Crawford Reflection

I liked the Crawford piece on the Iraq war, but I did think it was hard to follow. It was difficult to keep track of what was real and what was fiction, but I guess that this was the point. Fiction is used to emphasize the truth. Telling fictional stories of having to shoot at children makes the war seem worse. Telling stories of the idealized return home from war makes his own true story of returning home from war seem worse as well. All along when he was in the war he imagined coming home to all these wonderful things, like his friends and his wife, so he wrote a story about he imagined that would play out, but the true story of his homecoming was much more sad. I can see both sides of the idea of "accidental soldier". It was accidental in the sense of that he was not expecting it, and it was like a car accident in his life, changing everything and wruining everything. On the other hand, he did sign up to join the National Guard so he should have known that the possibility of having to fight was there, making it not truly accidental. I do think that he got the point across that war is bad and wrecks lives.

Confederates in the Attic

Despite the great length of this reading, it was by far my favorite reading of the semester. Not only was it very interesting reading about the differing views of the Civil War between the North and South, it also served as a wake up call for me. After reading this book, I no longer view the United States as a perfect nation in harmony with each other. I now tend to view the nation as separated and split in two by differing beliefs about the national identity.

Until reading "Confederates in the Attic", I was ignorant to the fact that people in the United States still obsessed over the Civil War and it's results. I was unaware that Southerners still reenacted the Civil War as close to the real thing as possible. I found it shocking and intriguing how they followed every detail, including the food they ate, how they slept, and what they wore. This shows how much importance the South places on the Civil War and that they still do not want to accept the fact that its over. This book portrays the South as still being very racist and still believing is pre-Civil War national beliefs.

This reading shows the stark contrast between the North and the South and how they view the Civil War and the nation in general. The North has far fewer reenactments groups and far fewer extremists who do not believe the Civil War should be over. For all these reasons and more, this reading was by far the most interesting to me.

A Consumer’s Republic – Lizabeth Cohen

Though I found this reading to be particularly long, I felt as though the information given was in an incredibly logical and organized fashion.  Cohen takes us through the development of America as a nation of citizen consumers and purchaser consumers after World War Two, as part of the recovery of the nation and return to normalcy.

 

Cohen points to the role of women and the role of African-Americans as key to making challenges and shaping the politics of mass consumption as part of their own individual movements for equality.  While I thought that this was interesting, and it was from these marginalized groups that consumers gained their most strength and organization, mass consumption seemed to win out with the creation of suburbs, strip malls, and the hollowing out of cities.

 

I particularly thought that the reading connected well in the later chapters about suburbia to the lecture that we had about blockbusting and redlining in predominantly poor, African-American communities.  These effects are still very much with us today, as part of the greater institution of racism, and I think it will be difficult and interesting to see how these legacies are dealt with in the future, as our country faces issues not only of poverty and race relations, but also energy crises and human rights at home and around the globe. 

Beyond Vietnam : A Time To Break The Silence – MLK Jr.

I was very happy that Professor Hass gave us this reading instead of the Letter From Birmingham Jail as she said in lecture, because I thought that this reading spoke very well to King’s commitment to more than just civil rights.  I have always thought that King’s struggle to end poverty was an important piece of his push for civil rights, and in some ways more problematic than working for racial equality.

 

He speaks of the war as not just the enemy of our nation’s poor, not just as a manipulator of their communities and families, but also of the conflict in Vietnam as a destroyer or hope all over the world.  His stance, in calling for profound policy and life changes for America in order to save the soul of the nation, is bold and unwavering.  He speaks from his heart as a brother to those all around the globe, as a world citizen, calling upon our nation to do no less than lead a revolution against oppression. 

 

Though these themes are ones we are all familiar with, I think the anti-poverty stance is asking so much of people, not just to change their mindset towards others, but also to change their actions, to change their view of the world completely.  It may be an idealistic and even unrealistic goal in the long run, but it makes it seem like ending the war in the Vietnam is an even more necessary first step.   Overall, I appreciated the reading and the discussion we had about it. 

“Go After The Women” – Americanization and the Mexican Immigrant Woman – George Sanchez

This reading was interesting to me because it looked at Mexican immigration and the associated forced assimilation efforts in the context of Los Angeles, though I imagine similar efforts took place in many cities that of the South that received such a large influx of Mexicans during this time.  In these cities, Mexicans were viewed as a problem, an “other” group that needed to be mixed into broader society appropriately, which meant in menial jobs for little money.

