"From 1902 to 1904, a Cholera epidemic broke out in the Philippines, particularly in and around Manila. The epidemic killed hundreds of thousands of Filipinos, adding to the casualties of the Philippine American War.

While most of Manila was quarantined, American colonial..

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troops forced Filipinos in nearby provinces to concentrate en masse in "protection zones." Once Cholera hit those areas, deaths multiplied.

Many American officials blamed Filipinos' inadequate personal hygiene for the disease's spread. They even depicted Filipinos as a...

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contaminated race, giving a public health spin to the American imperialist mission. As such, American officials created cholera squads (pictured here) made up of local Filipinos to try to combat Cholera and teach other locals "proper" hygiene.

As we continue to survive...

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during this current pandemic, let us not forget the long history of ascribing notions of race to diseases."

For more on this history, please read Colonial Pathologies by Warwick Anderson.

H/T: @TFALpodcast

PC: Library of Congress

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