Introduction to American Studies

This course begins with the question: What is America? Its approach is to explore the complex encounters that have shaped the cultures of the United States, beginning with the colonial juxtaposition of Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans. Subsequent encounters with Latinos, Asians, and Arabs reveal the connections between foreign and domestic concerns. Cultural fictions and cultural exclusions have helped to sustain unity among many Americans, but sub-national and transnational identities call this into question.