I thought that it was funny that Francis should bring up Alzheimer's in class the other day. The idea of losing one's mind is a frightening prospect...after all, what is identity but a compilation of all of one's past experiences? Who are you if you have no conception of the past that has shaped you? What is one's identity if one has no recollection of one's past?
In this way, I think of Takaki's emphasis on the lost histories of Asian Americans. He raises issues that every American of Asian descent has faced: the struggle to accept our faces, and the coming to terms with a history that has been largely ignored by textbooks and mainstream media. Takaki is frank about social prejudices; people are not generally maliciously racist, but certain remarks (like that of the white woman about the Vietnamese restaurant) reflect the ongoing sense that Asians are still perceived as being outsiders, even if they and their families have been in America for generations. An Asian face is still seen as foreign, while an European one is not. These are uncomfortable truths that history does not seem ready to confront. After all, the Asian American presence is hardly mentioned in the course of high school history classes. Do we belong here, as the Europeans and blacks do, if our main role in America history seems to be that of exclusion? Even in college, the system in charge does not seem quite prepared to deal with the fact that Asian Americans have, indeed, played a significant role in American history. Perhaps it is out of embarassment; after all, the idea of having to publicly admit that whole histories have been omitted out of mainstream American history solely on the grounds of race requires a certain amount of chutzpah to carry out. Perhaps that is why the word "history" was taken out of our course title; it would require the educational system to acknowledge too many skeletons in the closet. We see here again that the Asian American experience is characterized by omission. To even discuss Asian American history, one must first talk about its absence from history books; this is a task that, unfortunately, many find daunting.
During WWII, H.D. was obsessed with the notion of a palimpsest (and personally, I think that it is an amazing idea...it's one of my favorite words...okay, yeah, I'm a nerd). The idea of writing over something that has been partially obliterated is analogous with the way that we live our lives. Our perspectives are shaped by our past experiences; our present identities are built up of the events of the past. We are constantly writing and rewriting our identities. The past has shaped us to be who we are today; there is no better time than now to find these lost histories. That is why I think that this course is extraordinarily important; it is time for our College to take a stand against what is conventional, what is easy. The truth must be told, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. It is vital to every American's identity to know the range of diverse races and ethnicities that have lived and died on American soil. Because, after all, can one's identity truly be complete without an understanding of one's past?
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4 comments:
I highly agree that to get a better understanding of one's self, it is crucial to know our past so that we can look forward to building a better future, which is the very essence of what palimpsest means. However, I believe that controversy exists for creating a history course on Asian Americans not only because the system is embarrassed that whole histories have been ignored solely on the grounds of race, but also because we as Asian Americans are not as prominent as the Europeans and blacks.
Numbers and determination to have your voices heard are two very important factors in educating people the truth and because of that, it is also unfortunate. When people are motivated to make a difference, such as this class, with 15 people enrolled, such progress can pave the way for a greater enlightenment in the histories of all Americans. Palimpsest!
Good intro - I never even made that connection. (Though, at the time, I was more than a little worried about Francis' health to tihnk of how the diversion of discussion could be useful on my blog). But it's absolutely brilliant and you're absolutely right. The individual identity is mainly made up of the individual's recollections, and a cultural identity is the just the same on a vaster scale.
Plus, you reminded me to post about palimpsest...
Eddy, what do you mean when you write that "Asian Americans are not as prominent as Europeans and African Americans?" (word change from Blacks to African Americans, mine, not Eddy's. caps on Blacks is mine too, not Eddy's. HINT everyone. Hint. Thanks Eddy!)
Now on to Vicky--anger can be productive if we channel it to positive action. Thoughts are mine, paraphrasing the Dalai Lama.
The more personal we are in these postings, the more we learn about the course, and each other. THank you.
Referring to American's as European or Black is a point within itself. What Francis pointed out is interesting. I don't think the "problem" is necessarily rooted in our acceptance of Asian American History, but in the way that as a whole each person reflects on the ethnicity of our fellow citizens. Attacking it from that perspective might bring out new revelations that could help in more areas than just the one we are "fighting" for.
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