Imagine you live on a small island in the Pacific Ocean called Coconut Island by Americans and others around the world In your native tongue, you call your home “Raratonga”. Your island is a sunny paradise and is filled with beautiful coconut trees. Your island has its own government, laws, religion and customs/culture that go back hundreds of years. You are a small, simple non-industrialized island nation and your 10,000 citizens are happy and content.

One day an American group of business leaders and government officials tour your island and tell you that the U.S. would like to colonize your island. They would like to provide all the people of Coconut Island with a better standard of life such as government reforms, improvements to schools, roads and sanitation. The businessmen/government officials also want to build a big port area and keep some military personnel on your island for your protection. They want to help make your island more modern. They also seem very interested in your coconut trees.

Should the people of Coconut Island be excited?

Write a 1 page essay response from the perspective of a Coconut Islander and answer each of these questions in short paragraphs.

Should the people of Coconut island be excited? Why or why not? Your answer to this question is your thesis statement and main idea to begin your paragraph.
Do you agree with the ideas of colonization or disagree? Why or why not?
What do you think is the motivation of the U.S. officials?
Should stronger more developed nations be able to take over weaker, less developed nations?
Do stronger, more developed nations have a responsibility to share their technologies/culture with weaker, less developed nations?
Will this action by a foreign group help or hurt Coconut Island and its people?
How should the people of Coconut Island react? What would You do?