American Fellows Program: Day 2 (July 15, 2008)

Part I: The HIA Heroes Begin Their Journey

After a long first day of getting to know the city, the familiar heroes of Human Rights Activism (aka the 2008 American HIA Fellows) find their way to the uniquely converted church in Brooklyn Heights in attempts to unite to form an unbreakable Justice League. As the subway rides are becoming shorter and less foreign to all of the fellows, they can focus on the pressing issue of "American Exceptionalism."

Peter Schuck is very familiar to the Human Rights heroes because his collections of essays have reached the fellows internationally. Finding their way across the Atlantic all the way to Denmark, Germany, France, Poland and the Netherlands, the Heroes unite in the common goal of critically analyzing this complex and controversial term that deems America as Exceptional. As Peter Schuck explains, America is in many ways different than that of many European countries. He proposes that Americans are more religious (with the exception of possibly Poland), participate more in philanthropy, are more individualistic, more economically competitive, and claims that America’s relatively decentralized government allows its people to have the ability to pick and choose the states they live in based on their personal beliefs (such as gay marriage, English only policies, etc.). Realizing that they have the duty to protect the human rights of people everywhere, the Heroes come together to create a critical dialogue with the author of this “exceptional” essay.

Overall, many of the heroes that currently reside in North America thought that Peter Schuck’s analysis of an exceptional America a bit troublesome. Perhaps painting an inaccurate picture to the Heroic colleagues that currently protect Europe. I feel that many of the Europeans did not know what to think of the lecture since much of the information presented was statistics comparing Europe to America. However, since much of the information was comparing America to Europe, it is hard to create an equal research question. After all, the question if one is “very proud” to be America would be a very different question in Europe. As the heroes learned later in European country projects, the concept of Patriotism is conceived very differently on the two continents. Understanding that this is only the first discussion of the HIA American Program, the heroes came to the quick realization that the summer’s activities would indeed challenged their beliefs and force them to think about issues that may usually go unnoticed.

A little fatigued from their first training session of the Justice League, the Heroes enter into the realm of American Popular culture. Martha Bayles paints an illustrative picture to the North American and European Fellows of how American Popular culture is exported and viewed throughout the world. Many of the heroes had differing views between themselves. German heroes felt that Hip Hop has transformed youth culture in their country to something very negative. With similar concerns among all the Heroes, the Americans are very shocked to see how “their” culture is perceived throughout the world. But no apologizing is done; rather there were more attempts of the American heroes to help European heroes understand the controversial discourse and controversy that at many times is not exported alongside the content America produces. After a very dense morning session, the heroes head out in search for sustenance and are advised to keep clear of Kryptonite and be back on the 4th floor of the Packer Institute by 1pm to continue with the training.

Part II: The HIA Heroes “Break It Down” Presentation Style

Race, free speech, and religious tolerance are all burning issues in both American and European society. Overcoming the fissures which these issues create in our societies is the challenge that we are tasked with and on Tuesday, we began what will be a four month journey of cross cultural dialogue, and hopefully understanding. Through exchanging of knowledge and discussion in the group presentations, many fellows now have a better grasp of what race in Germany looks like; how Denmark struggles with issues of free speech; and, how religious intolerance in Holland counters the historical openness of Dutch society.

Perhaps most shocking in the conversation was the view of race presented by our German Heroes. It appears that this region is burdened by its historically racist past, in a manner which causes the society to mask racism under a more ostensibly permissable “ism”---xenophobia. Instances of racial discrimination are more conveniently described as discrimination against foreigners in the media. I highlight the word foreigner because a Black native-born individual who speaks German is still considered to be foreign. Thus, it is clear that the psychological burden of race in Germany has led to a more insidious situation where seemingly politically correct rhetoric fails to address continuing racial issues in the country.

One man’s food is another man’s poison. This adage can be applied to the contentious issue of free speech, where you find the rhetoric of one individual can be terribly offensive and disrespectful to another. The Danish Heroes tackled this issue within the context of the 2005 international religious controversy, where Muhammad was depicted unfavorably in a Danish newspaper. The fellows took the side of free speech while recognizing the need for sensitivity in dealing with religious difference. Many of the Americans were silent during the discussion, myself included. And I would suggest the reason was because we are all too accustomed to a tradition of free speech (in most regards), which might stir controversy but is nonetheless protected. In a way, this controversy was much needed because it brought to light divisions in Danish society, which were up to this point, not worth dinner table conversation. It also highlights a lack of integration of minorities and immigrant groups whose only solution is social contact and dialogue.

There is no question that Holland is a tolerant society, with their acceptance of bestiality, respect for gay marriage, and appreciation for marijuana and other “soft” drugs. However, much like several other European countries, tolerance is being sacrificed with regard to religion and specifically with an immigrant community. The influx of extremist politicians and ideologies as well as politically motivated murders, including Pim Fortuyn and Theo van Gogh reinforce the severity of this crisis of communication and understanding. Perhaps the issue of immigration in Holland truly is a special case, because the country is considered “full;” however, the role of Islam and Muslim culture as it conflicts with Dutch culture is critical. Many Dutch feel that immigrant communities should assimilate towards Dutch values and learn the language, and many Americans wondered whether this would require a sacrificing of identity. In American society, we generally feel that diverse races, religions, and cultures can co-exist without tension, and we are constantly working towards this goal. However, widespread segregation might suggests otherwise. Rather than the often clichéd “melting pot” analogy, perhaps we can work towards more of an ajiaco—a Cuban stew. The scholar Fernando Ortiz once used this metaphor to describe the distinct African, Spanish, and Chinese cultures which he felt were all valued as important elements of the Cuban identity. It appears the HIA Heroes have much to think about.

Will we complete our task to successfully create a Justice League? Or will the never ending struggle of justice for all be too much for the Heroes to overcome? All this and more on the next Episode of the 2008 HIA American Fellows Blog.

Will and Sharon signing off.