...American Identity Paper Early America was the collaboration and efforts of many British settlers who left their homelands seeking out the New World in relief of an overpopulated England and opportunities of religious freedoms. The result was a society under British rule, in the beginning, which would become a model nation formed by its people for its people. A letter from Hector St. John de Cre’vecoeurs, a Pennsylvania farmer, accounts the differences of America and Europe in a letter written by the farmer to a friend in England. In his letter, he praised America in its success creating a beautiful nation from land that was once heavily wooded and unsettled. Cre’vecoeurs detailed the descriptions of American farmers, describing them as possessing nice clothing as he rode on horses or wagons with his wife. Their lifestyles were pleasant for a man who would have to be a knight in England for the same standards of living. Instead of peasants that toiled the English soils, American farmers cultivated his lands. These opportunities for farmers to be self-sufficient far outweighed the manufacturers in England in which thousands worked with little opportunity to be independent. Cre’vecoeurs also told of lands not yet populated. Unlike England there was room for growth and expansion in Early America. His letters also noted the absence of hostile castles and mansions; signs of upper class royalty. The absence of these castles and mansions also meant there...
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...recognized his purpose early in life in the classroom of one of Psychology’s trail-blazers, Francis Sumner. Clark and his wife Mamie, shared a common interest in the lives of African American children. Troubled by the false identity that shaped the minds of these children, at an early age, Clark and his wife studied the impact of racism on African American children. They used black and white dolls as the basis of their study by asking children between ages 3 to 7 to choose which doll resembles their uniqueness. The findings were disheartening and caused the Clark’s to hesitate publication. However, providence led that Clarks’ work had a pivotal role in correcting racial inequities in America’s education system and placing psychology in the spotlight as a legitimate science. Fascinated by what appears to be two birds playing or making love, Kenneth Clark was motivated to adjust his attitude. For the first time, he disengaged from, what he considered, to be dullness in the delivery of his instructor’s presentations and began to listen to the content of what Professor Francis Sumner was teaching. It was his sophomore year in college when he became spellbound by Sumner’s description of psychology as it related to life. In an interview with Lawrence Nyman, Clark stated that “I started listening to him that day and I listened to him until the day of his death. I caught on fire” (Nyman 2005). Clark recounted, that was the defining moment that shaped his decision to become...
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...Construction of Identity and Worldview: The Influence of Social Variables The meaning of human identity is vast and complex. Identity, for our purposes, is in part a derivation of an inseparable piece of one’s consciousness, and largely an assembly of attitudes, behaviors, values, and beliefs collected and learned during a lifetime. Individual identity, as the centerpiece of an individual’s place in society, is the mechanism through which worldviews are shaped. Identity may seem a nonessential study of little consequence in comparison to more explicit and trenchant topics, but actually is very consequential. Identities and worldviews are, after all, what have defined and created our reality as we know it. Movements toward social equality and political progressiveness have been born as a result of identities and worldviews differing from that of the collective. To study the social variables that mold identity and construct worldview is to study how our species has created our reality. Learning about the way identities and worldviews are shaped is the first step necessary in altering the formation of those identities and worldviews in order to change our thinking; to create a better and more equal reality. In some cases, such as my own, the formation of an individual’s identity is influenced by a collection of social variables typical of those within their society, as well as variables considered atypical. An absence of organized religion, Caucasian racial categorization, a culture...
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...cultures helped create an image of what it meant to be an American, and with this came a growing sense of nationalism. That idea would become the essential meaning of the United States between 1877 and 1930. American Nationalism on its surface can be seen as simply being proud of your country as well as its freedoms and accomplishments. However, it can easily grow out of control and insinuations of superiority and hatred for anything non-American. Regardless, all levels of nationalism shaped how America developed and the formation of the identity associated with the word ‘American’....
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...said to represent the sum total of knowledge in which God has. Consequently, if there was a man that made a 360 degree turn of his life, that man would be: El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, better known as Malcolm X. He was a man who learned early the true meaning of survival of the fittest, actually going from street menace to Minister. The Autobiography of Malcolm X, as told to Alex Haley, reveals the factual story of Malcolm Little and several uneasy transitions through his life that seemed to only make him stronger, emerging as an unlikely leader in America at a time when black leaders of his fiery style and impeccable speaking ability were uncommon. Unfortunately, like other leaders throughout history, Malcolm X was eventually assassinated, but his story lives on. A closer look provides the insight that in a desperate time of need, the trained mind of a street hustler envisioned the advantage of taking on and implementing the right opportunity to make a significant difference in society. While Malcolm X loved the religion of Islam, he still used it, maybe without even knowing it, as a scapegoat to start a movement towards a response to racism and Christianity with the ultimate goal of establishing a new identity for African Americans. Malcolm’s early childhood included constant attacks on his family from the white supremacy group, the KKK. Eventually Malcolm was plucked from his family, sent into foster care, and was arguably deprived of a normal teenage life like that of the average...
