American Experience Research Articles

“¡Eso no nos representa!” Historia, contexto(s) y representación en el Monumento Nacional a la Memoria de las Víctimas del Holocausto Judío de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Objective/Context: In the field of Holocaust studies, the Latin American experience has occupied a liminal space. Even when the global character assumed by its forms of remembrance is widely accepted, little attention has been paid to the national cases of this region. This paper deals with a specific national case through the construction record of the National Monument to the Victims of the Jewish Holocaust, located in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The present research reveals the legal and administrative process that accompanied its gestation, the recognition of the actors that intervened throughout the period, and, finally, the character and debates that the architecture of the pantheon provoked. This cycle, which lasted a little more than two decades, allows us to qualify the meaning of the global character of Holocaust memory by considering how this experience was redefined in a national context. Methodology: For this research, qualitative techniques are used in the analysis of the legislative and patrimonial records, journalistic sources, interviews with involved actors, and a documentary film called “Monument,” which aims to give an account of the history of its construction and the representational matrix of that memorial. Originality: Although there have been, in recent years, some works that addressed the memory of the Holocaust in Argentina, they focused on various cultural media: literature, film, and testimonial narratives. This paper addresses an object whose materiality is different—monumental—and which was conceived as a public policy of commemorative character. The analysis of the construction of this memorial pantheon allows recognition of how the transnational dimensions of Holocaust remembrance intersected with aspects of the Argentine political process of the last twenty years. Conclusions: The analysis of the construction process and the materiality assumed by its architecture demonstrate, first, how the global dimensions of Holocaust remembrance interact with local contexts and, second, the tensions raised between the actors and organizations that promote its memory and the victims of Nazi persecution in Argentina.

Erased But Not Forgotten

The Harlem Renaissance is a decade known for its fluidity and non-conformity that allowed for a thriving underground culture where Black queer Americans could organize and interact, as long as they remained hidden. While the queer community and the Black community flourished independently, the Black queer community was left behind in the wake of great progress for Black Americans, erased from the historical narrative despite its major contributions to Black and queer advancement. This presentation will examine how the Harlem Renaissance (1920s-1930s) fostered an underground network that allowed for the expression of the natural fluidity of sexuality and gender, unavailable to the heteronormative White Western society that existed above ground. Secondly, despite the Black queer community being credited for Black and queer progress, it was simultaneously victimized by a Black society so desperate for progress that it conformed to the colonial way, developing internalized racism and constructing an elite, heteronormative hierarchy through discursive distancing. This presentation will argue that the Black queer American experience of the Harlem Renaissance was erased from the historical narrative by White, Black, queer and straight masculinities, and that the repression of this community further subordinated both the Black and Queer communities.

Technical change, globalization, and the labour market: British and American experience since 1620

Abstract The history of the last four centuries in the UK and USA divides into four phases. Output per worker grew in all of them. Real wages grew on average from 1620 to 1770 and from 1840 to the 1970s. During the Industrial Revolution (1770–1840) and the post-1970 Service Revolution, however, the average real wage was flat and wage inequality increased. Rising real wages in both countries have led to labour-saving technical change. Technical change, structural shifts, and globalization have also led to stagnant wages and increased inequality. British performance has been particularly poor since 1900 and, especially since 1970, as the country has fallen from a high position to the bottom of the west European standings in labour productivity and real wages.

Commentary on the Racialized Experiences of Asian Americans and Implications for Anti-Racist Research

Commentary on the Racialized Experiences of Asian Americans and Implications for Anti-Racist Research

Alvin Ailey and Korean Dance: Writing Afro-Asian Relations into Korean Dance History

A close examination of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 1962 Seoul performance, as well as Ailey’s influence on Korean dancers’ training and choreography, reveals that Ailey’s impact on Korean contemporary dance is significant. Ailey’s exploration of African American experiences piqued local dancers’ and critics’ interest, and suggested commonalities between Koreans’ and African Americans’ histories of oppression. This article examines performances, interviews, and criticism across a span of four decades, and brings special consideration to similarities between Yuk Wan-sun's Heuginyeongga and Ailey's Revelations in order to reframe Korean contemporary dance’s connections to Ailey and to illuminate Afro-Asian affinity.

