Tag: annatsomo

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Museum of the American Indian

Response 5 of 5

by Anna

National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, DC

 

The Museum of the American Indian is one among many of Washington DC’s expansive, in-depth national museums. The architecture of the building is made with reference to the natural world: the exterior is a textured brown stone, the shape is meant to look like an weather-worn formation, the entrance is east to face the sunrise. Like any Smithsonian, it is nearly impossible to take in all the available information. My focus is smaller, but nearly as integral to human life as nature itself: food. Through celebrating Indigenous food, the museum is celebrating Indigenous culture. Continue reading “Museum of the American Indian”

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the Subway System: Shaping NYC

(Reflection 4 of 5)

by Anna Tsomo

Sunny Stalter-Pace’s Underground Movements: Modern Culture on the New York City Subway is an apt representation of the subject on which it is written. Meandering, multifaceted yet somehow cohesive, the book is much like the New York City subway system. Through its well-developed perspectives, it allows readers to understand how fully the subway has influenced modern culture—not only literature, but the wider meaning of subway stories, and how they become truths. While that is the focus of the text, it also sheds light on how the subway divides and connects people.

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MCNY: Representing Activism or Acts of Omission?

(Response 2 of 5) by Anna

Museum of the City of New York

Contested Terrain: History, Museums, and the Public by James B. Gardner

 

Just like the City it represents, the Museum of the City of New York is not afraid to make bold statements or address controversial topics. The complexities of life and culture in New York City can feel overwhelming and even unintelligible, but the museum manages to present the fullness of the culture in an ordered, intentional way. This is exemplified in Activist New York, a multimedia exhibition that documents the history of activism in NYC. But does this exhibit celebrate some movements only to invalidate others?

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Food as Culture: Assimilation or Pride?

(Response 1 of 5) Introduction: Food in Multi-Ethnic Literatures

by Anna

In the introduction of Food in Multi-Ethnic Literatures, authors Fred L. Gardaphe and Wenying Xu establish the concept of “…food as a cultural sign that participates in the representations of race, ethnicity, gender, class, nationality, and exile.” (10) They note that throughout the history of the United States, food has been used as a tool to encourage and enforce assimilation, and that foods from immigrant cultures signified “ethnic inferiority.” (9) However, they also cite writers who view food as a way of expressing pride in their culture and identity.

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