I. American Studies

    A. Americans: Names and Identity

The name American as a noun means a person that is native or an inhabitant of America, but the most common reference is to the U.S.A., United States of America. However, it can mean anyone from any country in the Americas: North American, Meso America (including the Caribbean) and South America. Within all of the nations of the Americas born of European colonies that invaded Native American nations are surviving Native American groups and a series of various immigrants. Depending on the prejudicial barriers, economic necessity and survival admixture took place that produced physical blending as well as new cultural identities.

Identity is both a subjective and an objective phenomena based on individual cognitive domains and outward behaviors, clothing, hair, body art and assessories. The perspective of the individual and others completes an identity of a person, group, region, nation, etc.

    B. Folk Culture and American Studies

American Studies is an interdisciplinary area that includes history, economics, literature, visual arts, music, ethnic studies and gender studies that focus on American culture over time to include our current culture. Some scholars study just the United States, while others include all of the Americas. Attempts to document American culture, both Native American and Immigrant cultures (European, African, Asia-Pacific) really began with Thomas Jefferson and Albert Gallatin who set out to study Native American language and culture with Philadelphia as our nations capitol. Later the Smithsonian Institution in 1846 became our nations 'attic' and sought to gather objects and information about  American culture. The American Folklore Society was established in 1888 to document and preserve oral traditions.

In American history Frederic Jackson Turner in 1890, followed by Henry Nash Smith in 1940 promoted the idea that the 'frontier experience' in America was reflected in the literature and art with symbols or themes that revealed the uniqueness of an American Culture. The frontier symbolized the spiritual and economic renewal of the country and those that settled it. The 'virgin' land or wilderness with civilization became the 'Garden of Eden' and its conversion was based on Manifest Destiny. These ideas were an effective driving force in American history, but distorted the complexity of the environment, ignored ethnic diversity, women, the fact the land was not free but stolen. As Americans closed the frontier in 1890 the discrepancies became clear and a progressive movement emerged. The progressive movement tried to protect what was being destroyed or abused and is still a continual debate in American culture. We still struggle with what is an American? From an individual point of view this becomes part of ones identity. Throughout the 20th century it became clear that the so called 'Melting Pot' was not a reality and that Americans were more of an 'exotic salad bar'. The question still remains how do we create a 'healthy salad'.

In 1951 the American Studies Association was formed and in 1994 the internet site The Crossroads Project emerged to bring many diverse resources into an accessible network. Also, the Library of Congress developed its online resource of documents, photos and media archive in 1990 with the American Memory Project. Many academic institutions, including Palomar College have developed, American Studies Programs or departments. These include:

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