In Pursuit of Freedom and Citizenship: Teaching about the Unsung Experiences of Black Americans during World War II

Secondary learners are often exposed to the triumphs and tragedies of World War II. Unfortunately, however, students receive less awareness of the experiences and contributions of Black Americans to the war effort. Thus, this article provides secondary teachers with a brief history of WWII from the perspective of African Americans and pedagogical strategies as a means of elevating hidden histories and engaging students in social studies concepts.

A Critical Race Analysis of Resilience and Resistance in Domingo’s Breaking The Maafa Chain

This study examines the experiences of black African Americans within a white-dominated society while focusing on double consciousness, racial micro-aggressions, the historical implications of the slave trade, and systemic suppression. The primary aim of this study is to highlight the harsh realities of enslavement and the enduring struggle to preserve African heritage. Racism, a socially constructed phenomenon, subjects black individuals to frequent racial discrimination. This research aims to raise awareness and challenge the facade of superiority maintained by the white-dominated society. The selected novel explores the various forms of racial discrimination against African Americans, shedding light on the subtle attacks they face while striving to preserve their identity. Additionally, the study investigates the issues of identity and freedom by analyzing the relationship between the two sisters in the novel under disquisition. Through the lens of Critical Race Theory, this research analyzes the portrayal of black lives and their resilience against white supremacy through Domingo’s novel Breaking The Maafa Chain, a piercing and sensitive representation of suppressed or marginalized Afro-Americans. Critical Race Theory serves as a framework to address the issues of racial discrimination. The research methodology employed in this study is purely qualitative, analytical, and descriptive, and it involves a close textual analysis of the novel within the domain of critical race theory.

Invisible no more: the intersectionality of Asian American immigrants experiences

ABSTRACT Violence against individuals of Asian ancestry is frequently overlooked and dismissed as a personal issue. This conceptual paper aims to critically analyze the roots of anti-Asian violence as a sociopolitical problem and investigate the systematic oppression that leads to the invisibility of Asian American experiences. To begin, we introduce two conventional paradigms that function as forms of systemic oppression, contributing to the marginalization of Asian American immigrants. Subsequently, we present the concept of intersectionality as an alternative paradigm for understanding the diverse experiences within the Asian American community. Furthermore, we offer suggestions for the training of social workers to better equip them to assist Asian American individuals and families who find themselves caught between the Black/White and Native/Alien binaries.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Justice-Involved African Americans: A Follow-Up Study

Background:The COVID-19 pandemic introduced unprecedented challenges to individuals involved in the justice system, particularly African Americans, who have borne a significant burden of its consequences. To better understand the circumstance, this article presents follow-up data 2 years after the pandemic’s onset from Skinner-Osei’s 2023 study, “The Impact of COVID-19 on Justice-Involved African Americans.”Methods:The study employed a phenomenological approach to examine the experiences of justice-involved African Americans in navigating challenges related to recidivism, probation/parole, housing, employment, and family during and after the pandemic. The data were analyzed using the reflexive thematic analysis process.Findings:The original study had 25 participants, and 12 were in the follow-up. The data obtained from both studies underscore the necessity of further research into the enduring impacts of COVID-19 on African Americans involved in the justice system.Conclusion:Given the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on this population, it is critical to explore the long-term ramifications of the virus and its aftermath so that we can better understand the multifaceted challenges facing African Americans in the justice system and develop evidence-based solutions that mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on this vulnerable group.

Native American History as Counter-Discourse in James Welch’s Narratives: The Examples of “Fools Crow” and “Killing Custer”.

A peculiar dimension in the Native American writing is the documentation of the history of the Native Americans’ traditional lives before, during and after their encounter with the white settlers. It is a development that is essentially explicable within the purview of postcolonial discourse, given that, in some contexts, historical distortions from the perspective of the ‘other’ have been asserted as the rationale for such creative explorations on the part of the Native writers. In the context of this study, such a dimension, with particular reference to James Welch’s novels, is considered as, indeed, counter-discursive. Two of his novels, Fools Crow and Killing Custer, are selected with a view to assessing how the historical documentations in the texts translate to counter-discourses in the context of the Native Americans’ historical evolution. The study reveals that, while the Native American histories in the texts dovetail into each other, they are largely inspired by the Native Americans’ colonial experience vis-à-vis the need to represent their history from the perspective of ‘us’ as opposed to ‘other’. It concludes that the narratives have, in a significant way, performed the allegorical configuration function, as a counter-discourse strategy described by Slemon (1987). This holds in that they have conceivably assumed ‘readings’ and ‘contestations’ of the previously textualised colonial experience of the Native Americans from the perspective of the ‘other’.

