I found something unusual in the Wikipedia article on United States Nationality Law, that puzzles me. It says that Filipinos were non-citizen U.S. nationals like residents of American Samoa today. But it also says this:

According to 8 U.S.C. § 1408, it is possible to be a U.S. national without being a U.S. citizen. A person whose only connection to the U.S. is through birth in an outlying possession (which as of 2005 is limited to American Samoa, Swains Island, and the unincorporated US Minor Outlying Islands), or through descent from a person so born, acquires U.S. nationality but not U.S. citizenship. This was formerly the case in only four other current or former U.S. overseas possessions[24]

* Guam (1898–1950) (Citizenship granted by an Act of Congress through the Guam Organic Act of 1950).
* the Philippines (1898–1935) (Granted independence in 1946; National status rescinded in 1935; Citizenship never accorded)[25]
* Puerto Rico (1898–1917) (Citizenship granted by an Act of Congress through the Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917).
* the U.S. Virgin Islands (1917–1927) (Citizenship granted by an Act of Congress in 1927).[26]

What the....? So according to law, both the Philippines from 1935 onwards and Puerto Rico were (and are in PR's case) commonwealths of the United States. But where Puerto Ricans were accorded U.S. citizenship in 1917, and are full U.S. citizens today, it would appear from this article that Filipinos had their U.S. non-citizen nationality status completely revoked in 1935, even though they were still a U.S. commonwealth until granted full independence in 1946.

So, what was the status of Filipino nationality in the years 1935-1946? Anyone know? Were Filipinos issued U.S. passport previous to 1935? In the years 1935-1946, were Filipinos issued Filipino passports and given U.S. consular protections, or U.S. passports? If they were U.S. nationals in 1935-1946, what was their status if the U.S. had control over the islands? I know that we had the Japanese intervention and WWII in the middle of all of this, so people probably weren't too concerned with some of this at the time, lol.

And, lastly and this should be its own thread, but why weren't the Philippines admitted to statehood as one or more states? It seems to me that the country's economic situation would be eons improved under statehood. Although that is arguable for territories such as American Samoa, at the very least the local economy could be as good as Puerto Rico or Mississippi, lol. Something approaching that of Hawaii perhaps. America's gateway to Asia? Were elderly Filipinos born before 1935 considered U.S. nationals? Or was this status revoked upon independence?

Any legal eagles or history buffs that wanna tackle this one or know anything about this period? Anybody have a cite other tha Wikipedia for the nationality status during this time?

you first have to understand the racial situation in the US at the time.


regarding statehood, the PH. has 100 million people the US has 300 million people. minorities would be the majority


this might help too http://www.uscis.gov/ilink/docView/SLB/HTM...-0-0-45717.html

Thanks, that link is interesting and certainly the U.S. government is a more reliable source than Wikipedia, lol. It would make sense that Filipinos would keep their U.S. nationality status until 1946, which is what USCIS says.

a hundred vs three hundred.. hmmm . if the US absorbed us then we've become the majority and not the minority. The US would be filipino with a white, black, native indian et al minorities. lolz. thats what you call conquest by breeding. racist would rant all day.