By Danielle Ngamegni

Author Daniel Immerwahr explored imperialism in the United States and how we define ourselves on the global stage at a Q&A session for his book “How to Hide an Empire” on Sept. 16 at the University of Maryland, as part of UMD’s First Year Book program. 

According to Immerwahr, when looking at a map of the United States, you may notice that Alaska and Hawaii are significantly smaller compared to the mainland. He says the inaccurately displayed sizes of the states is just a small indicator of how the United States’ imperial history is taught in schools.

Immerwahr acknowledged that students rarely learn about the annexation of the Philippines and Guam. He describes the teaching of history as an “act of veneration.” While educators are often open about the teaching of slavery, for many learners it can be confusing to balance America’s anti-colonial establishment with its imperial past. 

Julia Del Rosario, a freshman in letters and sciences, said the revelation was a “shocking moment” she resonated with because her family immigrated from the Philippines. Del Rosario said didn’t know how much global influence the United States had over territorial colonies.

“Not many people knew that the United States was one whole big colonizer country all over the world,” Del Rosario said. She explains that as governments and individuals become more independent, it’s important to recognize the impacts of that colonization.

Freshman mathematics major Zachary Baldwin said that before the Q&A session, he hadn’t realized the extent to which the United States restricted the Axis Powers — Japan, Germany and Italy — from having military forces after World War II. 

“My father was born on a U.S. military base in Seoul, Korea, but I wasn’t aware of the perspective of the native populations on those military bases,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin said that some Europeans are fine with having United States military bases as a means of protection from China and Russia, as opposed to Asian countries having a negative outlook on them.

While many students in the room were unaware of the full history of America’s imperialism, it did not come as a shock for Xaver Lallinger, a German Fulbright Fellow.

Lallinger recalled the surprised reactions of American students in the room, but for him it was not “revolutionary” to read that America is an empire.

“For us in Europe, and at least in Germany, it is not basic knowledge, but it’s something that is commonly seen … the U.S. is acting in a way an empire would act,” Lallinger  said.

Featured Image: Author Daniel Immerwahr (left) speaks with moderator Sarah Croco (right), a professor of Government and Politics on Sept. 16. Photo by Duncan Holditch.