ALFRED MCCOY’S PHILIPPINE

CARTOONS:
POLITICAL CARICATURE OF THE
AMERICAN ERA (1900-1941)
Prepared by: Group 6
 CARICATURE
• The word caricature comes from the Italian words "carico"
and "caricare", means 'to load' or to 'exaggerate'.

• A picture, description, or imitation of a person in which

certain striking characteristics are exaggerated in order to
create a comic or grotesque effect.
 ALFRED W.
• Birth: JuneMCCOY
8, 1945, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
• Age at present: 77 years old
• Citizenship: American
• A professor of History at the University of
Wisconsin where he also served as
Director of Center for Southeast Asian
Studies.
Historical background of “political caricature of the
American era”

• During the American administration, political cartoons in the

Philippines reached their full potential. Artists in the Philippines
captured national views regarding the arrival of the Americans, as well
as changing customs and times.
Historical background of “political caricature of the
American era”

• Political cartoons and caricature are a rather recent art form which
veered away from the classical art by exaggerating human features and
poking fun at its subjects. Such art genre and technique became a part
of the print media as a form of social and political commentary, which
usually targets persons of power and authority.
• Cartoons became an effective tool of publicizing opinions
through heavy use of symbolism which is different from
verbose written editorial and opinion pieces. The unique
way that a caricature represents opinion and captures the
audience's imagination is reason enough for historians to
examine these political cartoons.
• Commentaries in mass media inevitably shape public
opinion and such kind of opinion is worthy of historical
examination. Philippine political cartoons gained full
expression during the American era. Filipino artists
recorded national attitudes toward the coming of the
Americans as well as the changing mores and times.
• While the 377 cartoons compiled in the book speak for
themselves, historian Alfred McCoy’s extensive research in
Philippine and American archives provides a comprehensive
background not only to the cartoons but to the turbulent period
as well, as manifested in his book Philippine Cartoons: Political
Caricature of the American Era (1900-1941).
• Artist-writer Alfredo Roces, who designed the book, contributes
an essay on Philippine graphic satire of the period.
 ACHIEVEMENTS:
• Philippine Catholic Mass Media Award, best Book of the
year for 1985.
• Philippine National Book Award for History, for 1986.
• Gintong Aklat Award (MANILA)special citation for
History 1897.
 Other Popular Works:
IN THE SHADOWS OF THE AMERICAN CENTURY
POLICING AMERICA'S EMPIRE
• Shadow of the American Century: The rise and the decline od U.S
Global Power, 2017.
• Policing America's Empire: The United States, The Philippines, and the
Rise of the Surveillances State (2009).
• Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia A Classic Work on Drug
Trafficking (blocked by C.I.A. But Remained in Print for more than 50
years and translated to 9 languages).
POLITICAL CARTOONS AND
CARICATURE:
Public post is no a • The cartoon depicting a politician from
hereditary crown Tondo named Dr. Santos giving his
crown to his brother-in-law, Dr.
Barcelona.
• published in The Independent on May
20, 1916.
• A Filipino man (dressed in salakot and
barong tagalog) was attempting to stop
Santos from handing the title to
Barcelona because it was not his to
begin with.
 War against
speculator
• created by Fernando Amorsolo
• published by The Independent
on June 16, 1917
• was intended as a reflection on
the workings of Manila Police
at the time.
 COLORUM
• The Philippines Free Press
published this commentary
when fatal accidents
involving colorum vehicles
and taxis occurred often
already.
 CINEMA
• A blown up officer was at the
screen saying that couple are
not allowed to neck and make
love in the theater.
• Two youngster looked
horrified while an older
couple seemed amused.
Uncle Sam riding a • The following cartoon, which
chariot appeared in The Independent on
November 27, 1915, depicts
Uncle Sam riding a chariot
driven by Filipinos dressed in
school uniforms.
• Baseball bats, liquor, and boxing
gloves were among the items
carried by the Filipino youths.
El Turno Los Partidos • On August 24, 1907, Lipang
Kalabaw released the last cartoon,
which depicts Uncle Sam rationing
oatmeal to politicians and
members of the Progresista Party
(also known as the Federalista
Party), while supporters of the
Nacionalista Party watch and wait.
 ANALYSIS OF THE POLITICAL
CARICATURES DURING THE AMERICAN
PERIOD:

• The transition from the Spanish colonial period to the

American period demonstrated different strands of changes
and shifts in culture, society, and politics.
 ANALYSIS OF THE POLITICAL
CARICATURES DURING THE AMERICAN
PERIOD:

• The Americans drastically introduced democracy to the

nascent nation and the consequences were far from ideal. The
Filipinos were introduced to different manifestations of
modernity like healthcare, transportation and media.
 ANALYSIS OF THE POLITICAL
CARICATURES DURING THE AMERICAN
PERIOD:
• The selected cartoons illustrate not only the opinion of
certain media outfits about the Philippine society during
the American period but also paint a broad image of
society and politics under the United States.
 ANALYSIS OF THE POLITICAL
CARICATURES DURING THE AMERICAN
PERIOD:
• In the arena of politics, we see the price that Filipinos paid
for the democracy modeled after the Americans for it
seemed that Filipino politicians did not understand well
enough of the essence of democracy and the accompanying
democratic institutions and processes.
 ANALYSIS OF THE POLITICAL
CARICATURES DURING THE AMERICAN
PERIOD:

• The transition from Catholic-centered, Spanish-Filipino society

to an imperial American-assimilated one, and its complications,
were depicted in the cartoons.
 ANALYSIS OF THE POLITICAL
CARICATURES DURING THE AMERICAN
PERIOD:

• Lastly, the cartoons illustrated the conditions of poor Filipinos

under the American government, depicted how the Americans
controlled the Filipinos through a seemingly harmless American
objects.
THANK YOU!