226 pages

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Je m'inscris

'I am an American' , livre ebook

Intellect Books - Cynthia Weber

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226 pages

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A propos
Informations
Extrait

Description

From Samuel Huntington’s highly controversial Who Are We? to the urgent appeal of Naomi Wolf’s The End of America, Americans are increasingly reflecting on questions of democracy, multiculturalism, and national identity. Yet such debates take place largely at the level of elites, leaving out ordinary American citizens, who have much to offer about the lived reality behind the phrase, “I am an American.”

Cynthia Weber set out on a journey across post-9/11 America in search of a deeper understanding of what it means to be an American today. The result is this brave and captivating memoir that gives a voice to ordinary citizens for whom the terrorist attacks of 2001—and their lingering aftermath—live on in collective memory. Heartrending first-person testimonials reveal how the ongoing fear of terrorists and immigrants has betrayed America’s core values of fairness and equality, which have been further weakened by polarizing international and domestic responses. Considered together, these portraits also provide a sharp contrast to the idealized vision of Americanness frequently spun by media and politicians.

Far more than a mere remembrance book about September 11, ‘I am an American’ offers precisely the kind of ground-level empathy needed to reignite a meaningful national debate about who we are and who we might become as a people and a nation.

Introduction

Part I: ‘I am an American’

Chapter 1: Beginnings – Cynthia Weber

Chapter 2: Soldiers – Guadalupe Denogean, Phil McDowell, Jamine Aponte, Jesus Suarez del Solar, Fernando Suarez del Solar, Casey Sheehan, Cindy Sheehan and James Yee

Chapter 3: Civilians – Chris Simcox, Elvira Arellano, Saul Arellano, Shanti Sellz, José Matus and Ofelia Rivas

Chapter 4: Collateral damage – Brandon Mayfield, Abe Dabdoub, Julia Shearson, Greg Avery, Glenda Avery, Will Potter and Steve Kurtz

Chapter 5: Transitions

Part II: Academic responses

International political sociology forum on Cynthia Weber’s multi-media project ‘I am an American’

Sujets

Media Studies

Social Science

HISTORY

Sociologie, société et politique

General officer

20th century

History of the Americas

Anthropology

General

Cultural Studies

Film

Informations

Publié par	Intellect Books
Date de parution	27 mai 2014
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781841505299
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	28 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,1250€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

‘I am an American’

In loving memory of my aunt, Doris Fyfe homas

and

For my friends in Morgantown, te most ordinary and extraordinary Americans I know

‘I am an American’

Filming the Fear o Diference

Cynthia Weber

intellectBristol, UK / Chicago, USA

First published in the UK in 2011 by Intellect, The Mill, Parnall Road, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3JG, UK

First published in the USA in 2011 by Intellect, The University o Chicago Press, 1427 E. 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA

All rights reserved. No part o this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any orm or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission.

A catalogue record or this book is available rom the British Library.

Cover designer: Holly Rose Copy-editor: Emma Rhys Typesetting: Mac Style, Beverley, E. Yorkshire

ISBN 978-1-84150-422-3/ EISBN 9781841505299

Printed and bound by Cambrian Printers, Aberystwyth, Wales.

Contents

Introduction

PART I: ‘I am an American’

Chapter 1: Beginnings

Chapter 2: Soldiers 27 Featuring Guadalupe Denogean, Phil McDowell, Jamine Aponte, Jesus Suarez del Solar, Fernando Suarez del Solar, Casey Sheehan, Cindy Sheehan, James Yee

Chapter 3: Civilians Featuring Chris Simcox, Elvira Arellano, Saul Arellano, Shanti Sellz, José Matus, Oelia Rivas

Chapter 4: Collateral Damage Featuring Brandon Mayﬁeld, Abe Dabdoub, Julia Shearson, Greg Avery, Glenda Avery, Will Potter, Steve Kurtz

Chapter 5: Transitions

PART II: Academic Responses International Political SociologyForum on Cynthia Weber’s Multi-media Project ‘I am an American’

