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
1. Introduction
2. The difficulty of finding a national identity
2.1.Immigration
2.2.U.S. Demography: The racial composition of the USA
3. Changing concepts of national identity in American history
3.1. Concepts focused on conformity
3.1.1. The Melting Pot
3.1.2. Americanization
3.1.3. Anglo-Saxon Racism
3.2. Concepts focused on diversity
3.2.1. Cultural pluralism
3.2.2. Cosmopolitanism/ Transnationalism
3.2.3. Multiculturalism
3.2.4. Postethnicity
4. The depiction of American identity concepts in the in the films The Birth of a Nation and Crash
4.1. The Birth of a Nation by D. W. Griffith
4.1.1. General facts
4.1.2. Plot synopsis
4.1.3. The cinematic representation of race with reference to Anglo-Saxon racism
4.1.3.1. The image of the inferior African-American
4.1.3.2. The glorified ideal of the Aryan race
4.1.3.3.Mulattoes as expression of a monstrous American future
4.1.4. The film’s influence on America’s society
4.1.4.1.Manifestation of racial bias and the rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan
4.1.4.2.The birth of a multicultural nation
4.2.Crash by Paul Haggis
4.2.1. General facts
4.2.2. Plot synopsis
4.2.3. The depiction of Los Angeles as a multicultural universe
4.2.3.1. The cinematic representation of an interracial contact zone
4.2.3.2.Racism as a unifying force
4.2.3.3.The construction of whiteness and its connection to otherness
4.2.3.4.Parables of hope
4.2.4. Fragmented they stand?
5. What does keep Americans united?
5.1. The American Creed
5.2. Constitutional faith
5.3. National symbols of cohesion in everyday life
6. Synopsis and Outlook
Objectives and Themes
This thesis examines the ongoing struggle to define American national identity amidst historical and contemporary diversity. By analyzing changing conceptual frameworks—from assimilationist theories like the "melting pot" and Americanization to pluralistic models like multiculturalism and postethnicity—it explores how the United States balances its multiracial reality with the need for social cohesion. The research investigates the following key themes:
- The impact of continuous immigration and demographic shifts on American identity.
- The historical tension between conformity-based assimilation and the recognition of diversity.
- The visual representation of racial ideologies and identity conflicts in American cinema.
- The role of the American Creed and constitutional faith in fostering national unity.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. Concepts focused on conformity
All Americans get enthusiastic about the image of a coherent nation. Many of them are convinced that this goal can solely be achieved by a conform population that is cultural identical. Over the years, more and more immigrants of varying cultural backgrounds entered the United States and threatened the conformity of the nation’s cultural and ethno-racial composition. Hence, acculturation became an important part of immigration treatment throughout American history. „The acculturation of minority groups … has always been of concern to the American public, particularly when the volume of migrants increases rather rapidly in a short time span.” (McKnee xii) Acculturation is a phenomenon that occurs in the course of interaction between different cultures. Within this contact, minority groups give up their ethnic culture in favor of main-stream American culture (cf. Sandberg viii). In the process of assimilation, the individual “adopts the cultural traits of the dominant group and identifies with that group, and the dominant group accepts the individual or group without discrimination” (McKnee xiii). The individual becomes fully socialized in American society. On account of this, a confused debate emerged, that calls in question America’s ethnic and cultural identity.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the central question of American identity and the historical dilemma between fostering a uniform nation or embracing cultural diversity.
2. The difficulty of finding a national identity: Explores the role of immigration and the exceptional racial heterogeneity that challenges a singular definition of Americanism.
3. Changing concepts of national identity in American history: Analyzes the theoretical evolution from conformity-based models like the Melting Pot to pluralistic perspectives such as multiculturalism.
4. The depiction of American identity concepts in the in the films The Birth of a Nation and Crash: Discusses how these two films serve as mirrors for different racial ideologies and the resulting societal tensions in their respective eras.
5. What does keep Americans united?: Investigates the binding elements of American nationalism, focusing on the American Creed, constitutional faith, and national symbols.
6. Synopsis and Outlook: Concludes that American identity remains an evolving ideological commitment rather than a fixed ancestral status, highlighting the ongoing effort to reconcile diversity with democracy.
Keywords
American identity, National identity, Immigration, Melting Pot, Americanization, Anglo-Saxon racism, Multiculturalism, Postethnicity, Assimilation, Diversity, American Creed, Constitutional faith, Race relations, U.S. Demography, Social cohesion
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this work?
The work investigates the challenges the United States faces in establishing a cohesive national identity due to its history of immigration and exceptional cultural diversity.
Which thematic fields does the thesis cover?
It covers the history of American immigration, theories of cultural assimilation, racial ideologies, the influence of cinema on public discourse, and the role of shared democratic values.
What is the primary research question?
The thesis seeks to answer what keeps the American people united despite their internal diversity and what it ultimately means to be an American.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author relies on a qualitative analysis of literary works, sociological theories, historical documents, and an independent film analysis to support its arguments.
What is discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body treats historical concepts of conformity (Melting Pot, Americanization), concepts of diversity (multiculturalism, postethnicity), and provides a comparative analysis of the films "The Birth of a Nation" and "Crash".
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include national identity, assimilation, multiculturalism, American Creed, and racial diversity.
How does the author analyze "The Birth of a Nation"?
The author views the film as a reflection of early 20th-century xenophobia and scientific racism, showing how it glorified the Ku Klux Klan as a guardian of Aryan racial purity.
How is the film "Crash" interpreted in the thesis?
The thesis interprets "Crash" as a modern look at a multicultural society where people are disoriented by race relations, arguing that while it offers optimism through redemption, it simultaneously avoids challenging systemic white privilege.
What is the conclusion regarding the American Creed?
The author concludes that the American Creed, anchored in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, acts as the primary binder for the diverse American population through shared values of liberty and equality.
- Citation du texte
- Katrin Appenzeller (Auteur), 2009, What does it mean to be an American?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/139733
