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Listening to American Voices Literature review

References

Douglass, F. (2019). What to the slave is the Fourth of July? Ideals and Ideologies, 377-

381. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429286827-61

Li, Q. (2015). Becoming an American: Rethinking the United States Naturalization Policy. In F.

Kläger & K. Stierstorfer (Ed.), Diasporic Constructions of Home and Belonging (pp. 315-

330). Berlin, München, Boston: De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110408614-019

Lowery, M. M. (2019). The Original Southerners: American Indians, the Civil War, and

Confederate Memory. Southern Cultures, 25(4), 16–35.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/26844565

Nguyen Viet , America, Say My Name. (2019). Opinion | America, Say My Name - The New

York

Times (nytimes.com)

Instructions

With these sources, you will take an objective look at the experiences of these Americans and
summarize, synthesize, and evaluate these sources. That means you will need to:
● read/watchthesources
● findcommonthemesandideas
● putthosesources into conversation with one another
● evaluatetheir efficacy
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Use this

Brainstorming Assignment: Listening to American Voices

Step 1. Douglass, F. (2019). What to the slave is the Fourth of July? Ideals and Ideologies, 377-

381. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429286827-61

1. Douglass resolves a few inquiries all through his speech:

In the initial segment, he thinks about the meaning of the Fourth of July festivity and

considers the standards of freedom and independence.

In the subsequent part, he looks at the hypocrisy of praising freedom while slavery

perseveres, introducing a blistering study of American slavery.

In the third part, he talks about the Constitution and contends against the pro-slavery

translation of it, underscoring its true capacity for advancing freedom and equality.

2. Douglass' depiction of America in the nineteenth century features the glaring

inconsistency between the country's claimed standards of freedom and equality and the brutal

truth of slavery and persecution. While the particular issues he addresses, like slavery, have

changed fundamentally from that point forward, the more extensive subjects of imbalance,

unfairness, and the battle for social equality are as yet applicable today(Douglass, 2019). In

contemporary America, continuous discussions and developments are tending systemic racism,

economic inequality, and social justice issues, showing that a considerable lot of the key

difficulties Douglass distinguished endure in various forms.

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3. Douglass contends that the US should be a country where standards of justice,

equality, and liberty are maintained for every one of its residents, regardless to race or

background. He advocates for the abolllition of slavery and the acknowledgment of the full

humankind and freedoms of African Americans. To draw nearer to Douglass' beliefs, society

necessities to keep pursuing dispensing with systemic racism, addressing economic disparities,

and guaranteeing equivalent access to valuable opportunities and privileges for all people. This

incorporates carrying out approaches that advance value, cultivating comprehensive networks,

and going up against biases and predispositions in all parts of society. Furthermore, progressing

endeavors to teach individuals about the history slaveyand its enduring effects can assist with

encouraging comprehension and sympathy, contributing to a more just and equitable society.

Step 2: Li, Q. (2015). Becoming an American: Rethinking the United States Naturalization

Policy. In F. Kläger & K. Stierstorfer (Ed.), Diasporic Constructions of Home and

Belonging (pp. 315-330). Berlin, München, Boston: De

Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110408614-019

1. The naturalization cycle and necessities in the US have developed essentially

starting around 1790. Initially, it was only for white people but lately, there have been

amendments that include blacks and have gotten rid of racial exclusivity. In the late 19th and 20th

centrury the laws were restrictive.After world war 2, the reforms aimed at recognition and

inclusivity of the immigrants.The naturalization process continues to adapt and evole due to the

changing needs of the American society.

2. The progressions in naturalization prerequisites over time mirror a shifting

comprehension of being American, both concerning identity and inclusivity. Prior limitations,
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like the racial selectiveness of the first naturalization regulations, reflected a narrower origination

of Americanness attached to whiteness and European legacy. Nonetheless, ensuing amendments

and changes, especially those canceling racial limitations and focusing on family reunification

and skilled labor, connote a more extensive meaning of American identity. Today, being

American envelops a different scope of backgrounds, societies, and encounters, mirroring a more

broad comprehension of citizenship grounded in standards of equity, diversity, and freedom.

These progressions propose a developing acknowledgment of the commitments and worth of

workers to the texture of American culture, underlining a common obligation to the beliefs of a

majority rules system, freedom, and a chance for all, regardless of origin or background.

3. According to Li, notwithstanding the possibility that the US has for sure been inviting

settlers of many races and beliefs since its establishment, the average American has been

considered to be white and Christian (Li, 2015). The encounters of foreigners have not adjusted

the idea of America. She recommends that the encounters of immigrants have not in a general

sense changed this impression of American identity. This assertion suggests that the meaning of

American, as far as the prevailing social and segment attributes related with it, has not essentially

changed over time. I concur with this evaluation.

4. Li accepts that nations should strive for more inclusive definitions of citizenship or

group expectations.. This includes perceiving and esteeming the commitments and encounters of

people from all racial, ethnic, religious, and social backgrounds, as opposed to sustaining

exclusionary ideas of national identity. I concur with this point of view, Embracing diversity and

inclusivity in characterizing citizenship and group assumptions not just lines up with standards of

balance and basic freedoms yet additionally reflects the truth of present day cultures, which are

progressively diverse and interconnected.

