A GLANCE AT SELECTED

P.H. POLITICAL
CARICATURE IN ALFRED
MCCOY’S PHILIPPINE
CARTOONS:
POLITICAL CARICATURE OF THE
AMERICAN ERA (1900-1941)
• A picture, description, or imitation of a person in which
certain striking characteristics are exaggerated in order to
create a comic or grotesque effect.

WHAT IS CARICATURE?
• Born on 8 June 1945
EDUCATION
• Ph.D., Yale
M.A., University of California-
Berkeley
B.A., Columbia College
 Dr Alfred W. McCoy is
professor of SE Asian History at
the U. of Wisconsin at Madison
where he also serves as director
of the Center for SE Asian
Studies, a federally-funded
National Resource Center.

Alfred McCoy
• 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

POLITICAL CARICATURE
• Cartoons became an effective tool of publicizing opinions
through heavy use of symbolism, which is different from
a 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.

POLITICAL CARICATURE
Published in The Independent on May
20,1916.
Published in The Independent on June
16,1917
A commentary on the unprecedented cases
of colorum automobiles in the city streets.
A cartoon depicting a cinema
Published by The Independent on
November 27,1915
Published by Lipang Kalabaw on
August 24,1907
Analysis of Political
Caricatures during
the American
Period
• The transition from the Spanish Colonial Period to the
American Occupation period demonstrated different
strands of changes and shifts in culture, society and
politics.
• The Americans drastically introduced democracy to the
nascent nation and its consequences are far from ideal.
• It was also in the American Period where Filipinos were
introduced to modernity like health care, modern
transportation, and media. Thus ushered in a more freer
press.
• In the Filipino-American period to the Post-American
period the upper class or the upper principalia class were
the only ones who felt the economic prosperity while
poor filipinos remained poor, desperate and victims at
that time.
• The selected cartoons illustrate not only the opinion or
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.
• Examples were, for the prices that the Filipinos paid for the
democracy modeled after the Americans.
• First, it seemed that the Filipino Politicians at that time did not
understand well enough the essence of democracy and accompanying
democratic institutions and processes.
• This can be seen in rising dynastic politics in Tondo as depicted in the
cartoon published by The Independent.

In the cartoon United States was represented by Uncle Sam.

• Provided dole outs for members of the Federalista while the

Nacionalista politicians looked on and waited for their turn. Thus the
essence of competing political parties to enforce choices among voters
were cancelled out.

POLITICS
• The transition from Catholic-centered, Spanish-Filipino
society to an Imperial American-assimilated one. And its
complications, were also depicted in the cartoons.
• One example is the unprecedented increase of motorized
vehicles in the city. However, the laws and policy
implementation were mediocre. This resulted in the colorum
and unlicensed vehicles.
• Another example is what McCoy called “sexual revolution”
that occurred in the 1930’s. young people, as early as that
period, disturbed the conservative Filipino mindset by
engaging in daring sexual activities in public spaces.; here
we can see how the period what meeting point between the
conservative past and the liberated future of the Philippines.
• Lastly, the cartoons also illustrated the conditions of poor
filipinos in the Philippines governed by the United States.
• A cartoon depicting how police authorities oppress petty
Filipino criminals while turning a blind eye on hoarders
who monopolize good in their huge warehouse.
• Another cartoon depicts how American controlled Filipinos
through seemingly harmless American objects. By
controlling their consciousness and mentality, Americans
got controlled and subjugate Filipinos.

POOR FILIPINOS