The United States began to impose much stricter border controls with Mexico and Canada in the 20th century. This tightening of borders symbolized the official U.S. takeover of Indigenous lands and the nation’s readiness to expand its influence further. The Spanish-American War demonstrated that the U.S. had grown more powerful and had intentions to extend its reach toward becoming a global superpower. As the U.S. invaded and colonized other countries and territories, it replicated the pattern of how it had taken over Indigenous American lands. The government brutally invaded other nations, suppressed resistance, and manipulated them racially, economically, and culturally, often to their detriment. The U.S. used the wealth it accumulated from these colonized territories to spread its influence and solidify its imperial power.
The podcast we listened to this week about the Kingdom of Hawaii’s encounter with the U.S. government highlights how the Hawaiians were forced to open their country and change their way of life, which had persisted for thousands of years, in an effort to prevent settler invasion. However, the Hawaiian kingdom was ultimately overthrown illegally by American businessmen with ties to the military. The U.S. coveted Hawaii for its strategic position as a midpoint stop on a major trade route, making it an important location for international commerce. After the invasion, the U.S. exploited Hawaii’s resources and people, just as it had in many other islands and countries, to increase its wealth and establish imperial power.
The podcast focused on the history of ice in Hawaii, illustrating how the introduction of fresh fruits and produce altered Hawaiian culture and forced people to move away from their homes after raising the cost of living so they could take over land ownership. The fact that only elites could enjoy this “luxury” of ice underscores how the U.S. exploited others by introducing other ideologies to build its imperial power. U.S. imperialism in the 20th century can be seen as a continuation of the settler-colonial practices of the previous century, with racial, gendered, and economic logics playing central roles. Even in today’s society, under the banner of globalization, we are still witnessing the persistence of modern colonialism.