SINGING AMERICA'S ILIAD: A STUDY OF CULTURAL IDENTITY AND BELONGING THROUGH PUBLIC EVENTS OF GERMANIA HALL, TROY, NY, 1889-1918.
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Date
2023-01-01
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Language, Literacy & Culture
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Language Literacy and Culture
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Distribution Rights granted to UMBC by the author.
Distribution Rights granted to UMBC by the author.
Abstract
Ethnic halls have been understudied in the history of American culture and society. Singing America's Iliad: A Study of Cultural Identity and Belonging studies the Troy German Hall Association and its associated Germania Hall in Troy, NY from 1889-1918. Records show that Germania Hall was a significant and active third space, an anchor institution between work and home for those in the German Deutschtum in Troy. The Deutschtum of Germania Hall consistently and purposefully presented artistic expression in public events to create and maintain a cohesive German-speaking community; celebrate and deepen their shared culture and connection; and advocate for themselves through the arts and events in Troy and society at large. The community established its Hall using accepted legal and cultural norms and, from that home, built state and national alliances with other German Americans. The Deutschtum was deeply engaged in Troy and sought a place where they belonged in America, even as they celebrated their culture of origin. As their German-American hyphenated identity became conflated with disloyalty before World War I, they had to demonstrate their loyalty to America, ultimately having to publicly and performatively cast out their dual identity claims to become 100% American. Culture is constantly in motion, and cultural identity is constantly negotiated in particular times and places. This portion of the American Iliad tells us that even an ethnic group with deep roots in the country can become unsafe by embracing and publicly celebrating their culture. With this reality we see again the complications of ethnic identities when confronting the construction and continual reconstruction of an exclusive American identity by the dominant White culture.