117

171

203

Introduction

am an Amerîcan’. hîs decaraîon pays a cenra roe în US îsory, weer o însî a sense o cîvîc duy în US cîîzens or o dîsînguîs em rom cîîzens a‘dveïrîzîng execuîves mued over îs expressîon as ey pondered wa î îs a maes ooer naîons. ïn e wae o e Sepember 11, 2001, errorîs aacs, US 1 Amerîca unîque. hey concuded a e naîon’s ceebraîon o dîversîy îs e deinîng eaure o Amerîca. Fearîng a bacas agaîns Arab and oer mînorîy Amerîcans ater e aacs, ey decîded o produce a Pubîc Servîce Announcemen (PSA) o remînd US 2 cîîzens ‘a îs was e îme o unîe as a counry’. he resu was e amous ‘ï am an Amerîcan’ PSA wîc ey so or e Amerîcan Ad Councî, e eadîng producer o PSAs în e US. he ‘ï am an Amerîcan’ PSA, wîc began aîrîng on US eevîsîon en days ater 9/11, eaures US cîîzens o varîous ages, races, reîgîons, and enîcîîes ooîng dîrecy îno e camera and decarîng ‘ï am an Amerîcan’, wîe emoîve Amerîcana musîc pays în e bacground. To communîcae a ‘ou o many aces, reîgîons, geograpîca bacgrounds, 3 and enîcîîes, we are one naîon’, e PSA încorporaes e orîgîna US moo –E Puribus Unum/Ou o Many, One. ï ends wî a îe gîr – possîby Arab, possîby Sou Asîan, possîby Hîspanîc – smîîng broady as se waves e US lag. he response o e PSA was unprecedened, bo în erms o medîa donaîons o îme o aîr e spo and expressîons o ans rom US cîîzens o e Ad Councî or ‘brîngîng suc 4 an împoran message o e counry a îs îme’. ïndeed, e PSA so encaned US cîîzens 5 a e Ad Councî concuded î ‘made a measurabe dîference în our socîey’ because î 6 ‘eped e counry o unîe în e wae o e errorîs aacs’. hese many years aer, e PSA îs sî ondy remembered by many US cîîzens wen ey reca Sepember 11 and e spîrî o unîy a embraced e counry în îs aterma. For a îs good înenîons, oug, e ‘ï am an Amerîcan’ PSA dîd no preven a bacas agaîns mînorîy popuaîons în e US ater e errorîs aacs. Nor dîd î arîcuae e u bread o senîmen a pay în e pos-9/11 US, as Presîden George W. Bus announced a e îme or mournîng was over and e îme o ae sîdes în e War on Terror was 7 upon us. For wa became încreasîngy cear was a e ‘wî us or wî e errorîss’ War on Terror was goîng o be oug every bî as muc on e ome ron as î was on e

‘ï am an Amerîcan’

baeieds o Aganîsan and ïraq. And îs au înes were no jus beween US cîîzens and non-US cîîzens bu beween some înds o US cîîzens and oers. Wa we US cîîzens wînessed ater Sepember 11 was a naîona unîy îs no as easîy acîeved în pracîce as î îs în e US moo or în e îdeaîzed îmage o e Amerîcan meîng po as î îs porrayed în e ‘ï am an Amerîcan’ PSA. ïnsead, Sepember 11 spînered e US aong some very amenabe ye predîcabe înes (îe wen e îdea o e ‘cas o cîvîîzaîons’ pîed Crîsîan agaîns Musîm) and unpredîcabe înes (îe wen umanîarîans, arîss, and envîronmena acîvîss were accused by e Bus admînîsraîon o beîng or beîng assocîaed wî errorîss). As e War on Terror dragged on, wa became încreasîngy apparen was a beîng a US cîîzen was no guaranee o beîng par o e ‘One’. Wa aso became apparen was a e seemîngy sîmpe decaraîon ‘ï am an Amerîcan’ îs raug wî compîcaîons and paradoxes, parîcuary wen î îs mean o express cîîzensîp, îdenîy, oerance, naîonaîsm, parîoîsm and jusîce. hîs projec cronîces some o ose compîcaîons and paradoxes. Par îsory, par cuura anropoogy, par poîîca bîograpy, par memoîr, e projec îs rooed în irs-person înervîews wî US sodîers and cîîzens wo more oten an no ound emseves on e wrong sîde o e Bus admînîsraîon’s înerpreaîon o wa î means o be and o ac îe a oya and aw-bîdîng US cîîzen. houg î însîseny observes e aîures o e pos-9/11 US o îve up o îs naîona îdeas, e projec îs în no way mean o dîsparage e US or îs ambîîon o consrucîng e ceebraîon o dîversîy as among îs caîms o îdenîy. Nor îs î mean o deny e pracîca acîevemens e US as made în îs dîrecîon, bo beore and ater 9/11. Raer, by documenîng e uman coss o a ear-based parîoîsm, î îs înended o serve as an înîmae remînder o US cîîzens o jus ow grea e gu beween îved reaîîes and prîncîped îdeas can be, especîay în e wae o naîona ragedy, and predomînany or ose ‘Many’ US cîîzens wose dîferences preven em rom meîng îno e aways cangîng naîona îdea o e ‘One’. Wî îs în mînd, wîe îs projec aes Sepember 11, 2001, as îs ocus, î îs as muc an învîaîon o US cîîzens o conempae e îsory o e US a îs curreny beîng wrîen by e admînîsraîon o Presîden Barac Obama and e îsory o e US a as ye o be wrîen as î îs an învîaîon o em o crîîcay reconsîder Sepember 11 îse. he projec began as a serîes o documenary ims. My srugge o wrîe abou ese ims as been a ong and arduous one, as ï grapped wî ow reducîve ye aso suppemenary exua accouns o ims can be. ï was no unî ï was învîed o mu my dîemma over wî an exraordînary group o academîcs a e ïnsîue or GBT Sudîes a e Unîversîy o Arîzona – aura Brîggs, Adam Geary, aura Guîerrez, Mîranda Josep, îz Kennedy, Eîne uîbeîd, Spîe Peerson and Haî Ren (aa, e Cuserîsas) – a ï broe ou o îs predîcamen. hey od me, ‘Don’ wrîe abou your ims as a wrîer; wrîe abou em as a im-maer’. heîr commen was oresadowed în e prase e socîoogîs Kae Nas ad used a year earîer o descrîbe my projec, a prase a became e subîe o îs boo – ‘Fîmîng e ear o dîference’. Beween ese covers îs e boo a resued rom e sage advîce o ese coeagues.