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Step 3: Lowery, M. M. (2019). The Original Southerners: American Indians, the Civil War, and

Confederate Memory. Southern Cultures, 25(4), 16–35.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/26844565

1. Native Americans during the Civil War involved diverse roles that shifted across

regions. In the South: A few Native American tribes such as to the Eastern Band Cherokees,

framed Confederate Armed force regiments, while others opposed Confederate endeavors. In the

North and West ,Native Americans confronted aggression from both Union and Confederate

powers. The Union Armed force, in its quest to Manifest destiny, participated in conflicts with

Native American clans, like the Dakota Sioux and Diné (Navajo), while the Alliance looked for

collusions with clans in Indian Territoty.

2. After the war, commemorations and memorials frequently portrayed NativeAmericans

in a distorted way, building up stories of triumph and eradication. Confederate monument for the

most part prohibited Nativel Americans, while purported " pioneer monuments " in the Midwest

and West frequently portrayed them in compliant roles, propagating generalizations and limiting

their commitments to history. The depiction of Native Americans in these commemorations

didnot precisely reflect the perplexing real factors of Native encounters during and after the Civil

War.

3. Lowery's emphasis on changing public memory, rather than public policy, mirrors an

acknowledgment of the power of stories and verifiable portrayals in forming shared mindset and

personality. By testing twisted stories and pushing for a more comprehensive and exact depiction
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of Native narratives, Lowery tries to resolve further underlying issues connected with racism,

colonialism, and histotical unfairness (Lowery, 2019). This decision highlights the significance

of cultural and authentic compromise in tending to systemic disparities and cultivating more

noteworthy comprehension and sympathy across networks. It underlines the role of narrating and

memory in molding perception and cultivating social change.

Step 4: Nguyen, (2019). America, Say My Name. Opinion | America, Say My Name - The New

York Times (nytimes.com)

1. Nguyen proposes "we can change the US of America each name in turn" as a figurative

method for declaring the significance of embracing and gladly guaranteeing one's own name, no

matter what its starting point or pronunciation. By declining to adjust to cultural tensions to

transform one's name to fit in, people can challenge and reshape view of being American. Every

individual who declares their extraordinary name adds to a more extensive social shift towards

acknowledgment and festivity of diversity, eventually impacting the aggregate identity of the

US.

2. It is important if "America" itself is likewise only a name since it features the symbolic

importance and ease of names in forming identity and belonging(Nguyen, 2019). By perceiving

that even the name of the nation is dependent upon understanding and conveys different

meanings, Nguyen highlights the power of names in forming individual and aggregate stories.

Understanding "America" as a name underlines the intricacies and subtleties of public character,

welcoming reflection on the inclusivity and variety intrinsic in the American experience.

3. Nguyen's conflict lines up with Brené Brown's framework by framing the capability

among belonging and fitting in. Belonging as described by Brown, incorporates being one's
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genuine self and feeling associated with a neighborhood the need to compromise one's character.

Alternately, fitting in includes changing in accordance with social guidelines or presumptions as

a trade-off for affirmation, often resulting in the suppression of certain aspects of oneself.

Nguyen's refusal to change his name mirrors a commitment to belonging by expressing his true

personality and challenging social norms, whether or not it suggests facing misguided judgment.

This framework resonates with individuals who have experienced the strain between belonging

and fitting in, highlighting the meaning of authenticity and self-affirmation in developing

ensured affiliations and inclusive communities.

Outline for the literature review

I. Introduction (Theintroductionincludesa comprehensivehistoryofthe narrowtopicthatincludesall

relevantdetailsandleadsuptoa briefexplanationofthecurrent culturalcontext.Theintroduction
alsoincludesamainideasentence thatclearlystatesthenarrowed topicandtherelationshipofthat
topictothethemesdiscussedin thebodyofthepaper.)

A. FocusedTopic/Thesis

B. Historyandshortsummariesofreadings.

II. Theme/Trend#1 (Theauthorreferencesmorethan twosourceswhendiscussingthe

theme.Thesourcesareanalyzed, compared,andcontrastedwithin thesection,andallevidence
(summary,paraphrase,and quotes)supportsthestated theme.)

III. Theme/Trend#2 (Theauthorreferencesmorethan twosourceswhendiscussingthe

theme.Thesourcesareanalyzed, compared,andcontrastedwithin thesection,andallevidence
(summary,paraphrase,and quotes)supportsthestated theme)

IV. Theme/Trend#3 (Theauthorreferencesmorethan twosourceswhendiscussingthe

theme.Thesourcesareanalyzed, compared,andcontrastedwithin thesection,andallevidence
(summary,paraphrase,and quotes)supportsthestated theme.)

V. Conclusion/QuestionsforFurtherResearch(Theconclusionextendsthe ideas/themesdiscussedinthe
bodyofthepaper,butitdoesnot repeatinformation.Thefutureof thetopicisdiscussedaswellas
futureresearchtheauthormight conduct.Questionsforfurther researcharealsoincluded.)