1904 World's Fair: The Filipino Experience

by José D. Fermin

In 1904, the United States exhibited more than 1,100 native Filipinos, Negritos, Igorot, Moros, and Visayans at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri. Dubbed the “largest and finest colonial exhibit,” the Philippine Exhibition, though a huge success with the public, proved controversial because of its racist and imperialistic features, and the stigma it inflicted on Filipinos—a disgrace that is still felt after a hundred years. Fermin’s impressive, well-researched book unearths new historical material pertaining not only to the fair but also to expositions held during American colonial rule in the Philippines.

Genres: History

Paperback

First published May 1, 2005

Reviews

[Isabel Legarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an extensively researched book on an aspect of the World Fair in St. Louis that I had no idea about - even though I'm Filipino! What shame! All I knew about the fair was from the Judy Garland movie, "Meet Me in St. Louis." I didn't realize the Philippine village at the fair - a precursor to today's Epcot center exhibits? - was one of the fair's big attractions and was so aggressively publicized. I had no idea it was an imperialistic human zoo, a laboratory of racism, exploitation, and degradation. This book totally made me cry. It's very well written, excepting a few minor common Philippine grammar differences in usage of prepositions and tenses (what else is new?), and I think every American who doesn't know about the nation's imperialist past, and thinks the whole City on the Hill model is something admirable and laudable, should read it. In other words, every high school social studies class, in both countries, should make this required reading, along with Mary Helen Fee's "A Womans Impressions of the Philippines." Shame, shame, shame. I would say we've come a long way and have learned a lot about tolerance and equal rights, but there are still people in my workplace who make fun of the doctors who speak with an accent, so...