“We rely on each other”: A qualitative exploration of rural Eastern Region Native American experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundNative American communities suffered disproportionately negative effects during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet no research has explored the experiences of rural Eastern Region Native Americans. MethodsInformed by the Native Reliance Model and Indigenous Standpoint Theory, we conducted a qualitative descriptive project in the Spring and Summer of 2022; data included semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 24 individuals representing five South Carolina tribal groups. FindingsThematic analysis yielded four emergent themes: 1) “Let's just finish the Indians off”: Pandemic distrust rooted in historical and contemporary Native American experiences; 2) “We have been misled”: Making sense of conflicting public health information; 3) “I'm not giving it to some innocent person”: COVID-19 mitigation behaviors as Native American cultural practice; and 4) “We put the plan in place”: Self-advocacy and action as a source of Native American pride and responsibility. InterpretationThese participants demonstrated resiliency grounded in family and tribal ties, even in the face of personal losses, economic struggles, and healthcare barriers. To strike a balance between cultural traditions and public health recommendations, public health practitioners should 1) build partnerships with community leaders, elders, and tribal health authorities to facilitate the development of culturally respectful interventions that address specific health concerns in the context of historical traumas; and 2) implement alternative methods of communication and engagement to ensure equitable access to healthcare services in rural locations, such as collaborating with community organizations, deploying mobile health units, and utilizing traditional channels of communication within these communities.

Unseen Allies and Adversaries: Native American Experiences during the American Revolution

Unseen Allies and Adversaries: Native American Experiences during the American Revolution

Regulatory sandboxes for trustworthy artificial intelligence – global and Latin American experiences

ABSTRACT This paper explores how regulatory sandboxes can be used to promote the development of trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The analysis focus on the experiences of Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) who have been experimenting with sandboxes to foster the implementation of privacy by design principles in AI systems. Throughout bibliographic research, this study (i) highlights privacy-related elements on international AI regulatory frameworks; (ii) explores the concept of privacy by design (PbD) and some of its strategies, patterns and techniques, such as Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs); (iii) reflects upon the impact of regulatory sandboxes; and (iv) analyses how regulatory sandboxes are being discussed in the context of AI regulatory frameworks. While this study brings global perspective on regulatory sandboxes, it also does relevant analysis in the Latin American context by presenting different stages of development of initiatives in the region. One of the main findings of this paper is that literature currently lacks an analysis of how privacy by design could be used in the context of AI systems design and governance. It also suggests that regulatory sandboxes may be able to integrate PbD principles to foster the development of trustworthy AI, although further research would be needed on that matter.

TRIAL BY JURY AS A GUARANTEE OF LEGITIMATE DECISIONS: CONSTITUTIONAL, LEGAL AND ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES

The article is devoted to the analysis of the constitutional, legal and economic foundations of the jury trial as a guarantee of legal decision-making. The issue of jury trial remains extremely relevant in the context of building a democratic society and the rule of law. In accordance with the principles of separation of powers, a jury trial is an institution which ensures public control over justice and significantly affects the legitimacy of court decisions. The subject of the study is the constitutional and legal relations related to the functioning of the jury, as well as the economic relations closely related to it. The study of this topic is important for ensuring the effectiveness of justice, protecting human and civil rights and freedoms, and increasing public confidence in the judicial system. The purpose of the article is to analyse the constitutional and legal framework and economic principles underlying the jury trial and determining its role as a guarantor of lawful decision-making in the judicial system. The methodology of the article includes the method of analysis, comparative method, empirical method, method of synthesis and generalisation of results, and historical method. The results of this paper include an analysis of the role and significance of the jury in the legal system, the peculiarities of its composition and procedural functioning, as well as its impact on law enforcement and human rights protection. The publication analyses the constitutional and legal framework of the jury as a guarantee of legal decision-making. The authors analyses the domestic and foreign experience of using a jury trial, examines its advantages and disadvantages, economic factors and impact, as well as the legal acts regulating the activities of a jury trial, and the principles and procedures underlying its functioning. It is concluded that the historical context of the development of the jury trial demonstrates its significant role in the administration of justice. When defining the role and functions of the jury in the modern legal system, one can note its important impact on ensuring fair trial and protection of citizens' rights. However, there are problems and challenges that require attention, in particular, the issue of increasing the effectiveness and inviolability of the jury in practice. The conclusion of the study is that the institution of jurors is crucial for ensuring the fairness of justice and public trust, is determined by the constitutional principles of ensuring its independence, requires improvement of legislation, training of jurors and consideration of economic consequences for its further development, as evidenced by the results of the analysis and comparative methods with the European and American experience.

