America ends in the letter "A" which in Latin and the Romance languages is feminine.

 

If you look at the Americas from space the continents look like a person with North America resembling the head and chest, Middle America the waist and Latin America the hips, legs and feet. This idea of the America's history is to invert the warmer climates and breath fire, blood, and personality into the chest and face of the Northern climes.

 

William Styron made this statement, American history is an extended meditation on the Nate Turner Rebellion.  How would you relate this to the frontier thesis in American history and to the immigration "law".  How would you relate this thesis to the questions of race nationality and sexuality in American history?  How did the Irish become white or did they? 

 

There is no "J" or "W" in Hebrew or Aramaic.  San Diego means St. James. There is no "j"

In these early language.  How would you take, for example, the word Jew and relate it to a fight or flight command like the word bread in the root of Bethlehem.

 

The words constitution, conspiracy, convict, and conundrum have the same root. 

 

The word Abraham,  Hammurabi, Hamburg, Buckingham have the same root. Hamburger has the same root. How would you explain these relationships?

 

The Islands in American history, for example, Sullivan's Island, have a pivotal role. Relate these islands to your own personal islands.

 

The Canadians and the MesoAmericans want to meet at the pass.  Explain.

 

The color line is the critical problem in American history. You don't know the light until you know the dark.  America has the one drop rule. Explain.

 

The immigration law is almost an Iron law.

 

The word immigrant ends in the word grant. Explain.

 

The root Dan is in the word Danube, Dane, and Great Dane explain.

 

In/Out of the Box History

 

Creating the Other in the American narrative.  Faces of resistance create the other.

 

How do you create

 perceptions of the Irish, Afro-Americans, and Hispanics in

The Middle American experience, for example, on the East side of St. Paul.

 

Relate ethnicity to Midwestern politics, for example, the Obama campaign and Obama Care to Frogtown medical accessibility.

 

The historical immigration  experience in the Midwest relates to political economy.  Explain how it builds an economy.

 

What is the image of the other as it relates to language, literature and public and private discourse?  The magpie, the blot in the wall, the golden bird relate to different immigrant groups.  Develop explanations of these references.

 

What are the created functions of the Other?  Is a post-racial America functional or dysfunctional.  How valid is stereotypical thinking on the daily life basis? Write a précis of your daily life as an ethnic group member.

 

Are anti- semitism or anti-Catholism a function? How are they institutionalized?

 

What role or function does nationalism play in every day life in America? Relate this issue to your story and try to validate your story vis-a-vis this issue.

 

How does integration or gentrification change American identities?  Who, What, Where, When, Why, How?

 

How does your view of others change your view of yourself?

 

The American Roma or Gypsies constitute 1 million Americans.  What is their past, present and future in American life and in your life?

 

Definition, definition, definition! How do you define yourself as a Midwestern  American vis-a-vis the many other Midwestern identities?

 

How can you create images of Afro-Americans, Hispanics, and the Irish in the schools?

 

A Mapping We Will Go!  Begin mapping your lifeline identities.

 

What role does nationalism have in creating identities through ethnic enmity, racism and procreation?

 

An Irish Project--Othering, Create the Other!

 

Workshops on nationalism, ethnic rival ry, and racism  are complex. Develop a project approach to these issues.  For example, make an urban mural.

 

Start a Workshop  on resolving ethnic enmity in religious, public and private spheres.

 

Faces of Resistance in creating the Other.  Write stories of resistance and then build a photo library of faces with tags explaining their context.

 

What are the roots and causes of nationalism?

 

How would you relate nationalism to the fall of empires.

 

Act locally!  Think Globally! Relate these ideas to ethnic conflicts and rivalries.

 

What is the human face of nationalism?  What is its psychology?

 

How do you resolve conflicts,for example, those evolving out of nationalism or MidWestern regionalism?

 

How do you unCreate the other after conflicts.

 

How do you move from I-It relationships to I-thou relationships? Buber.

 

Write stories rejecting  the claims of otherness, personal Shiloh experiences, rejection divorce and separation or of Quebec independence.

 

Develop explanatory models of the roles The Middle Class, Jews and farmers have in the formation of MidWestern identity and otherness?  Emma Shapiro is a press leader at Shiloh International.

 

How did American nationalism move from labor reforms and teamster towns?

 

Is Caucasian a choice? Does one become a Caucasian through birth or choices?

 

What is Whiteness politics? What is  Whiteness culture?

 

How is the idea of the "Other" and the Afro-American experience peculiar?

 

How is community in Israel and Minnesota denied through antagonism.

 

What are your changing  perceptions  of Minnesota Muslims post 911.

 

Revisit the Art and the National question in nationalism, identity and sexuality films

 

Ethnic stereotypical thinking:  Explain its creation, revision and persistent questions.

 

Police community relations in Minnesota:  What are the siege mentality issues!

 

What are the sources of Nationalist violence in St. Paul, Mn and  gang violence through time! Develop an interactive mural.

 

Strangers in different historical interpretative scenes! The gringo is an interpretative idea.

 

Imagined communities, the language of communities and economic communities in Minnesota are a tossed salad. Depict this tossed salad in your community.

 

Spell out cultural pluralism through the lens of translation. Then re-define the self.

 

How do poets imagine other communities?

 

The Jews in Middle America and Middle Europe! Share your ideas on their transformation.

 

The Irish question in Minnesota versus the Jewish question in Minnesota.

 

What are Boundary problems after demographic changes?

 

From the home to the classroom Minnesota woman teachers develop new identity strategies.

 

Fluid post-racial American identities. The self is lost in another.  Jack Baker changed his name to Patrick during his gay wedding.

 

The New North has faced a paradigm shift th the South and West.

 

The split rock light house as a symbol of co-dependence!

 

How do you search for the other generationally!

 

Identical twin issues!  Elvis Presley's twin died at birth. Relate this to his story. 

 

How do you image and create the other in twin relationships.

 

Are the Roma a myth or are they a reality?  Roma Downey's father named her after the Roma!

 

Changing minority policies in Minnesota. Narrate fight or flight issues!

 

What is the story of the development of minority schools in Minnesota like Montessori schools.

 

Cultural reification:  who is the enemy of the state?  All 77 counties of Oklahoma voted against Obama care.

 

Are there devils or angels in the Minnesota schools.

 

What are Xenophobia and anti-racist strategies in the Minnesota public schools.

 

People of the forest, people of the plains and lakes in minnesota history and map making.

 

Relate Cartography and ethnicity in Minnesota.

 

Clearing house, connection and peace playing role equal access for all minorities.

 

Anderson, Jervis

Harlem then and now.

 

This Was Harlem

1900-1950