THE NATURE OF DIFFERENCE: Forging Arab Asia at the American Museum of Natural History

Abstract

AbstractSince 9/11, an increasing number of educational initiatives have called for facilitating intercultural understanding and knowledge of the Arab world. In terms of defusing conflict across cultural and religious lines, toleration is regarded as a key virtue, although this concept is not confined to a post‐9/11 world. Inaugurated in 1980, the Hall of Asian Peoples at the American Museum of Natural History was designed with such an end in mind. The exhibition is framed by contradictory strands woven from the beliefs and ambitions of the curator, collector, and sponsors. An exploration of these themes enables us to analyze how culture itself is defined and politicized within a rubric of toleration. Furthermore, an examination of the exhibition hall's captions, labels, and catalogues reveals how an ethic of toleration can also become a means of regulating boundaries and creating a hierarchy of differences, and thereby generating a troubling political and intellectual undercurrent. From these subtexts, I aim to unravel the political and intellectual dimensions inherent in the process of forging representations of Asia, specifically “Arab Asia.”