The industrial degradation of the workplace that Thorstein Veblen overlooked

Abstract Thorstein Veblen gave special importance to work. He claimed that once humans became tool users, their work activity was driven by an instinct of workmanship. This instinct is ‘an object of attention and sentiment in its own right’ beyond providing provisioning and serving another instinct, that of parental bent, or society’s wellbeing. Given appropriate social institutions, ‘labor might… assume that character of nobility in the eyes of society at large’. Yet, Veblen took little notice that during his lifetime between 1857 and 1929, the rapid industrialisation of the American economy massively proletarianised workers, greatly degrading their work experience. In Europe, this proletarianisation and degradation of the work process had begun centuries earlier with the rise of capitalism, and greatly accelerated with rapid industrialisation during Veblen’s lifetime. Although Veblen addressed how capitalism, as the latest predatory society, exploited workers, he presented industrialisation of the work process as positive for workers. This article first surveys the process of proletarianisation, focussing on the American experience. It then explores Veblen’s understanding of the impact of industrialisation on workers and how he missed a far-reaching labour-degrading process that was important in provoking massive violent insurrection, and which had earlier been addressed by political economists as diverse as Adam Smith and Karl Marx. Because he failed to recognise the degradation of the work process that accompanied industrialisation, he missed its contributing role in the explosion of conspicuous consumption by Americans of all classes, the subject of his most renowned work, The Theory of the Leisure Class.

ANALYSIS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF GONDOLA CAR BODY STRUCTURES

The article is devoted to the analysis of promising directions for the development of gondola car body structures. It considers the history of the emergence of gondola cars as a separate type of railway rolling stock. The authors systemise the design of gondola cars and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various designs. The study has shown that the manufacture of the two-axle gondola cars began in the second half of the 19th century. They were designed mainly for transporting coal and iron ore, with their bodies made of wood. Further design improvement led to the appearance of four-axle gondola cars with increased load capacity. Rolled metal began to be used in body structures to improve strength. Particular attention in the article goes to analysing the results of innovative design and technological solutions intended to enhance the efficiency and reliability of body structures. The research indicates that attempts to replace steel with aluminium alloys in manufacturing bodies did not yield results. The reason is the high cost of aluminium and the labour-intensive manufacturing. A promising direction is the use of low-alloy steels 10KhSND and 10KhNDP. For many years, there has been a trend in the railcar-building industry toward producing higher-load gondola cars. It requires increasing the axle load to 25 tons. However, implementing such cars necessitates a substantial restructuring of the railway infrastructure. We consider the design features of innovative domestic gondola cars in detail. The latest technical solutions for the body frame, efficient materials, and components with improved performance have doubled the overhaul mileage. The article analyses the North American experience of gondola car construction and operation. It shows that some models of American gondola cars use longitudinal cylindrical boxes to increase the body volume and reduce the car’s centre of mass. They are on both sides of the girder beam and occupy the space between the carts. Aluminium alloys are also widely used: the frame and lower part of the body are steel, and the side and end walls are aluminium alloy. Keywords: gondola car, body, girder beam, pivot beam, side walls, hatch cover, reliability.

The African American Dementia and Aging Project (AADAPt): An Oregon-based Longitudinal Study.

The vast majority of studies on aging, cognition, and dementia focus on non-Hispanic white subjects. This paper adds to the extant literature by providing insight into the African American aging experience. Here we describe the study design and baseline characteristics of the African American Dementia and Aging Project (AADAPt) study, which is exploring aging and cognition in African American older adults in Oregon. African American older adults (n=177) participated in AADAPt, a longitudinal study that collected data on cognitive, physical, and social functioning in annual visits since 2000. AADAPt participants had risk factors for developing dementia in future, such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia, but also reported protective factors such as high social engagement. The AADAPt project offers new insights into aging in older African Americans that includes data on cognition, social engagement, and physical health, which are crucial for understanding the experience of under-represented groups and making future studies more inclusive. These findings reflect a window of time for a geographically-focused cohort, and the lessons learned from this study likely have broader implications for shaping the health of these older African American adults. Keywords: African American, Dementia, Observational Study.

