New Errands: The Undergraduate Journal of American Studies
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A Tale of Two Food Blogs: Culinary Tourism in Hong Kong from a Chinese-American Perspective
Full text linkImagine you are about to go on a vacation. How will you build your itinerary? Depending on your time, money, and interest, you may choose anything from theme parks, national parks, museums, cruises, skiing, just to name a few. If you have an opportunity to travel abroad, chances are that you will treat your taste buds with international cuisines. In fact, when you travel across America or simply enjoy a night out in your neighborhood, you may dine at an ethic restaurant. By consuming food from another culture, you participate in a booming industry known as culinary tourism. Folklorist Lucy Long coined the term "culinary tourism" in 1998 and defined it as "the intentional, exploratory participation in the foodways of another culture – participation including the consumption, preparation, and presentation of a food item, cuisine, meal system, or eating style considered to belong to a culinary system not one\u27s own" (Chrzan 40; Long 21). According to the International Culinary Tourism Association, among tourists of different ages, sexes, and ethnic groups, dining is one of their favorite activities wherever they travel because it is an interactive way to explore local food and understand local people (Kivela and Crotts 360). It can even enhance the authenticity of their visits (Okumus et al. 257).Please note: A chage was made to correct an error in the caption in figure 5 of this article after initial publication (10/6/17). A Tale of Two Food Blogs: Culinary Tourism in Hong Kong from a Chinese American Perspective by Rosemary K. Yee is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licens
Politically Motivated Readings of the Declaration of Independence
Full text linkThe Declaration of Independence is arguably the most important document in American politics. It is recognized by many as the founding document of the United States and lauded for continuing to have ideological significance in modern politics. However, there are others who would argue that the Declaration of Independence is certainly an important historical document, yet deserves to remain a part of history and has no bearing on modern politics, the future of American politics or continuing political ideology. Regardless of the opinions held, the Declaration of Independence undoubtedly is being used in modern politics by both conservative and liberal political thinkers as a means to justify political platforms. Interpreting Independence: Rewriting America through Readings of the Declaration of Independence (Chapter 3 - Natural Law & Conservative Declarationism) by Jessica Brand is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Licens
Front Matter
No full textThe Eastern American Studies Association and the American Studies Program at Penn State Harrisburg are pleased to present the Fall 2019 issue of New Errands, an online journal that publishes exemplary American Studies work by undergraduate students
Women’s Shakespeare Clubs: Fandom in Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century America
Full text linkIn 1929, a member of the Hathaway Shakespeare Club of Philadelphia explained that what drew her and her fellow club members together to discuss and analyze the works of the Bard each week was “the strong bond of fellowship due to our common literary interest and singleness of purpose.” In her 2000 book, Enterprising Women: Television Fandom and the Creation of Popular Myth, Camille Bacon- Smith detailed the purpose of ‘fandom’ communities, noting “the clubs in fandom are run by the fans, for the love of the source products— the books, comics, television and movie series around which fans rally— and for the community.” These two women are connected by more than just their “common literary interest” and their “love of the source products.” The structures upon which modern fan communities stand and the products they put forth are also found in the women’s Shakespeare clubs of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and the comradery of spirit and foundations of female community women found in Shakespeare clubs continued into the female fan communities of television shows like The X-Files and Star Trek. This essay examines the correlations between these two groups of women, using case studies pulled from newsletters such as the Shakespeare Association Bulletin and Shakespeariana, as well as internet fan sites and blogs. It shows how women have utilized and continue to utilize specific touchstones in popular culture as a means of forming community, especially in areas where they have been intellectually barred
Everyone Deserves College: Success with Inclusive Post-Secondary Education
Full text linkIntellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are defined by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development as, “disorders that are usually present at birth and that negatively affect the trajectory of the individual’s physical, intellectual, and/or emotional development.”1 Individuals with IDD face difficulties such as social exclusion, physical limitations, and lack of opportunities because of their disorders and because the systems currently in place are unprepared to respond to individual needs. One of the largest disparities for those with IDD is accessing the workplace, as “85% of families reported that their adult family members with IDD were not employed.”2 Of those who are employed, there is current legislation that allows individuals with IDD to be paid subminimum wages if their work is not to the standard of an employee without a disability.3 With these indicators present, the obtainability of competitive employment for individuals with IDD appears to be near impossible
A Brief Analysis of the Influence of Conspiracy Thought on American Politics
Full text linkThe American conspiracy theory is a time-honored classic form of anti-establishment thought. It’s become a rite of passage for young people to learn of jet fuel on steel beams or extraterrestrials caged in Nevada. These theories appear to be a form of contemporary legend, making use of the fact that, within a post-truth framework, little is needed for a claim to be substantiated. Truth claims rooted within conspiracy thought have appeared to drill into modern political discourse, particularly within the alt-right. By understanding and critiquing the nature of conspiracy thought and its link to political claims, it becomes possible to uncouple conspiracy from effective political action, therefore reducing its impact
"It is here the romance of my life began": The Construction of Frontier Mascuinity in LateNineteenth and EarlyTwentieth Century America
Full text link"It is here the romance of my life began," wrote Theodore Roosevelt in reference to the American West (qtd. in Jenkinson 5)[1]. The West certainly has held a special place in American history, especially for men. As the nineteenth century transitioned into the twentieth century, a variety of historical developments, including industrialization, immigration, and the close of the frontier, all contributed to a sense of anxiety felt by many white, American men about their manhood. As such, this period, specifically 1880 to 1910, serves as a useful place to investigate frontier masculinity. I argue that a series of lionized cultural products—including a promotional poster for Buffalo Bill\u27s Wild West Show, a bronze sculpture by Frederic Remington, and a political speech given by Theodore Roosevelt—all conveyed a popular portrayal of the ideal, white American frontiersman [2]. This ideal representation was defined by a man\u27s horsemanship, his shooting ability, and his toilsome, yet fulfilling labor. However, other expressions of masculinity existed on the frontier. From Theodore Roosevelt\u27s journal recordings, Henry Flipper\u27s accomplishments as a black frontiersman, and Owen Wister\u27s homoerotic references in The Virginian, I construct a counterarchive that challenges the dominant portrayal of the ideal frontiersman [3]
Archaeology and Cultural Lineage in Of One Blood
Full text linkThe racial commentary in Pauline Hopkins\u27 Of One Blood; or, The Hidden Self (1903) is initially explicit: as she proclaims in the title, all races are "Of One Blood," the product of a shared history. In reality, however, Hopkins presents a far more nuanced argument about the nature of race and knowledge. Several of Hopkins\u27 characters explore this issue by embarking on an archeological expedition to Ethiopia that mirrors a practice of expedition common among certain Americans at the time of the novel\u27s publication. This expedition is interesting because of its historical and textual contextualization within a transition in the field of archaeology from an atmosphere of amateur antiquarianism to one of scientific professionalism. This positioning allows Hopkins to question the modes of knowledge that both techniques represent. In so doing, she displays what is invisible to Western ways of knowledge by exploring an Africanist approach to thought. The nature and results of the archeological expedition to Africa in Of One Blood suggest that the inclusion of African Americans in historically white intellectual spheres was inadequate without the recognition and respect of a unique African American mode of knowledge. Hopkins\u27s claim that humanity is "of one blood" (193) is not an argument for a desegregated western academia but for the inclusion and recognition of African American cultural lineage