Reflection on Caroline Frasier at Chautauqua Institution by Theresa Rabbia

Caroline Frasier gave a very in-depth lecture on Laura Engels Wilder, the author of the children series Little House on the Prairie. As I attended this lecture, I learned a ton about these beloved children’s books and how the author and her family lived quite differently than what was written in the books. Frasier shows us that Engels Wilder is a real person with a complicated life that one may not grasp from just reading the books. She lived through extremely hard times such as the Dust Bowl, The Great Depression, and WWI. Yet, her books have a positive and almost happy demeanor to them. By doing this, there is much criticism for her because it gives people the impression that she is denying her own American Identity and our wrongdoings as American people. Every book of hers ends happy, even if it did not pan out that way in her real life. Engels Wilder leaves many crucial points out of her story which almost sanitizes the history. While these are meant for children, it does make sense that she would leave many of the graphic parts out. Caroline Frasier tells us that we need to put these authors into the context of their own eras and lives and question what is and isn’t true; then, we can work on learning about and improving our identity as Americans.

Theresa Rabbia on Dr. Andrew Roth's Talk at Chautauqua Institution

Dr. Andrew Roth, past interim president of St. Bonaventure University, spoke about the shattering of the American story, which is a lecture that resonated with me greatly. Dr. Roth made the bold claim that the year of 1968 foreshadowed everything within the next 50 years up to today with the entire Trump administration. In 1968, there were numerous landmark events that occurred and Dr. Roth went on and listed multiple. These include the Vietnam War, the Space Race, Paris Peace talks, the assassination of MLK, banning of birth control, and the election of Richard Nixon to name only a few. All of the different events that occurred took a toll on the American Identity; people no longer could agree on what exactly defines America. There was a great struggle to define America, which led to the outbreak of culture wars. The pressing issues being fought over are still fought over today: abortion, gun rights, homosexuality, women’s rights, church v. state, etc. 1968 was only the start to these great debates which have escalated all the way to 2018 and will most likely continue into the future. Dr. Roth finished his lecture with a glimpse of optimism saying that we can change the America we see today if we strip it and recall the fundamentals of America. We need to go back into time and recognize what made America so special in the past and incorporate it in today’s society and then we can have a more solid American Identity.

Reflection on Stephen McBride Lecture at Chautauqua Institution by Theresa Rabbia

From the very formation of this nation, religious freedom has been a fundamental aspect of the growth and prosperity of the United States and the people who make it up. All the different denominations and religions as a whole are something that I personally think makes the American Identity so special. Dr. Spencer McBride seemed to share the same sentiments through his most recent lecture at Chautauqua. Dr. McBride brought up Western New York specifically in regard to its vast religious diversity. He traced this back all the way to the 2^nd Great Awakening in the 19^th century when there was a dramatic migration to Western New York and rates of conversion skyrocketed, this is coined as the “Burned-over district.” As young people began to migrate to Western New York and its surrounding areas their families worried about the possibility of their faith being left behind as well. Thus, many missionaries of all different denominations were sent to this area in order to remind people of their faith. As Dr. McBride covered much more information, this is something that struck me. During my stay at Chautauqua, it has become obvious to me that the people here are very diverse religiously, given all of the different denominational houses throughout the institution. However, I have never once felt unwelcomed here which to me shows that diversity makes a community stronger as well as the American Identity in a much larger picture.

Dr. Taina Caragol's Catalonia to Chautauqua: The National Portrait Gallery as an Inclusive Vessel for National Identity reaction by Theresa Rabbia

The National Portrait Gallery as an Inclusive Vessel for National Identity

The American identity is constantly shifting and being shaped by every experience Americans have encountered from the very formation of this nation.  Speaker, Dr. Taina Caragol had much to share regarding how Latinos and the Latino identity are not only under represented in the National Portrait Gallery, but also in the formation of what we call our American Identity. Dr. Caragol gave a few examples of Latinos throughout American history that are often forgotten about and not given the proper credit that they deserve. These examples include Jose Marti who documented the African diaspora and became a voice for people of color. Also, Dolores Huerta, a prominent figure in the 60s and 70s due to her dedicated activism for civil, human, and labor rights. These two people are only just a few from a vast group of Latinos who helped shape America today and who’s influence still remains strong. After listening to Dr. Caragol, I was able to get a better grasp on the concept of what the term “American Identity” truly means. Our identity as Americans is not complete without crediting people of all different cultures and races who played a large part of the evolution of America. The American Identity is a mix of all different cultures, religions, races, etc. As Tania Caragol said to conclude her lecture, “identity IS, but it also evolves, molded by our everyday.”