where the Philippine
was in a state-of-war. Various tropical diseases such as cholera, malaria, diphtheria and
beriberi struck the Philippines causing almost a million death in the archipelago. Peace and
order were chaotic, as police force was non-existent and medical services if it does exist were
busy providing services to the casualties of war.
Imagine this disorderly world for patients suffering from leprosy, surviving this
tumultuous and chaotic episode of the Philippines in the nineteenth century. Then suddenly
a sudden turn of events happened, after 300 years of Spanish colonization the Philippines was
took over by the Americans bringing major change to the Philippine society including the
ostracization of the hansenites to an isolated island in the archipelago. After surviving the
war, here you are collected, arrested and isolated in the island of Culion. Receiving