Neoadjuvant Treatment of Locally Advanced Thyroid Cancer: A Preliminary Latin American Experience.

Background: Surgical resection is not always achievable in thyroid cancer patients. Neoadjuvant therapy is rarely used, but recent trends favor multikinase inhibitors or selective tyrosine kinase inhibitors. These aim to reduce tumor volume, enabling previously unfeasible surgeries. Patients and Methods: Consecutive patients with locally advanced malignant thyroid tumors who received systemic therapies with a neoadjuvant intention were included in this retrospective multicenter case series conducted in five Latin American referral centers. Primary outcomes were pre- versus postneoadjuvant response evaluations using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, feasibility of surgery, and completeness of resection. Secondary outcomes were mortality and status at the last visit. Results: Twenty-seven patients were included in this analysis. Patients with unresectable differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) or poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (PDTC) received sorafenib (n = 6) or lenvatinib (n = 12), those with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) were treated with vandetanib (n = 5) or selpercatinib (n = 1), and those with anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) harboring a BRAFV600E mutation (n = 3) received dabrafenib and trametinib. The median patient age was 66 years (range 12-82), and 52% of the patients were female. In patients with PTC and PDTC, the median reduction in the diameter of the primary tumor was 25% (range 0-100%) after a median of 6 months of treatment. Surgical intervention was performed in 10 (55%) of the patients. Among these, six patients (60%) achieved R0/R1 resection status. Six patients with MTC had a median reduction in tumor diameter of 24.5% (range 1-49) after a median treatment time of 9.5 months. Only one patient receiving selpercatinib, with a tumoral reduction of 25% could undergo surgery, resulting in an R2 resection due to extensive mediastinal extension. Three patients with ATC showed a median tumor diameter reduction of 42% (range 6.7-50) after a median treatment time of 2 months. Two patients underwent surgical intervention and achieved R1 and R2 resection, respectively. Conclusions: While neoadjuvant therapy achieved tumoral responses, surgical resection was feasible in 55% of DTC, 33% of ATC, and 16% of MTC patients, with R0/R1 resection in 26% of the cohort, underscoring the need for patient selection and further research in this area.

To all the employees who hurt me before: racial discrimination by retail employees against Asian Americans

ABSTRACT Racial discrimination by employees in the retail context is an under-researched area; this is especially true regarding the Asian American experience. Motivated by this lack of research, we explore 1) the forms of overt and subtle racial discrimination Asian Americans face in retail and 2) the behavioral responses of Asian American customers after experiencing discrimination.A transcendental phenomenological framework was used to examine one-on-one semi-structured interviews of 18 Asian American participants. The results show nine racial discrimination themes against Asian American customers: No Asians in here please, All you Asians … ,Less than, The perpetual foreigner, Carriers of the virus, Invisible, Not a target customer, Stereotyped customers, and All the same. Moreover, four behavioral response themes were derived: No action taken against the employee or retailer, No repatronage, Negative OCRs, and Direct complaint.The findings provide important implications for researchers and retailers.

Ripples Over the Rim: Narrating Dispossession through Asian Diasporic Formations in Ruth Ozeki's A Tale for the Time Being

Abstract: This article examines the condition of dispossession as a multi-scalar phenomenon by tracing historical continuities between different forms of transpacific displacement to contemplate how Asian American critique can offer the tools to render deterritorialized identities legible as political entities. Using Ruth Ozeki's A Tale for The Time Being , the article illustrates how Asian North American exclusions serve as a heuristic to interpret environmental displacements post-Fukushima as imperial dispossessions that are related and complementary. In showing how Ozeki expends the category of dispossession by politicizing the spaces of alterity, her text reveals the radical promises of planetary interconnectedness. Reading the rōnin , the unwelcome and ostracized subject of modernity, as the emblematic figure of the outsider allows me to present their social alienation alongside Asian North American experiences of dispossessions. In narrating experiences of social and political dispossession alongside environmental displacements, Ozeki expands the category of the rōnin from one of social to ecological dispossession. As such, the figure of rōnin foregrounds the ways in which these experiences of dispossession are interrelated, interlinked, and interwoven. This inextricability in turn allows for a different articulation of dispossession, one not grounded in a singular place but distributed across a series of sites and scales. I name this methodology of tracing Asian dispossessions across planetary geographies as "trash-nationalism."