“I Have Chosen the Flaming Death”: The Forgotten Self‐Immolation of Alice Herz

Abstract

In March 1965, 82‐year‐old peace activist Alice Herz immolated herself in opposition to US military action in Vietnam. Her protest followed similar public displays by Vietnamese Buddhists, but was an unprecedented form of protest in the United States. However, while it provoked sympathy from international observers, the US public reacted with ambivalence. Herz's legacy subsequently became overshadowed after Norman Morrison's identical protest in November that year. This article accounts for the multiple reactions to Alice Herz's forgotten self‐immolation. It examines both the international and domestic context to highlight the cultural norms, political context, gender dynamics, and performative factors that influenced responses to the act. Using Morrison's example to show how responses were formed, this article reveals that because Herz did not receive contemporary interest she has been overlooked historically.