American Values ...

WE THE PEOPLE: The 500-Year Battle Over Who Is American by Ben Railton is part of the American Ways Series from Rowman & Littlefield. Railton is Professor of English Studies and Coordinator of American Studies at Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts.  In this new text he provides a general introduction, noting that ‘we’ is “an ambiguous pronoun” which has “consistently moved between two poles,” an exclusionary one and an inclusive one. Railton then uses eight chapters to discuss specific “case studies” from the history of the Americas, such as the Conquistadors, later Indian removal, Chinese exclusion, Japanese internment and discrimination against Muslims to illustrate his points, often by citing actions AND reactions of lesser known figures. The xenophobic and white supremacist comments he includes from the 1920s are chilling. Of course, this is also such a timely topic – The New York Times recently ran an article on What Makes an American? and today published a story on changing policy relative to green card holders.  

Although Railton clearly favors one perspective, he advocates for greater understanding and notes a significant number of sources, many of which, like Roger Daniels’ Coming to America, are in our collection and used frequently.  One that Railton neglected to mention is A Place at the Table by Maria Fleming which is similar in that it discusses (although much more briefly) several of the same examples of exclusionary practices in a generally chronological format. Also worth noting is Linda R. Monk’s use of numerous primary sources (and again, a chronological presentation) in her text titled Ordinary Americans that looks more at everyday experiences. Overall, Railton’s additional suggestions appear especially useful in that they encompass a number of publishers and relatively recent titles.  

JEFFERSON, MADISON, AND THE MAKING OF THE CONSTITUTION by Jeff Broadwater is a newly published work from The University of North Carolina Press. Broadwater is an historian who has written texts about James Madison, George Mason and also about other revolutionary founders. This latest work is clearly well-researched (roughly a fourth of the book is notes and source lists) and likely to be of interest to faculty members. Broadwater makes the points “neither Jefferson nor Madison got the Constitution that he really wanted” and offers a thorough exploration of the two men’s “evolution of thought,” particularly in the context of events between 1776 and 1789. 

I originally requested  a preview of this title because I thought it might be used in our Civics classes in order to probe some of the history and concepts related to the Constitution.  Unfortunately, I think Broadwater’s text is too dense and assumes too much prior knowledge of American history (on the part of our students) to be useful in that way for high school classes. Other academics and historians are more likely to appreciate his work in comparing and contrasting these two statesmen, debating, for example Broadwater’s summary comment: “Jefferson left a more profound imprint on the American psyche. Madison made a greater impact on American law.”

Ghosts in the Schoolyard by Eve L. Ewing

GHOSTS IN THE SCHOOLYARD by Eve L. Ewing is a non-fiction work about the 2013 decision -- and subsequent public reaction – regarding the closing of roughly 50 public schools in Chicago, most of which were in predominantly African American neighborhoods. Ewing, assistant professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, asks “Why do people care so much about failing schools?”  She begins by defining racism and argues that as a sociologist, racism is not so much what individuals think and see as the “set of structures organizing the way society works… systems …  bound up in in the perpetuation of historical policies rooted in more explicit racism.”  Ewing uses her first chapter of four chapters to profile Walter H. Dyett High School and the month long hunger strike that community members held to keep it open. Still focusing on the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, she next reviews the history of segregation and public housing; our students, too, learn about red-lining in Chicago. In a third chapter, she shares transcripts of public hearings so that the community activists, teachers, and students can be heard. In her final chapter, Ewing describes institutional mourning – “the idea that we can mourn lost institutions just as we mourn lost people.” It is a fascinating study touching on the turnover and corruption in CPS, as well as a lack of transparency and seeming inability to recognize the needs and wants of local communities.  

I have been suggesting GHOSTS IN THE SCHOOLYARD to student researchers due to their interest in K-12 education and the relatively local connection since many volunteer or interact with CPS students and/or learn about Chicago neighborhoods.  Ewing writes in a very accessible way and this is the type of text which could become required summer reading for a course like American Studies, or Social Justice. The text includes about 30 pages of biographical references, plus a useful index, as well as definitions and background on a set of terms and people. GHOSTS IN THE SCHOOLYARD received starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal.

The War Outside and Washington Black

Here are some comments about two very well-written, but very sad historical novels. The first, THE WAR OUTSIDE by Monica Hesse, is a young adult novel about life during WWII for two you teenage girls, Haruko and Margot. They are a Japanese American and a German American whose fathers are suspected of being “enemy aliens” and are therefore sent to the Crystal City internment camp, a topic addressed previously on this blog. Many of our students already read and discuss Otsuka’s When the Emperor was Divine for English classes, but Hesse’s story goes in a slightly different direction by probing the experiences of both German and Japanese detainees and their families, by exploring the prejudices and misunderstandings between those two groups, and by layering on the emotional drama of a friendship and attraction gone awry between these two young teens. As the question on the cover asks, “They can’t trust their country, can they trust each other?”

Hesse’s writing evokes numerous emotions, especially the loneliness, tension, boredom, and lack of control for the internees, and this is not a “feel good” book although it is very powerful. THE WAR OUTSIDE received starred reviews from Booklist, Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal. Given ongoing headlines about xenophobia and deportation, this is a timely and ultimately haunting read which will be on our shelves soon.   

 

WASHINGTON BLACK by Esi Edugyan is a historical novel written primarily for adults which deals with questions of slavery and race. The main character, George Washington Black (called “Wash”) was a slave in Barbados on a sugar plantation when (around 1830) his owner’s brother, “Titch” selected him as an assistant of sorts. Together, Wash and Titch experience numerous adventures associated with inventions (like hot air balloons) and inter-continental travel (to the Arctic and elsewhere). This book is a dark read, dealing as it does with the face of evil and brutality and cruelty involved with violence perpetuated against Blacks.

Esi Edugyan’s WASHINGTON BLACK was recently named to the short list for the Man Booker Prize (winner to be announced on October 16) and this title received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly.  Read an excerpt and see a reading guide here.