Identity, Community, and Pluralism in American Life

by Fischer, William; Gerber, David; Guitart, Jorge; Seller, Maxine

• ISBN13: 9780195094701
• ISBN10: 0195094700
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1997-01-16
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Common Differences is an anthology of primary source readings whichexplores the cultural diversity and pluralism in American life. The principalthemes include the formation of group and communal identities, the position ofvarious groups in the American social structure, and the interrelationships ofthe people of the United States within the framework of a common public life.The readings are drawn from a variety of sources including fiction, poetry,journalism, biography, autobiography and memoirs, as well as from academicdisciplines.

Table of Contents

Introduction	xi
PART I INTERPRETING HISTORY AND EXPERIENCE	3	(54)
1 Metaphorizing American Culture	3	(22)
Anglo-conformity: Thomas Jefferson Writes George Flower, 1817	5	(1)
Anglo-Conformity: The New York City Public Schools, 1906	6	(4)
The Melting Pot: Israel Zangwill Coins a Phrase, 1908	10	(2)
The Melting Pot: An Eighteenth-century Interpretation, 1782	12	(2)
Cultural Pluralism: Randolph Bourne's Vision of America as a Confederation of Distinct Peoples, 1916	14	(6)
Living with Diversity: Our Daily Experiences, 1994	20	(4)
Suggestions for Further Reading	24	(1)
2 The Presence of the Past	25	(32)
Voluntary Immigrants	26	(8)
The Quest for a Better Life: A Norwegian Immigrant Letter of 1838	26	(4)
Economic Immigrants from Nineteenth-century China: "A Chinamans's Chance"	30	(3)
Would-be Immigrants: Chinese Poets on Angel Island	33	(1)
Refugees	34	(5)
Oral History of Fannie Shamitz Friedman: "There was nothing to come home to"	34	(5)
From African to African American	39	(8)
Olaudah Equiano: "The manners and customs of my country had been implanted in me with great care..."	39	(5)
Frederick Douglass: "I do not recollect of ever seeing my mother by the light of day"	44	(3)
Finding Meaning in Tradition: Red Jacket's Testimony	47	(3)
The Conquered Mexicans of the Southwest: Letter from the Santa Fe Jail, Reies Lopez Tijerina	50	(3)
Suggestions for Further Reading	53	(4)
PART II DEFINING SELF, DEFINING OTHERS	57	(68)
3 On Being Different and "Undifferent" in the United States	57	(36)
Harriet Jacobs: The Sexual and Moral Hazards of Growing Up a Female Slave	58	(5)
Ohiyesa: An Indian Brave Confronts Civilization	63	(7)
Helena Maria Viramontes: The Chicana Legacy	70	(5)
Lloyd Van Brundt: The Racial Measure of the Poor White's Failure	75	(3)
James Jaewhan Lee: "I am learning how to confront elephants..."	78	(3)
Judy Scales-Trent: "On Being Black and White, Different and the Same"	81	(11)
Suggestions for Further Reading	92	(1)
4 Representations of Prejudice and Ethnocentricity	93	(32)
Inventing the Indian: The Account of Amerigo Vespucci	94	(5)
The English Construction of the New England Savage: Three Portrayals	99	(4)
History of Plymouth Plantation	101	(1)
New England's First Fruits: "In Respect of the Indians, &c."	102	(1)
From John Winthrop's Journal	103	(1)
Prejudice Masked as Humour: Harriet Stowe Jumps Jim Crow	103	(7)
Thomas Dartmouth Rice, Jim Crow	106	(4)
Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin	110	(1)
The Perpetuation of Racial Humor: Mark Twain and E. W. Kemble	110	(10)
From Twain's Adventure's of Huckleberry Finn	112	(3)
Kemble on Illustrating Huckleberry Finn	115	(2)
From E. W. Kemble's A Coon Alphabet	117	(3)
The Deadly Effects of Discrimination: Devin S. Standard	120	(2)
Suggestions for Further Reading	122	(3)
PART III COMMUNITIES IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE	125	(52)
5 Communities in an Expanding Nation--The Nineteenth Century	125	(21)
Community as Survival: Solidarity and Celebration in the Slave Quarters	127	(3)
"Yes, the love of God is best...," The Oneida Community	130	(4)
Education, Americanization, and Community: The Ethnic Press	134	(5)
Solidarity and Diversity in Women's Communities	139	(5)
"Daughters of Freemen Still"--Millworkers Proclaim a Strike at Lowell, Massachusetts, 1834	139	(2)
"The Sound of Our Own Voices," A Women's Study Club	141	(2)
"...to elevate our race": Report of the Phillis Wheatley Club	143	(1)
