The history of nations using indigenous people in other lands to advance their militray, political, imperialistic, capitalistic, religious, or any other motives and then abondoning them to their fates or reneging on the pledges to those who aided them is long and shameful. Here, in Los Angeles, there is a large Filipino community, some of whom served in WW2 as interpreters, armed combatant alogside the US force or who provide much need intel and covert services that greatly aided the war effort in the Pacific, saving many, many American and Allied lives in the process. They were made promises of full US citizenship and veteran's benfits as recognition of their valiant service in WW2 and for the service of many Filipinos in the US military in the years since 1895 when the US acquired control over the nation after the Spanish American War. A bill meant to enforce these promises was introduced in 1993 and every year since then; the bills have never made out of subcommittees in those 20 years that have pased. The Filipino veterans have really been more than patient and are now dying off in greater numbers, as are so many of our WW2 vets. The main obstacle to the passage of any bill has been from the Far Right, who are well known for beating the drums of war and intervention, but seem to fade away when it comes time to pay the bill. And, God forbid, that any of there progeny or others of their class should serve or spill blood in furtherence of the Right causes; especially when there are so many, like the Filipinos, who can be used up and then tossed aside...
The Filipinos are not alone, there quite a few others taken in by the US military and civilian leadership, in the past and the present. As recently as Vietnam: just look up the situation of the Hmong in Vietnam and Laos after the war and how, again, the US rather failed to live up to its obligations and promises regarding the Hmong and left them to the predations of the same enemy they helped us fight against....
Many, many nations have treated the indigenous people of other lands as 'diposaable' or 'forgettable', but it serves the US and other nations like the UK, ill to not take real steps to address the situation and do what is right. As someone earlier noted, what happens the next time we are faced with a conflict in another area of the world and really need the assistance and cooperation of the people in that country? Will they look at our "resume" and say "Seems like a really bad risk here..."
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