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...History is the core and foundation of our society, and what we know about history is from literature. These written records tell the long-forgotten stories of the past that share the story of where we have been and who we really are as a society. In particular, American literature has captivated countless readers from as far back as the 1600s to now, and many of these works have sparked movements that had a great impact on history. American literature is full of creativity, variety, and innovation. Thanks to these works, we have a clear image of what kind of life our ancestors lived and the hardships that they had to face. American literature is an essential piece of the mysterious puzzle that is our history, and it answers the questions that...
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...Humanities March 23, 2016 Word Count: 1470 America’s Co-Founders The Declaration of Independence is arguable the most important and wide known document in American history. On July 4, 1776 this document signaled America’s separation from the British Empire to the world. America is defined by the men and the minds, behind the declaration; most notably by the author, Thomas Jefferson. The boundaries of the government and rights of its citizens were crucial during the formation of this constitution since these principles were exactly the reason for the uprising of the original thirteen colonies. Thomas Jefferson dedicated most of his life to the crucial needs of America and its government in order to form a true republic of the people. Like many of the Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson strengthened his beliefs through personal studies and deep examination of European history. Many history books will tell that the contributing factors that formed Thomas Jefferson’s ideas of the identity of America were linked to events such as the Reformation, the Renaissance, and the British Country party. However, one man’s works continually surfaced in Jefferson’s political and even private writings. John Locke, a British Enlightenment philosopher, was repeatedly referenced in documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Notes on the State of Virginia, and the Summary View of the Rights of British America. Jefferson repeatedly used Locke’s concepts as would even sometimes use the...
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... • African identity- this term will be used interchangeable. (1) realizing the African continent commonality, (2) the culture and behavior of the slaves (African born and creoles)—basically what defines the slaves’ identity. • Creoles- (1) Atlantic creoles that are phenotypically and culturally mixed with African and European cultures. The Dynamic African identity: Coping with Slavery Upon considering the changes and the creation of an “African” identity (definition 2), it is important to realize that similar to the constantly changing slavery due to the frequent shifts in the social, political, and economic contexts, the “African” identity was also dynamic. Although the overall reason that prompted the development of the notion of the African continent (definition 1) might be similar across the board of slavery, the specifics of what constituted this identity (ex: religion, family formation) is largely dependent on the time period and region being discussed—ex: the 17th Century African identity in North America is different from the 18th Century identity in Europe. Several factors that enhanced the creation of the African identity (definition 2) include: (1) ability to form families as a result of the gender ratio, mortality rates, segregation from other slaves, (2) population ratio of native-born to creolized slaves, and (3) religious movement that were characteristic of the time and space. These three factors allowed for the African identity to be realized...
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...I don’t know when or how my love of learning developed, I just know it happened early and was so intense it consumed my childhood. During my earliest years I would not be seen without a book, a pencil, and a notebook. I would read til my eyes burned, and then write till my arms cramped. This enthusiasm stayed with me throughout elementary school, but slowly, without my noticing, it began to fade away, only to be reignited by the handful of teachers throughout my middle school and high school education that challenged me to think beyond how to pass a test. In I Just Wanna Be Average , Mike Rose writes “Students will float to the mark you set”. In my experience this quote couldn't be more true. All of my teachers have expected me to pass a test, but those who raised the “mark” and challenged me to think critically, ask questions, and discover my own ideas have motivated me to improve the person I am and to pursue the accumulation of knowledge. Awkward phases and embarrassing decisions is what the majority of people see when they look back on their middle school years. I, on the other hand look back at middle school with fondness, primarily due to my...
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...*Daryoosh Hayati Lecturer of English Language, Lamerd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Iran Journal of Subcontinent Researches University of Sistan and Baluchestan Vol. 3, No.7, summer 2011 (p.p 31-52) East meets West: a Study of Dual Identity in Mohsin Hamid’s the Reluctant Fundamentalist Abstract This essay will present a postcolonial study of how Eastern identity and Western identity clash in The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, the Pakistani- American novelist, and make the character of the protagonist a glocal one, (A mixture of global and local), a term newly coined by Postcolonial scholars to show the ever clashing mixture of global and local dualities in immigrants’ personalities. The basis for this research paper is the postcolonial theories of Edward Said, Fanon and Homi K. Bhabha. The aim is to question simply and sardonically the human cost of empire building, moreover it is discussed how the people in a totally alien culture are faced with different cultural predicaments, dilemmas as well as contradictions threatening their identity. Identity is supposed to be stable, while as this novel indicates, it is more of glocal identity which is at risk due to the cultural conflicts, as a result of which identity and ethnicity are subjected to change for the benefit of the hegemony. In line with Edward Said’s: “the East writes back” it is shown how this novel is a reaction to the discourse of colonization from the Pakistani side (which stands for the East)...