ïnroducîon

he boo îs organîzed îno wo pars. Par ï expores ow îs projec grew ou o my encouner wî e Amerîcan Ad Councî’s ‘ï am an Amerîcan’ PSA and es e sorîes o e US cîîzens ï înervîewed roug my experîences o imîng em. Usîng vîgnees and îmages, ese capers move rom sowcasîng e mos predîcabe proagonîss în e War on Terror (sodîers wo oug în e ïraq War and eîr amîîes) o e ess predîcabe (cîîzens igîng e emergîng War on ïmmîgraîon) o e unpredîcabe (cîîzens wo decared no sîde în ese wars ye go caug up în e War on Terror as ‘coaera damage’). Dîspersed rougou are red, wîe, and bue commen cards conaînîng anonymous pubîc relecîons on e projec wîc ï coeced a pubîc screenîngs and exîbîîons.Par ïï ofers a seecîon o academîc relecîons on e projec. he many îmages rougou e boo are drawn maîny rom e documenary ims ï produced, îgîgîng e imîng aspec o e projec, wîe e vîgnees ofer my relecîons on e im-maîng process – someîmes as a im-maer, someîmes as an academîc raîned în e ied o ïnernaîona Poîîcs, and aways as a US cîîzen îvîng abroad wo as reurned o e US în searc o a ground-eve vîew o wa î means o say, ‘ï am an Amerîcan’. Wîîn eac caper, ese maerîas are no organîzed by caracer, by cronoogy, or by even. ïnsead, ey are mîxed ogeer and juxaposed o one anoer în ways a bo mîrror ow ese cîîzens and eîr sorîes were înroduced o e US pubîc, as we as ow ragmened e process o imîng acuay îs. To me, eîr organîzaîon îgîgs e îronîes and îogîcaîîes a mared pos-9/11 US poîcîes and some o e responses o em, a în e name o beîng ‘an Amerîcan’. Bu ere îs noîng essenîa în eîr orderîng, so readers soud ee ree o engage wî ese maerîas în any order. he oureen ims a resued rom my imed înervîews can be ound în e permanen coecîon o e Sepember 11 Memorîa Museum ocaed a e sîe o e ormer Word Trade Cener în New Yor Cîy. A seecîon o e ims can aso be vîewed onîne a e Open Democracy websîe a:p://www.youube.com/user/opendemocracyeam.A bu one o ese ims are our mînue mînî-documenarîes în wîc eac o e peope ï înervîewed e eîr sory în e irs person. he ina im îs my crîîca remîx o e Ad Councî’s ‘ï am an Amerîcan’ PSA eaurîng e ‘Many’ US cîîzens ï înervîewed. hey sae no ony ‘ï am an Amerîcan’ bu aso wa înd o US cîîzen ey are – e son o an îmmîgran wîou papers, a poîîca reugeeromAmerîca, a wrongy accused errorîs spy. hîs remîxed PSA aso încorporaes many o e ‘lag sos’ a end eac o e îndîvîdua mînî-documenarîes and wîc are încuded în îs boo, în wîc eac maîn caracer poses wî e US lag în a way a expresses eîr reaîonsîp o e US sae. Wîe ï produced, dîreced, imed, and edîed a o e ims, my Co-Dîrecor a Pao Producîons Nîna Covîs provîded învauabe suppor or îs projec rougou and provîded crucîa producîon assîsance wenever ï needed î, parîcuary on e im eaurîng Greg and Genda Avery. he researc or îs projec was made possîbe by wo major grans, one rom e Brîîs Academy and anoer rom e everume Trus, wîc aowed me o conduc înervîews în e US, Mexîco and Canada, and by a Vîsîîng Proessorsîp în e Deparmen o Poîîca