Lewis Lapham Time Lines Analysis

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His Story, My View “What is going on?” “You are being interrogated for the murder of...” “This is ridiculous!” “I didn't kill anyone. I’m on vacation.” “We think otherwise.” “I promise. I’m an American. You can check my passport.” “We believe it could be fake.” “It’s not!” “Prove it, ‘Miss America’!” How to prove this? Perhaps she could list a few historical facts or sing the national anthem. Based on his essay, “Time Lines” Lewis Lapham would probably advise stating historical facts. However, many young Americans would struggle to do so. This is because our culture has changed. My generation is more concerned with global not national identity. Therefore Lapham presents an irrelevant argument by claiming American…show more content…
This is because people all over the world are classified by these things, not just Americans. Sometimes these classifications are implicitly or explicitly expressed in hopes of avoiding discrimination. For instance, my mom only goes to gay men to get her makeup done. This is because like many Americans she believes that gay men are great cosmetologists. Next social class is implicitly identified. This is evident when the wealthy feel superior to the poor, or even with your American express card color. In other words, if Maria the housecleaner went into Louis Vuitton to shop, she’d probably get terrible customer service compared to Rihanna. So because we treat each other differently based on these classifications, it is evident that American history isn't truly our identity. Furthermore, I disagree with Lapham about the importance of knowing American history in detail to be a good American. In fact, to me knowing about your family’s history in America makes up as a bare minimum . This would include having a sense of why your family is in America, and how your culture is viewed. For example, knowing you reside in California because your ancestors came during the Gold Rush in hopes of gaining
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