This unit is designed to help us think about history with a critical lens. All too often we learn about history through the eyes of those who hold the strings of political, economic, and social power. Our job as historians is to vigorously question that narrative and weigh the veracity of their story against the voices, the narratives, of those who are often left out of the dominant narrative.
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In this strand, you will explore the meaning of words such as race, ethnicity, and assimilation as they pertain to individuals and communities. The overall objective of the Identity strand is for you to explore your own identity and how you fit into society.
Essential Questions: What impact does the master narrative have on the experiences of oppressed people? How do internal (achieved) and external (ascribed) factors contribute to the shaping of identity? How do race, ethnicity, nationality and culture shape identity? How do we define our various identities: national, state, local, and community? How do we perceive ourselves and how do others perceive us? Who is the in-crowd and who is the other? What is the process of our identity formation? How has the development of images, often stereotypes, reduced or magnified an individual? What does it mean to be American?
Big Ideas: Our experiences, relationships and historical narratives shape our identities. Chosen and assigned identity can lead to internal and external conflict. Reflection on our individual and collective identities can be integral to placing our self in history as an agent of change. The master narrative can be a story that marginalizes the experiences of oppressed groups by excluding their perspective. Our own lives and experiences are important narratives to study and can be vital to making transformative, positive change in our community. |
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assignments1. Watch the video above. In your notebook write about how Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's story can be applied to your own story. What parts of her story do you relate to? Why? How can you use her story in your relationships with members of your community?
2. A cultural identity essay is a paper that you write exploring and explaining how your place of upbringing, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic status, and family dynamics among other factors created your identity as a person. Even facts such as what activities you took part in as a child can be part of your cultural identity. Your cultural identity is ultimately the group of people that you feel you identify with. 3. Read the essay, "Two Ways to belong in America." You can download it here. As you read, be sure to critically reflect on the text in your notebook. |
4. Read the following poem. Can you paraphrase it? Who is the speaker (persona) in the poem? What is the speaker’s tone? What is the theme (the central idea) of this poem? What is Pat Mora saying about bi-cultural people?
Legal Alien
by Pat Mora Bi-lingual, Bi-cultural, able to slip from "How's life?" to "Me'stan volviendo loca," able to sit in a paneled office drafting memos in smooth English, able to order in fluent Spanish at a Mexican restaurant, American but hyphenated, viewed by Anglos as perhaps exotic, perhaps inferior, definitely different, viewed by Mexicans as alien, (their eyes say, "You may speak Spanish but you're not like me") an American to Mexicans a Mexican to Americans a handy token sliding back and forth between the fringes of both worlds by smiling by masking the discomfort of being pre-judged Bi-laterally. |
Narrative
Una narrativa es una serie de eventos reunidos en el orden en que pasaron a crear una historia completa
A narrative is a series of events put together in the order they happened to create a full story
race
El término raza se refiere a grupos de personas que tienen diferencias y similitudes en los rasgos biológicos considerados por la sociedad como socialmente significativos, lo que significa que las personas tratan a otras personas de manera diferente debido a ellos.
The term race refers to groups of people who have differences and similarities in biological traits deemed by society to be socially significant, meaning that people treat other people differently because of them.
ethnicity
La etnicidad está categorizando a las personas basándose en la cultura de su comunidad en una región determinada. La etnicidad se refiere a factores culturales, como la nacionalidad, la cultura regional, la historia y el idioma.
Ethnicity is categorizing people based on the culture of their community in a certain region. Ethnicity refers to cultural factors, including nationality, regional culture, history, and language.
assimilation
La asimilación es el proceso mediante el cual individuos o grupos de diferentes herencias étnicas son absorbidos en la cultura dominante de una sociedad. El proceso de asimilación implica asumir los rasgos de la cultura dominante hasta tal punto que el grupo asimilador se vuelve socialmente indistinguible de otros miembros de la sociedad.
Assimilation is the process whereby individuals or groups of differing ethnic heritage are absorbed into the dominant culture of a society. The process of assimilating involves taking on the traits of the dominant culture to such a degree that the assimilating group becomes socially indistinguishable from other members of the society.
achieved status
El estado alcanzado se refiere a la posición que mantienes en un sistema social que alcanzas en función de tu mérito o esfuerzo.
Achieved status refers to the position you hold in a social system that you attain based on your merit or effort.
ascribed status
El estatus atribuido es el estatus social que una persona es asignada al nacer o asumida involuntariamente más adelante en la vida. Es una posición que no se gana ni se elige, sino que se asigna. Estas posiciones están ocupadas independientemente de los esfuerzos o deseos.
Ascribed status is the social status a person is assigned at birth or assumed involuntarily later in life. It is a position that is neither earned nor chosen but assigned. These positions are occupied regardless of efforts or desire.
oppression
La opresión es cuando una persona o grupo en una posición de poder controla a los menos poderosos de maneras crueles e injustas.
Oppression is when a person or group in a position of power controls the less powerful in cruel and unfair ways.