Suggestion for Further Reading	144	(2)
6 Continuity and Change: Communities in the Twentieth Century	146	(31)
The Labor Movement in the Progressive Era: Congressional Hearings on the Lawrence Textile Strike of 1912	149	(3)
Community Activism After the Black Civil Rights Revolution	152	(6)
National Organization for Women: An Invitation to Join	152	(2)
A Chicana Feminist Manifesto	154	(2)
Black Pride and Disability Pride: "Malcolm Teaches Us, Too"	156	(2)
Communities in Conflict in South Central Los Angeles, 1991	158	(9)
Alice Choi on Korean-Black Tensions	158	(5)
"...It's a misunderstanding of one another": University of California Students Discuss the Los Angeles Riot	163	(4)
"Sharing the Journey": The Small Group Movement	167	(4)
"Today's Strength from Yesterday's Traditions": Northern Arapaho Indian Women	170	(4)
Suggestions for Further Reading	174	(3)
PART IV PERMISSION TO ENTER AND THE RIGHT TO BELONG	177	(58)
7 Opening and Closing the Door: The Debate over Immigration	177	(27)
A Friend of Immigrants: At the Height of Nativism a Doctor Publishes a Lecture in Favor of Immigration, 1845	179	(5)
Raising Alarm: An Antiimmigration Politician Speaks at the Convention to Revise the Constitutional of Kentucky, 1849	184	(4)
Proimmigration Reform: The President of the United States Argues for the Elimination of National Origin Quotas, 1963	188	(5)
Doubts on Assimilation: A Conservative Demographer Does not Think that Third World Immigrants Will Adapt to U.S. Culture, 1990	193	(5)
On Being an American in a Plurastic Society: A Hispanie View, 1986	198	(5)
Suggestions for Further Reading	203	(1)
8 The State, Citizenship, and Naturalization	204	(31)
Deciding Membership in the American Political Community: The First National Debate on Naturalization and Citizenship, 1790	206	(6)
Is It Too Easy to Become an American?, 1845	212	(3)
The Experience of Becoming a Citizen: New York City, 1900	215	(3)
Exclusion: Race and Powerlessness, 1857	218	(6)
Shared Political Values and Language Inform the Effort to Combat Exclusion: American Women, 1848	224	(4)
Excluding Asians, 1889	228	(3)
Suggestions for Further Reading	231	(4)
PART V ENDURING CONFLICTS	235
9 The Question of a National Language	235	(26)
They Should Speak English: Benjamin Franklin Complaints About the Germans in Pennsylvania, 1753	239	(1)
Attempting to Establish English as the Official Language: Three Proposed Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, 1981, 1983, 1989	240	(2)
Language and Equality in Education: The Supreme Court Lau Decision, 1974	242	(3)
Speaking for English as the Official Language: A U.S. Senator Explains Why He Is Sponsoring an English Language Amendment to the Constitution, 1983	245	(4)
Against Official English: A U.S. Representative Explains Why There Should not Be an English Language Constitutional Amendment, 1988	249	(3)
They Are not Learning English: The Secretary of Education Attacks Bilingual Education, 1985	252	(5)
In Defense of Bilingual Education: A Response to Secretary Bennett's Attack, 1985	257	(3)
Suggestions for Further Reading	260	(1)
10 Church, State, and Society	261	(25)
Separating Church and State: What Did the Founders Have in Mind?, 1784	263	(4)
A "Wall of Separation": Thomas Jefferson's View, 1802	267	(1)
Is the United States a "Christian Nation?": Justice David Brewer's View, 1892	268	(4)
Defining Boundaries for Church and State: School Prayer, 1962	272	(3)
Defining Boundaries for Church and State: Federal Aid to Church-affiliated Private Schools, 1971	275	(4)
An Outsider's View of Christmas: "The Other Check," by Jay Kaplan, 1958	279	(6)
Suggestions for Further Reading	285	(1)
11 Individual Rights or Group Rights? The Question of Affirmative Action	286
Against Set-asides: A Group of Jewish and Other White Ethnic Organizations Submit a Brief to the Supreme Court, 1977	290	(4)
"Affirmed in part and reversed in part": The Bakke Decision, 1978	294	(6)
Affirmative Action Is not Damaging to Blacks or Unconstitutional: A Legal Scholar Refutes Objections to Affirmative Action, 1986	300	(6)
Promoted Over a Male: The Diane Joyce Story, as Told by Susan Faludi, 1991	306	(5)
White Males as Victims: Casualties of Affirmative Action, 1991	311	(4)
Suggestions for Further Reading	315