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Archive: May 2021 (3 Posts)

Sweeping view from the floor of a great room, looking upwards past marble columns and arches to a grand golden-colored dome

Nahuatl Passion Plays in the Colonial Era: An Interview With Louise Burkhart

Posted by: Andrew Breiner

Louise M. Burkhart is Professor of Anthropology at the State University of New York at Albany as well as Jay I. Kislak Chair for the Study of the History and Cultures of the Early Americas at the John W. Kluge Center. Andrew Breiner: Could you start by telling me a little about your background and …

Sweeping view from the floor of a great room, looking upwards past marble columns and arches to a grand golden-colored dome

Wrestling with the Question of American Identity and Whether Consensus is Possible

Posted by: Andrew Breiner

On May 13, the John W. Kluge Center held a panel discussion on the changing interpretations of the nation’s founding principles, with the goal of illuminating a shared vision of the United States and its history for Americans across the spectrum of political beliefs. The full event is now available to view. Kluge Prize Winner …

Sweeping view from the floor of a great room, looking upwards past marble columns and arches to a grand golden-colored dome

What Makes Americans American? Why Origin Stories Require Negotiation

Posted by: Dan Turello

Origin stories are never simple, and this is as true for countries as it is for individuals, ideas, and cultures. That the term “nation-state,” which designates one of the primary building blocks of modern geopolitical order, is a compound word speaks to this complexity, and there are many reasons why scholars are unable to fully …