 

The economic advantage that businesses saw in Mexicans as cheap labor was no less racist than those that opposed the immigration all together, thinking that the race as a whole was weaker and inferior to whites, but could be taught to be obedient.  This was in contrast the Americanists, who sought, still in a racist manner, that American society had the duty to make Mexicans fully American, and they were going to do this through assimilating the women of the family.

 

This approach failed for the most part, due not only to the tight families of immigrant groups as they come to a new place, but also because so many of the customs and loyalties to Mexico remained.  Just because they were taught men were taught to work and the women were taught the importance of doing laundry and having less children in the Americanization programs, did not mean they were going to stick.  I thought that this failure was quite severe, but no worse than the failure of the nation to Americanize Indians or other groups, which happened with significantly greater resources.  

Okihiro reading- The American Story

Summary and Thoughts
This “American Story” was a very detailed account of the World War Two period during which the Japanese Americans were being discriminated against. Okihiro gave a historical time line and details of the occurrences that led to the internment of the majority of the Japanese population on the West Coast of the United States. In this excerpt he gives a voice to the Japanese people that were mistreated by the government, by allowing survivors of the internment to recall their stories.
From this article the reader really is allowed to feel the alienation that the Japanese population felt from their own country. The government systematically rounded up and broke up families and shipped them to different states to be a part of internment camps. Further than the break up of the Japanese family, the government also helped to break up the Japanese community. The neighbors of people, who suffered from the internment of a member of their family, were not even visited because of fear of bringing attention to themselves.
The most important quote (at least the most important that I felt) from this excerpt spoke on the undemocratic and unjust practices of the American government to the Japanese people. “More than a violation of civil liberties, the government’s actions sought to deny Japanese Americans their dignity and essential humanity.” This was an important quote because it expresses the hypocritical stand that America took in fighting for the rights of others but not their own citizens. This excerpt really taught me about a historical period that I knew little about. I feel like this, “American Story” really helps to capture the treatment of not only the Japanese Americans felt during World War II but also, reflects the trails that other minorities experienced at one time in American history.

Dr. King and Veitnam

This speech that Dr. Martin Luther King gave was one of the most dynamic speeches that I've ever read from him. He called for America to rethink their position in the Vietnam War, and to bring our troops home. Through this speech Dr. King gave a view of America that most have never dared to look at. He showed America on an international scale and showed how our "arrogance" might be perceived by the rest of the world. Dr. King put America on a pedestal for its citizens to scrutinize.
The most obvious point of scrutiny that seemed fill Dr. King's speech was America's thoughts and politics of democracy. He showed the parallels between the poor in America and in Vietnam. Also, he showed the inequality of the treatment of African American soldiers. At home they did not have equal right, but they could still be used to fight a war for America. Black and white men could not go to school together in America but they could kill together. "We were taking black young black men who had been crippled by our society and sending them eight thousand miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in southwest Georgia and East Harlem".
I think that this speech showed the frustration of the American people at the time, and also the true colors of the American government. The lack of democracy that the American and Vietnamese people received from the American government was horrible. The most significant line out of this entire speech is "A time comes when silence is a betrayal". This line rang true in a time when so many anti-war protests, and civil rights movements were going on. People needed to speak out against injustice and Dr. King was an individual that could speak for the masses.

Discussion Questions for Last True Story I'll Ever Tell

What do you think of the title of the book, The Last True Story I’ll Ever Tell?  What does it refer to specifically? How does the author contextualize the title choice in the reading?  How did you react to the reading overall?

 

The conditions of the Iraqi desert and the streets of Baghdad are described in detail throughout the reading.  How do the author’s descriptions explain the fighting and tactics of the war in Iraq?  How is this similar or different to what we have read about the war in Vietnam and World War Two?

 

Crawford spends time in the final chapter detailing his return to his hometown and his experience with friends at the Blue Crab festival.  What image of America does this encapsulate, and how does it contrast with your image of America today?

 

Why do you think Crawford chooses to split the images of his honeymoon, time with his wife, and dreams of his post-college life with the “brown-out” on his birthday?  What about the smaller details of his childhood memories with the war’s conditions and combat? What does this context does this provide to the war?

