Definitions of key termsRace- Social Construct people made up; this idea of someone being called black, white, red, yellow; the assumption of difference based on real or imagined physical characteristics; believing someone is inferior or superior to you by taking in the physical characteristics; NOT a biological fact; based on assumptionsProblems with defining raceUntil 100 years ago, African American was given to anyone 1/16 the blood of an African.No big deal, until power comes in“Birth of a Nation” actor in black face, in 1915, blacks considered so inferior they couldn’t even represent themselves in film.Ethnicity/Ethnic group- group of people who have something(s) in common; agree they share this “thing”; ethnic groups can have one thing in common, or several;NativismDisliking someone because they are from another country or culture (or of a different ethnicity)Nationality-Where you were born; used to also mean citizenship; 100 years ago, US came out with passports, declaring citizenship;What do we do with the info from these terms?“The Other” different in some way, clothes, physical characteristics, etcBuild racial and Ethnic hierarchyBase initial reactions on looks, but they slide up and down the hierarchy.History of Immigration – who comes, why, and what happensThe movements (waves) of ImmigrationFirst movement – The formative wave (1607-1830) (first people from England allegedly came here) set up informal and formal laws of how the country would work; called formative because they first formed and populated the country; second largest influx of people are africansSecond movement – First Wave (1830-1880)third movement – Second wavelast movement – unnamedWhy do immigrants leave?Unemployment, war, famine, education, lack of freedoms,Most immigrants that come here don’t want to come here, forced to come by situation.Why wouldn’t immigrants want to come here?See how we treat immigrants, brainwashed by their governmentWhy do they come to the USIt’s got to get better, no other options, easy to get yourself into, the American dreamHow immigrants fit inWhat the US wants them to doAssimilation – when you, as an immigrant come to a new country, and give up all of your former culture and adopt the new culture, learn the language, attend the churches, wear the clothesWhat immigrants doAcculturation – accept you’re in a new country, try to adopt some of the culture, as much as possible, but maintain who you are; two cultures in one person; maybe learn English, still speak home language; keeping your religionAssimilation is a process, takes time, sometimes fast or slowWhen you’re young, assimilate faster, if you live in an ethnic enclave, you tend to retain more of your culture, longer“un-assimilate-able” learns English, dresses how we want them to eats right, right religion, but we won’t let them assimilate because of how they look.1609-1960s-Anglo-Conformity, basically complete assimilation-White skin used to mean specifically an English individual, not just white people. Wanted, and sometimes demanded in our policies for people to assimilate in a certain way or we would get rid of them. But in 1960’s with all the movements (civil rights, women’s movement, Hispanic movement, homosexual movement)-Cultural pluralism, accepting immigrants are different and being happy that they’re different, liking what it does to America, 1980’s to present.-Conformity, demand for assimilating leads to nativism and xenophobia (a fear of “the other”)Immigrants live under xenophobia all the timeWhy use Film?Film helped shape American beliefs, values, and behaviorsFilm shapes our idea of who a race or ethnicity is.We know who “blacks” and Hispanics are from the movies and magazines. Even if they’re negative.We define Americans in movies, even globally.Before the 1960’s we were thought to all be like John Wayne, now we project an image of a YuppieWe have several divisionsGender, race, class, ethnicity, and regionFilm is an artifact or historical artifact, telling us about the people that made the film and the time period the film was produced.Tells more about the people that MADE the film than the people about the people IN the film.Most of our films were very anti communism, but the best way we showed our anxieties about communism through horror films. The volume of horror films produced tell about the real fear we faced, toRecords the look and mood of the time, the anxieties and tensions of the filmWhen you watch the film, look at what the movie says about those who made it, read Dr. Robbin’s notesFormative wave, White Anglo Saxon Protestants or English WASPsDefinition of the English- NOT people from England. Perhaps WASP (White, color of their skin, Anglo-Saxon, a reference to the major two tribes of England)Important to remember Protestant because the people who recently switch (after Henry VIII) are very fanaticNOT Homogenous. Main groups, Anglos, Saxons, (both from Germany) and mixed with Gaelic tribes (celts) (from the north and France)Also have Picts and Britons (light skinned, blonde), Normans (from Normandy, French), Romans, Even Vikings (particularly from Norway, redhaired, lots of Freckles)They are going to become “white” to differentiate from the “blacks”Poor England, under a lot of wars with Elizabeth, went Bankrupt at Elizabeth’s death.English move to colonize American, because everyone else is doing it.England was cautious, coming over in 1600, let all the other countries deal with all the problems, then when profitable, head over, but the crown has no money to pay the explorers.Queen Elizabeth came up with the idea that people can pay for their own colonies and whatever they find is theirs. England is the only country that did things that way.Problems in EnglandUnemployment, natural disasters, andTwo different types of English groups in AmericaSouthern colonies have one reason to set up, and northern colonies with another reason to set upAfrican immigrants, agricultural workers, move south but other imigrJamestown, 1607Why did the English Colonize?Nothing else to do, and they need moneyPrimogeniture-only the first born son can inherit propertyNot the upper class because of money, but because you have land, and the “landed” are related to royalty. No one else in Europe, with zillions of dollars, if not related to royalty, can’t have land. And only the eldest son gets that land. Growing up a
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