Course: Introduction to American Studies
Lecturer: Muhammad Taufiq al Makmun, MA
Semester: IV
Introduction to American Studies aims at providing students with understanding on American Studies as a discipline, approaches used, are of studies, and research topics developed within American Studies. Students further, are able to see the uniqueness of this studies compared to other mainstreams offered in the English Department, UNS (Linguistics, Translation, and Literature).
American Diversity; Considering the Minorities
The political phenomena in the convention of Democratic Party in 2008, showed the achievement of the recognition of both woman and black in the U.S. politics. Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton run for their candidacy as U.S. president through Democratic Party. Women and minorities group in the U.S. society are really significant to discuss the power relation in America. Their struggle over the times gains more recognition in the multicultural society where White Anglo-Saxon Protestant Male used to be the dominance. Race and gender are challenging issues in American cultural studies -multiculturalism, feminism, and reconciliation with indigenous people.
Diversity is unquestionably the characteristics of the U.S. society. Mauk and Oakland explain the facts of diversity on how women and minorities in the U.S. have experienced hard struggles for the recognition and equality. The tearful slavery ended by Thirteenth Amendment in 1865, long journey for the women movement is finally recognized by the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. Even though constitutionally recognized, there was no automatic shifts in the attitude of the society, more struggle was still needed to gain more ‘real’ equality in the society. Kean and Campbells emphasize that the U.S. in the 60s seems to be very important to represent the flourished movement of the marginalized group in the society. In addition, Asian American and Latinos are other minorities defined by Mauk and Oakland as well as the long confusion of the existence of the Native-American, even though historically they experienced difficulties dealing with the treatment of the dominant society, they have better position in the society today. They are already involved in various sectors of life, even though the position of Natives is questioned even until today. I criticize that Mauk and Oakland tends to discuss minorities limited by racial identity. In terms of gender, despite women issue, minor sexual orientation group should be addressed to discuss minorities in the U.S. as they come above the water recently, the struggle for recognition and equal rights in the society appears to be a debate against the social and religious values, the accommodation under law is still waiting for adoption. Viewing America, as Campbell and Kean has stated should on the basis of balance in the continuous assimilation and pluralism by also considering the “difference.”
Underlining Kean and Campbell, the question of assimilation can be put at the first place to address the multi-ethnical America. They basically reject the proposal of uniting America in one language and culture as the idea will reject the identity of the ethnicity and the need to exercise the culture of their own. Americannes is not necessary identified by a unity – it should be in the line of multiculturalism. Further, dealing with the Native-American, assimilation seems to be difficult, Turner as quoted by Kean and Campbell mentions it as “savagery” against “civilization”, I, however, rather view this as extreme different ways of life. The way White viewing life is on the opposite direction of the Native’s. Thus, assimilation is not an option, tribal identity is preserved through conservation. The question is also applicable to discuss the American society in general, if assimilation is the proposal, should the White culture be put on top to be the direction of the assimilation? Melting pot that is seemingly appropriate to name the assimilation process of cultural hybrids in the U.S. tends to be fail to view the ideological conflicts bringing the consequences of marginalization and sub-ordination. Kean and Campbell also try to draw us in the history of African-American. A long racial discrimination still have to be experienced by African-American even after the abolition of slavery -1865. Black voices in the sounds of longing for equality is part of American cultural interaction coloured by the rhythm of racism –the dominant White is again becoming the basic criticism.
Immigration may not be left to discuss the diverse America, the waves of immigrants has been continuously flooding to promising land. It can not be denied that immigrants contribute to the multiculturalism in the U.S. as well as social problems that sometimes considered as a threat toward the supremacy of the White or in some cases posited against the immigrants from the western hemisphere –European countries. It can be viewed through out the history of the U.S. government policies to solve the immigration problems such, literacy test, Chinese exclusion acts or even the quota act that is criticized by Mae M. Ngai. Such restriction in the name of nations of origin that seems to be non-discriminatory way is indeed showing the a priori of the dominant White society in the future America. Race as the basic consideration in conducting a certain regulation or law can be viewed as racism. Criticizing the Quota System, Ngai underlines that “National Origin,” “native stock,” “nationality,” and other categories were not natural units of classification; they were constructed according to certain social values and political judgement.
To summarize, the diverse ethnicity in the U.S. can be trailed back through the history of the nations: colonization and immigration both forced or voluntarily. It, therefore, contributes to the multicultural U.S. The problems derived from the issue are the domination and subordination based on the race or ethnic identity under the White supremacy –minorities discrimination. Despite the issue of race, in terms of discrimination and minorities, gender issue also colours the cultural interactions in the U.S. society -women and minor sexual orientation. These issues –discrimination and equality-- are significant as the approach to deal with American Studies.
References:
Neil Campbell and Alasdair Kean, American Cultural Studies An Introduction to American Culture (London: Routledge, 2006), Chapter 2-3
David Mauk and John Oakland, American Civilization (New York: Routledge, 2009), Chapter 4
Mae M. Ngai, The Johnson-Reed Act of 1924 and the Reconstruction of Race in Immigration Law, in Janice Radway et al., American Studies: an Anthology (Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009)