What does it mean to be an American?

Changing Concepts of National Identity

Mémoire de Maîtrise , 2009 , 89 Pages , Note: 2,0

Philologie Américaine - Culture et Études de pays

Who is and who might be American? The question has challenged the U.S. quite from the beginning of the nation. Unlike other western countries, the United States of America was formed without an immediate antecedent ethnie, but through different waves of immigration. Its multicultural society is considered to be the world’s largest immigration country and is known for its varying cultural scenes. Its racial make-up is extraordinary heterogeneous and its composition is permanently changing. Hence, Americans become insecure of their cultural and national identity. Are they one people or several? What differentiates them from their neighbors? Should the nation use the cultural distinctiveness of the dominant ethnie to articulate a national identity or should it recognize the minorities? Should its population be multi- or unicultural, a salad bowl or a melting pot? As a consequence, two contradictory principles emerged. One that fostered uniformity and another that encouraged diversity. This MA thesis demonstrates that the nation’s quarrel about its national identity runs through American history.

First of all, this MA thesis will discuss why the United States has difficulties to find a national identity. Different reasons for immigration to the United States will be explained and discussed. Then, present and future immigration trends will be demonstrated. The next section concentrates on the racial composition of the United States. Further, current changes in America’s multiracial make-up and future predictions will be analyzed. The following chapter will deal with changing concepts of national identity in American history. First of all, concepts that base on America’s conformity will be presented. Different ideas of acculturation and assimilation are in the center of interest and will be illustrated. The following section will deal with concepts of American national identity that base on diversity. The films The Birth of a Nation by D.W. Griffith and Crash by Paul Haggis illustrate these tendencies. The silent movie The Birth of a Nation will depict the ideology and consequences of Anglo-Saxon racism. The film Crash will illustrate consequences and failures of present multiculturalism. The last chapter will finally analyze what holds the United States and its diverse population together. All these discussions seek to answer the question what keeps American people united and what does it mean to be an American.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• The difficulty of finding a national identity
  • Immigration
  • U.S. Demography: The racial composition of the USA
• Changing concepts of national identity in American history
  • Concepts focused on conformity
    • The Melting Pot
    • Americanization
    • Anglo-Saxon Racism
  • Concepts focused on diversity
    • Cultural pluralism
    • Cosmopolitanism/ Transnationalism
    • Multiculturalism
    • Postethnicity
• The depiction of American identity concepts in the in the films The Birth of a Nation and Crash
  • The Birth of a Nation by D. W. Griffith
    • General facts
    • Plot synopsis
    • The cinematic representation of race with reference to Anglo-Saxon racism
      • The image of the inferior African-American
      • The glorified ideal of the Aryan race
      • Mulattoes as expression of a monstrous American future
    • The film's influence on America's society
      • Manifestation of racial bias and the rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan
      • The birth of a multicultural nation
  • Crash by Paul Haggis
    • General facts
    • Plot synopsis
    • The depiction of Los Angeles as a multicultural universe
      • The cinematic representation of an interracial contact zone
      • Racism as a unifying force
      • The construction of whiteness and its connection to otherness
      • Parables of hope
    • Fragmented they stand?
• What does keep Americans united?
  • The American Creed
  • Constitutional faith
  • National symbols of cohesion in everyday life
• Synopsis and Outlook

Objectives and Key Themes

This master's thesis explores the historical evolution of American national identity, analyzing the challenges and contradictions associated with its diverse population. The work examines how various concepts, encompassing both conformity and diversity, have shaped American identity throughout history. The thesis delves into how these concepts are reflected in the films *The Birth of a Nation* and *Crash*, highlighting their contribution to the ongoing discourse about what it means to be American.

• The ongoing struggle to define American national identity in the face of a diverse and ever-changing population.
• Contrasting concepts of national identity, focusing on both conformity (e.g., the Melting Pot) and diversity (e.g., Multiculturalism).
• The cinematic representation of American identity through the films *The Birth of a Nation* and *Crash*.
• The influence of historical and social factors on the shaping of American national identity.
• The search for unifying elements that connect Americans despite their differences.

Chapter Summaries

The introduction establishes the central question of the thesis: What does it mean to be an American? The chapter highlights the historical complexity of defining American national identity, drawing attention to the nation's diverse population and its origins in immigration. The introduction also explores the concept of identity and its various aspects, including individual, group, and national identity. Chapter 2 delves into the challenges of finding a national identity for a country built on immigration. The chapter analyzes the demographic composition of the U.S. and the diverse cultural landscape that emerges from its heterogeneous population. The chapter further examines the historical debate about national identity, exploring the conflicting perspectives on assimilation and ethnic persistence. Chapter 3 examines the evolution of concepts surrounding American national identity throughout history. This chapter analyzes both concepts that emphasize conformity, such as the "Melting Pot" and Americanization, as well as those that celebrate diversity, including cultural pluralism, multiculturalism, and cosmopolitanism. Chapter 4 analyzes the depiction of American identity concepts in the films *The Birth of a Nation* and *Crash*. The chapter analyzes how these films represent different historical and contemporary concepts of national identity through their narrative and cinematic elements. Chapter 5 explores the factors that contribute to American unity despite the challenges of finding a unifying national identity. The chapter analyzes the role of the American Creed, constitutional faith, and national symbols in fostering a sense of shared identity.

Keywords

The main focus of the thesis centers on understanding the complex and multifaceted nature of American national identity. Key terms and concepts include immigration, diversity, conformity, cultural pluralism, multiculturalism, cosmopolitanism, the Melting Pot, Americanization, Anglo-Saxon racism, *The Birth of a Nation*, *Crash*, the American Creed, and constitutional faith.

• Université: University of Duisburg-Essen
• Note: 2,0
• Auteur: Katrin Appenzeller (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2009
• Pages: 89
• N° de catalogue: V139733
• ISBN (ebook): 9783640477418
• ISBN (Livre): 9783640477814
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: America, USA, United States of America, National Identity, immigration, melting pot, americanization, anglo-saxon racism, cultural pluralism, transnationalism, multiculturalism, cosmopolitanism, postethnicity, The Birth of a Nation, D.W. Griffith, Crash, Paul Haggis, american creed, constitutional faith, american symbols, Barack Obama, American Dream, U.S. Constitution, American history, diversity, conformity, American identity, racism, Ku Klux Klan, KKK, U.S. demography, pluralism, assimilation