Tag Archives: United States

2 March 2022Teaching ToolsAmerican Indian Digital History Project, Apache, Canada, Colonalization, Contemporary Indigenous Culture, DJ Shub, Emma Stevens, Geronimo, Indigenous History, Indigenous People, Invasion of America, Leuphana, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Native American, Robby Romeo and Red Thunder, Sisters, Smithsonian National Museum, Smithsonian National Museum of American Indian, Stereotypes, Supaman, Teaching Native History, Teaching Tools, United States, Unlearning StereotypesHenrike Kattoll

Teaching Native North America: A Continuing Challenge

By Christoph Strobel

Intellectual legacies of colonization play a powerful role in shaping how mainstream U.S. and global society has come to see Native Americans. Artwork from the 19^th and 20^th centuries – such as James Earle Fraser’s sculpture, “The End of the Trail” – have helped to create the image of Native Americans on horseback as representations most associated with Indigenous populations of North America. Type “Native American” into a search engine, and you’ll likely get many historical images of Great Plains Indians. In parts of Europe as well, the perception of Native Americans has been shaped in unique ways by authors like Karl May and the later movies based on his books. Without a doubt, our students’ perceptions about Native Americans are influenced by these fantasies and representations.

5 May 2021Teaching ToolsAztlán, César Chávez, Chicana, Chicano, Cinco de Mayo, La Cultura Chicana, Leuphana, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, Mexican Americans, Mexican-American War, Mexican-U.S. Border, Mexico, Quiz, The House On Mango Street, U.S.-Mexican Border, United States, USAHenrike Kattoll

Chicana/o Quiz

By Maria Moss

In order to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, the – unfortunately not official – holiday of Mexican Americans in the United States, I’d like you to do the quiz and see how much you know about “la cultura chicana.”

Download the quiz and don’t look at the answers yet!

26 August 2020Access AmericaAlternative Facts, Approval Rates, Barack Obama, Democracy, Diplomacy, Donald Trump, Freedom of Press, Germany, Investigative Journalism, Journalism, Journalistic Excellence, Journalistic Integrity, Journalistic Transparency, Leuphana, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, Political Leaders, POTUS, President Obama, President Trump, Press, Relations, United StatesHenrike Kattoll

In a trying political climate, look not towards what divides, but what unites Germany and the U.S.: Journalistic Excellence

By Mattheus Wee

Are German-American relations in a critical state? If public opinion surveys are anything to go by, perhaps so – at least according to Germans. While Americans generally still hold on to a positive image of Germany, the same cannot be said for the way most Germans view the United States. A jointly conducted poll by the Pew Research Center and the Körber-Stiftung revealed late last year that while “three-quarters of Americans see relations with Germany as good,” nearly “two-thirds of Germans (64%) see relations as bad.” More alarmingly, the New York Magazine quotes a survey conducted by YouGov revealing that Germans view President Trump as “a greater threat to world peace than any other head of state” – a noteworthy distinction, especially in light of the existence of other controversial leaders, such as the likes of Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin.

1 July 2020Teaching ToolsCanada, Celebrations, Fireworks, Leuphana, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, National Holiday, North America, Quiz, United StatesHenrike Kattoll

How well do you know the United States and Canada? A Quiz

By Maria Moss

“Canada Border-R12-074–35A” by melissambwilkins

Now that the national holidays of both Canada (July 1) and the United States (July 4) are upon us, it’s time to check how well you, our readers, know both countries. In my seminar, “Introducing North American Studies,” I’m always pleased with how much my students know about the States and, at the same time, shocked at how little they know about Canada. Let’s see if you fare better….

Download and enjoy the quiz – and don’t look at the answers yet!

15 September 2014Access AmericaAccents, American English, Americans, Dialects, Leuphana, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, United Statesadmin

How Do Americans Really Talk?

By Grant Helle

We know that not all American English is the same: Southerners love to talk about sipping ‘coke’ while drinking a sprite; New Yorkers talk about their pie while eating at a pizzeria; and Bostonians love talking about plenty, but no one has understood them since the 1800s.

Surely these are the only three dialects in America, right?

Not quite.

Even though these dialects might not be as distinct as those of the British Isles, American English still has plenty of differences that are – as with almost every language – increasing. In fact, these variations are not always noticeable right away. An Iowan might not realize that newscasters are from somewhere else until they keep referring to ‘law-yers’ and not ‘loy-yers’.

So how do Americans really talk? In 2002, Professors Bert Vaux and Scott Golder set out to answer this question and developed a survey of over 120 questions in order to determine who pronounces what, how, and where.

But why just read about it? Take The New York Times’ dialect challenge yourself.