 

What are Crawford’s beliefs on the war?  How does he view the army’s tactics, equipment, organization, and leadership?  Do these opinions shift over time, especially after he has returned to the US?

 

Several times over the course of the reading, Crawford’s unit is charged with moving positions and joining new units, always with the explanation that it is temporary and they will be going home soon.  How does he react and explain these moves to the reader?  How do the units react to his unit?

 

On page 213 Crawford says, “Things hadn’t gotten particularly bad at that point, and it’s not like I was depressed or consciously worried.  Still the rumblings of discontent had begun to boil.  The phone was picked up just a little less often at home.  I found myself looking with greater disdain on the Iraqis we had come to liberate.  I lived for any excuse to deliver violence on them.  This isn’t a confession; this is life.” How is this similar/different to the image you have of the war in Iraq?  How about the media’s portrayal?  

King Tut

I thought the King Tut reading was very interesting. As I was reading it, I did not realize how much of an affect a piece of art could have on the United States and on the Middle East. After I was done reading it, I definitely thought that the United States had the economy on its mind. I do believe that the United States wanted the appreciation of art to increase greatly, but I do not buy that as the reason for the King Tut tour. With the Oil embargo that was placed upon the United States, they knew they had to find a way to get back into the oil mix.  The article even said that United States wanted to use King Tut as a peace symbol between the Middle East and the U.S. I firmly believe that the economy of the United States is always on the mind of our government. While the United States might not admit it, I am sure that the U.S. use things such as King Tut for economy purposes. I see King Tut as a bridge between the Middle East and the United States, and I think oil was the main focus of the U.S.

Born in the USA

I found yesterday's lecture to be one of the most interesting lectures of the year. Not only was the Vietnam War memorial interesting to learn about, I found the most interesting part of lecture was learning about the true meaning of Bruce Springstein's classic hit, "Born in the USA". This song has been one of my favorite songs since I first heard it. I have listented to it hundreds of times and never once really paid attention to what the lyrics were actually saying. I always thought it was a patriotic song about how great it is to be American and how proud he was to be born in America.

Finding out the song was not intented to be a patriotic ballad caught me really off guard. The song was actually written describing the hardships faced by Vietnam veterans upon returning home from the war. This is a stark contrast to the message I thought the song portrayed. "Come back home to the refineryHiring man said son if it was up to meWent down to see my v.a. manHe said son, dont you understand". This quote describes how hard it was for veterans to find jobs upon arriving home.

After lecture yesterday, I looked up the lyrics to the song and just read them over a few times. It is very easy to see after reading the lyrics that the song is not a patriotic song in the least. It has been one of my favorite songs for years and I never realized the true meaning. That's what made lecture so interesting for me yesterday. I was ignorant to the real meaning unitl yesterday's lecture.

Discussion Questions-Epic Encounters: Culture, Media,and U.S. Interests in the Middle East, 1945-2000

Discussion Questions

1.) How did American perceptions of the Middle East change before and after the King Tut phenomenon?

2.) Do you agree that the Tut artifacts are “universal” art and therefore cannot belong to any one person or nation (or do they belong to the person that found them or the nation they were found in)?

3.) Of oil and art, which do you think is a more “universal” resource and why?

4.) How did the Tut tour change ideas about art, art collecting, and art appreciation both in the United States and around the world?

5.) Do you think the King Tut phenomenon was created by a United States government interested in Middle-Eastern art, Middle-Eastern oil, or a combination of the two?
(Things to consider: the Met, Exxon’s donation, the OPEC oil embargo)

6.) Why was Egypt so important to the African American Community? Why was King Tutankhamun? What was King Tut's importance to the black youth?

7.) Why was George Morton’s Crania Aegyptiaca so important to the idea of race and slavery? Also, how was this book relevant to thoughts about Egypt and its formation as a civilization?


8.) When McAllister described Steve Martin's Tut skit she said, "If Tut was white, he seemed to be approachable primarily through music and language coded as black. If he was black, he was not "naturally" so but had to be "blackened up." How does this quote speak on racial views of the time? How is being black seen at this time?

9.) Why did mainstream society gravitate so much to black culture during this time? What is a "White Negro"?

10.) Steve Martin gained peak success at this time due to his "race conscious" material. Do you think the King Tut song would have been received so well if a black comedian sung the song?

