6_Worksheet_SIX
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Dec 6, 2023
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Worksheet Six
A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America
Instructions:
These questions are based on Ronald Takaki’s introduction &
part one - chapters 1 to 3.
Submit completed copy by
Sunday October 22
nd
@ 11:59 pm
.
Feel free to extend the number of pages as needed. Please see rubric at the
end of the worksheet.
Name:
INTRODUCTION: A DIFFERENT MIRROR: THE MAKING OF MULTICULTURAL
AMERICA
1.
Who does the Cab Driver consider “American”?
How is Takaki’s experience in
the cab similar to your yours? In what ways Not?
The cab driver considers those with power and control as "American." Takaki's experience in the cab
is similar to mine in the sense that both highlight the complex nature of identity in America, where
being "American" is often equated with privilege and power. However, our experiences may differ
based on individual backgrounds, as identity and perceptions of Americanness can vary widely.
2.
Who is “Caliban” and what does he represent? Provide a thoughtful discussion
of your interpretation of Takaki’s use of a Shakespearian Character.
"Caliban" is a character from Shakespeare's play "The Tempest," representing the indigenous
peoples encountered by European colonizers. Caliban symbolizes the dehumanization and
demonization of native populations. Takaki uses this character to illustrate the way in which European
colonizers perceived and treated the indigenous peoples, drawing a parallel between colonial
encounters and the power dynamics present in "The Tempest."
3.
Provide 3 examples that illustrate Takaki’s preview of the power differentials of
race, ethnicity and class interests.
a. Exploitation of Native Americans and Africans through forced labor.
b. Imposition of European cultural norms on indigenous populations.
c. Establishment of racially and ethnically based hierarchies favoring European settlers.
4.
What is the “Master Narrative”
The "Master Narrative" refers to the dominant cultural and historical story that often marginalizes or
ignores the experiences of minority groups. It is a narrative that reinforces the perspective of the
powerful majority, perpetuating a one-sided view of history.
5.
What is the evidence Takaki uses to present his thesis: “That America has
always been Multicultural”?
Takaki uses evidence such as the diversity of the early colonial population, the contributions of
various ethnic groups to the development of the United States, and the presence of multicultural
elements in American society from its inception to argue that America has always been multicultural.
6.
Choose One Quote from the Introduction that most surprised you. Include the
quote and reflect on why you are surprised.
Quote: "American history has been a history of a process, not of progress."
This quote surprises me because it challenges the traditional narrative of continuous improvement
and suggests a more nuanced view of historical development with setbacks and complexities.
PART ONE: FOUNDATIONS
7.
What do we know about the Viking’s experience? What does their known
experience tell us? What would you ask them if you could time travel back to the
year 1000?
The Vikings' experience was characterized by exploration, trade, and occasional conflict with
indigenous peoples. Their known experience tells us about early contact and exchange between
different cultures. If I could time travel, I would ask them about their interactions with the indigenous
people, their motivations for exploration, and the challenges they faced.
PART ONE:
Chapter 2~THE TEMPEST IN THE WILDERNESS: A Tale of
Two Frontiers
8.
How does Takaki relate Shakespeare’s The Tempest to understanding the mind-
set of the
English Colonizers, as they encountered the Indigenous Indians?
Takaki relates "The Tempest" to the English colonizers' mindset by highlighting the dehumanization of
indigenous peoples, paralleling the treatment of Caliban with the European perception of Native
Americans. The play becomes a lens through which to understand the colonizers' attitude towards the
"new world" and its inhabitants.
9.
What was the impact of the English defining everyone else they encountered in
America as “OTHER?”
According to the English what characteristics were
ascribed to you if you were considered “OTHER” ?
The impact of the English defining everyone else as "OTHER" led to the dehumanization and
marginalization of those considered different. Characteristics ascribed to the "OTHER" included
savagery, inferiority, and a lack of civilization.
10.
According to Takaki, “initially encounters between the English and Powhatans
in Virginia in 1607 offered possibilities of friendship & interdependence”. How
so? Why did this change
Initially, encounters between the English and Powhatans offered possibilities of friendship and
interdependence as both groups could benefit from trade and cooperation. However, these
possibilities diminished as conflicts over resources and cultural differences escalated.
PART ONE: Chapter 3: THE HIDDEN ORIGINS OF SLAVERY
11.
Caliban’s skin tone, in Chapter Two, is described as representing an
Indigenous Native American, aligned with “savagery”.
Yet in Chapter Three,
Caliban, according to the play, has a black/dark complexion, with a
father who
is a demon and mother who is a witch who lived in Africa. How do these
depictions lead to the Slave Trade, according to Takaki?
Caliban's varying depictions contribute to the stereotype of the "savage," aligning him with Native
Americans in one chapter and associating him with demonization and witchcraft in another. These
depictions laid the groundwork for racialized justifications for the slave trade, linking blackness with
savagery and otherness.
12.
According to Takaki, Africans, arriving in 1619, were sold as indentured
servants, not slaves. Why does this matter? What happened to change the status
of the Africans?
Africans arriving in 1619 were initially sold as indentured servants, not slaves. This matters because
it challenges the common narrative of slavery's immediate existence in the American colonies. The
shift from indentured servitude to slavery was driven by economic interests and a desire for a
permanent, exploitable labor force.
13.
What was the “Giddy Multitude”?
Who was involved in it? Why does this
event matter?
The "Giddy Multitude" refers to Bacon's Rebellion, a rebellion of discontented colonists, both
black and white, against the colonial elite. This event matters because it revealed the potential unity
between poor whites and blacks, prompting the ruling class to implement racially divisive tactics to
prevent future uprisings.
14.
What was Thomas Jefferson’s rationalization for both claiming in the
Declaration of Independence
“Liberty for All”, yet he could not imagine America
as Multiracial with people of different races co-existing?
Thomas Jefferson rationalized claiming "Liberty for All" in the Declaration of Independence while not
envisioning a multiracial America by holding contradictory beliefs rooted in racial hierarchies. His
views reflected the prevailing racist ideologies of his time, contributing to the perpetuation of slavery
and racial inequality.
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