Stories of My America: Race and Nation in the Contemporary US

This paper will explore findings from research done to understand contemporary perspectives on belonging and nationalism in the United States.  It will explore the meaning of “America,” what is unique about its character and possibilities, and its claims to being special in the history of nations on this planet.  These intertwined issues are widely conceptualized in both lay and scholarly discourse as the spirit of American exceptionalism. Just more than one century after its creation, the U.S. nation-state expanded to become a global power, including a pattern of territorial expansion deemed by many to be imperial.  By mid-twentieth century, the United States was the number one world power.

 

As the hegemonic power within the world-system, the U.S. was forced to reckon with contradictions within its own borders and how they reflected on its position as the world leader.  Anti-colonial struggles that occurred throughout the globe were frequently viewed as aligned with movements for social change among marginalized populations within its borders.  The nation struggled with the question of how it would be positioned and perceived in this new era of imperialism.  How could the rhetoric of democracy be rationalized as interventions around the globe were intensified?  The Reagan era provided narratives of benevolence and leadership that justified these actions in the eyes of many people in the U.S.  By George W. Bush’s Presidency, nationalism and patriotism were generally assumed virtues that trumped all else. Participant reflections are thoughtful, though often contradictory.  Their words provide evidence of deep internal struggles about how the ideological narratives that people ascribe to sometimes explain but more often disregard the challenges they face in everyday life.  These “Stories of My America” provide insight into the everyday struggles engaged to reconcile the rhetoric, reverie and realities embodied in the notion of an American Dream.