Herr Response

"Dispatches" by Michael Herr is a piece that I have mixed feelings about. I like the raw uncensored way in which he tells the story of the conditions in Vietnam. He doesn't leave out any of the horrible things that he sees around him. Dead bodies aren't downplayed, but talked about in a human-reaction sort of way. I had trouble following this article in respect to his overzealous, rambling descriptions. I understand that this is what many people enjoyed about the writing but it kind of made the story get lost in all the words for me. When his writing was clear and coherent I enjoyed it, but I was left wondering if he hadn't been on drugs when he was writing some it. I commend him for sticking it out in Vietnam. He brought true stories of death and destruction to light for many Americans at home who couldn't possibly imagine the horror of actually being there and experiencing it. Herr writes a compelling piece without any hesitance to include all the details, making raw and real, though I would have preffered more story and less rambling description.

Reaction to Dispatches

Although I knew I was about to read a Vietnam War piece, "Dispatches" by Michael Herr really caught me off guard. The heart wrenching story from the first hand perspective of a reporter in Vietnam was graphic, moving, and inspirational. It really caused me to put my "problems" in perspective, looking at the utter chaos that went on in Vietnam. The way that Herr described being around dead bodies of soldiers and friends, hearing of his friends deaths, and the overall psychological experience of Vietnam was outrageous. I cannot imagine fearing for my life in the way that Herr and the other people in Vietnam did. It was enlightening and so real. Throughout my childhood, I have read about the Vietnam war and the post traumatic stress disorder, but this was the first experience I have had with a first-hand narrative of written by someone that was really there. He was able to describe what went on inside the minds of the soldiers and the every day occurrences really helps me to understand why the war was protested to the extent that it was. Herr is an exceptional writer, and his use of foul language really helped the development of his voice as a narrator. He used elongated sentences that often sounded like rambling thoughts. It is clear that he wants every aspect of this piece of writing to be 100% real. He doesn't cover anything up, and doesn't fabricate the truth.

Discussion Questions for 4/2/09

1. What was the major tactic used by the Vietnamese and how did the Americans counter that according to Herr?

2. What affect did the war have on young soldiers, especially teenagers?

3. Describe Herr’s vision/emotions towards helicopters at the beginning of the article. Also, What does Herr say about the photographs he looked at in Life  magazine as a child? What were his feelings? 

4. What do you think Herr meant when he said “I went to cover the war and the war covered me”? How did this have an affect on his writing?

5. How does Herr describe his first Vietnam scene? How did the Americans ensure that the Vietnamese were dead? What did Herr notice about the emotions of the soldiers afterwords? What were your reactions towards this?

6. Why did the “Grunts” accept Herr more than other groups? What specific things did the Grunts do for him to make him feel more comfortable?

7. How does Herr describe life in the city of Saigon? 

8. What does Herr say about Fatigue and how does it affect the soldiers and the war as a whole? Herr also describes some of the conditions of the Jungle that can negatively affect the soldiers. What were some of those conditions?

9. Herr mentions that many of the soldiers believed in superstitions. What were some of the superstitions?

10. Herr makes the Vietnam war sound very unorganized compared to what it is “supposed” to be like. In what ways was the Vietnam war unorganized?

11. Why do you think Herr decided to write as much about his personal experiences as he did about the soldiers’ experiences? Do you think it made his article more interesting to read?

US Consumerism pre and post WWII

Thinking about consumerism now and the way we have been exposed to its explosion after WWII is considerably different than the reality of the case. First and foremost, I didn't know women had such a high rate of involvement in the cause. When I think of consumerism, I think of women going out to stores buying appliances, groceries, and some luxuries while the husbands are out to work making money . However, women were the ones fueling the movement for price regulation and government involvement in FDA regulations. kaaa
I think during this period most of the US population underestimated the roles of women in the political and consumerism sphere of the nation. For example, the many businesses that had to eventually close down due to poor business because their prices were too high for consumers or their quality of product too poor. Women demanded equality in the consumer world and if they didn't receive it, the business men and women had to pay the price. During this period, women broke out of their domestic sphere and began demanding attention from the government and businesses which was a huge change in not only their roles, but their power and influence over the nation in general.
What I found particularly interesting was the shift from during the war and after the war in women's influence and power in the U.S. Women went from organizing movements in the consumer world and working, basically playing part of the male role to going back to their domestic sphere of playing housewife. They easily let their powerful image become deceased when their men came home after the war and took years after to regain their power in the Women's Movement.