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...years after she was born, her father died in an accident. In her early age, she developed a fondness for sculpting, and when she was 14, she began attending the Art Institute of Chicago. Early in her career, she worked under Larado Taft, who was a sculptor who lived in her area. She worked with Taft along with a group of other women sculptors. Collectively, Vonnoh and these women were known as the “White Rabbits,” and they were assembled by Larado to assist him in preparing sculptures for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Later in 1899, she married the impressionist painter, Robert Vonnoh, and took his last name. He would eventually die in 1933. She would remarry to Dr. Edward L. Keyes Jr., who died within a year of their marriage. Vonnoh herself would die in 1955 at age 52, and she was buried beside her first husband, Robert Vonnoh, in Connecticut. Bessie Potter Vonnoh received numerous awards for her sculpting throughout her career including a Bronze Medal for her statuettes, Young Mother and Dancing Girl at the 1900 Exposition Universelle, a world’s fair in...
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...Te American Military University LITR 220 Constance Bracewell February 9, 2013 American Literature before the civil war Introduction In reference to Burt (p.11), the romantic idealism about American writing gave way to a realistic perspective on what America had become under the pressure of war and expansion as well as the acceleration of technological, economic and social change. In reference to Selcer (p.26), American Literature Library has thousands of short stories and classic novels for everyone to enjoy. In reference to Selcer (p.65), organizations devoted to the study of American authors include a directory of member- societies, and membership and event information. The library of America offers American Literature, including poems, novels, essays drama and other American works from America’s best writers. According to Hewitt (p.4), during its initial history, the US was a British colony especially on the east-coast of the present US. In reference to Hewitt (p.6), therefore, its literary traditions borrow heavily from the British. Nevertheless, its distinct features and the depth of its production make it to be viewed as its own entity. In reference to Hewitt (p.60), who American was and what America had become was the dominant theme of literature as the first outlines of modern American life took shape. Earliest forms of American Literature In reference to Selcer (p.52), many American authors turned to letter writing as an idealized genre through...
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...Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming out on this Independence Day morning. The hour might be early, but the traditional flag-raising that will shortly occur represents the essence of what this holiday is about. I’m particularly happy to be standing in Yuma’s Armed Forces Park surrounded by over 3500 granite plaques honoring America’s warfighters – that’s truly distinguished company in my book. Before I begin my formal remarks I’d like to recognize three organizations that accomplished so much in arranging and publicizing this morning’s ceremony. I know from personal experience that pulling together events like this are a great deal more work than they appear. I’d like to thank the CAbe-Y-eros de Yuma, the Yuma County Chamber...
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...right to be treated equally. We encounter forms of bias in our every day to lives in the simplest forms, but it is the human self that decides what a fair course of action or thinking is. Being judgmental begins with the way we people are brought up. If being educated about the progressing world around us helps to keep negative judgments to a minimum, we could slowly make our way up on the “Happiest Countries” list. We call it equality and unfortunately, we are far from perfect when it comes to treating out neighbor like we’d want to be treated. The way to achieve such a feat can only be done by educating the public about their innate bias towards others. However, success is not achieved overnight. We get a little closer to total equality every day, even if it is a slow journey. The first step to make progress in this journey is for people to be educated. An anti-bias curriculum needs to be implemented into classrooms nationwide because it will lead to greater understanding between mainstream America and non-mainstream America, promote acceptance of diversity, and allow the already diverse to accept themselves. Bias is everywhere. It is impossible to live life without some form of bias. However, what anti-bias education seeks to do is enlighten people about the differences and similarities between different ethnicities, gender identities, people with disabilities, different religions and people from different economic backgrounds. Although there are many different categories of...
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...A boxing prodigy, the twenty-two year old rose to prominence with the defeat of heavyweight champion Sonny Liston in 1964. His commanding presence in the ring was matched with an exciting and provocative public persona. Very few athletes have been subject to as much scrutiny and criticism as Ali. In fact, part of Ali’s legend is his tendency to solicit controversy from the public. Quick-witted and outspoken, Ali’s rhetoric is characterized as, “insult and hyperbole,” and noted for its, “verbal dexterity and metaphorical invention,” (Marqusee 1999: 52). Despite most of mainstream America’s distaste for him, Muhammad Ali thrived in the spotlight. The more media attention he received, the more he sought, perhaps out of necessity. As a black superstar in the early 1960s, Ali was forced to grapple with the circumscribed precedent of black athletes before him. Before Ali, the public image of black celebrities was cemented in contradiction. They carried the burden of representing the whole of the black community and its interests while simultaneously performing a “respectable Negro” caricature as expected by white Americans. They either stood in complete solidarity with the black community or, adversely, pursued a form of pseudo-assimilation in compliance with the expectations of white America. This dichotomy required Ali to continually shape and reform his public...
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