Proposed Thesis Title: Crimes Without Trial: Everyday Repression, Imperial Policing, And American Military Violence In Central Luzon, 1946--1972

Supervisor: Associate Professor Hajimu Masuda

I am Joseph Dizon from the Philippines. My research interests focus on the Cold War in the Philippines, particularly the alleged crimes committed by U.S. military personnel in Central Luzon and the ways in which ordinary Filipinos contested these cases and sought justice for those that remained untried or unresolved.

My interest in this subject developed partly through my experience as a research assistant to an American scholar working on the U.S. military’s Rest and Recreation (R&R) program during the Vietnam War. The Philippines was among the destinations where American servicemen spent their R&R, placing the country within a broader regional network shaped by the U.S. military presence in Southeast Asia.

My research interests are also deeply rooted in my upbringing near Clark Air Base, a former major U.S. military installation in the Philippines. Growing up near the base sparked my interest in its history and, more broadly, in the lasting social and political legacies of the American military presence in Central Luzon.

Some of my academic work has appeared in Diliman Review and Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints. Outside of archival research, I enjoy playing various sports and staying active through activities such as jogging.