Little Brown Brother

Working Definition:

This term was used by some American colonists to describe the Philippines’ relationship with the United States. Inherently racialized, the term highlights the paternalistic approach American colonists took in their administration of the Philippines, while also suggesting that Filipino/as were immature in their development as a people and unprepared for self-governance.

Related Terms:

Suggestions for Further Reading:

Leon Wolff, Little Brown Brother: How the United States Purchased and Pacified the Philippines Islands at the Century’s Turn (History Book Club, 2006); Victor Heiser, An American Doctor’s Odyssey: Adventures in Forty-Five Countries (New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1936)