Thread by @AmericanStudier

As I've done this 18 months or so of book talks for Of Thee I Sing (many traced below, w/links to videos for a lot of them!), I've focused more & more on one of my book's four categories of contested American patriotisms: mythic patriotism. Quick thread:

americanstudier.blogspot.com/p/book-talks-p…

So mythic patriotism is still a celebration of America (a la my 1st category, celebratory patriotism), but it's one that's exclusionary in two key & interconnected ways.
1) It celebrates a particular vision of US history, identity, etc., one I'd call overtly white-centered.

& 2) It defines anyone who disagrees with, critiques, challenges that particular vision of the US as not only outside that vision or narrative, but also & especially as outside of both patriotism (unpatriotic, treasonous) & the US (un/anti-American).

We saw that in last night's #WISen debate between @RonJohnsonWI & @TheOtherMandela. When asked to say something positive about Barnes, Johnson noted he has "loving parents" but added "What puzzles me is why did he turn against America?”

That's the vision of anyone who challenges the kinds of white-centered narratives of the US that Johnson espouses as un/anti-American. But as I've taught my current adult ed class on how white supremacy undermines the US ideals it claims to love, I'd add one more layer to this:

There are no American ideals more central than those of democracy, representative gov, voting & elections. Johnson & WI GOP have consistently attacked & undermined those ideals for years. & Johnson did so directly on #January6th, taking part in the alternate electors nonsense.

If anyone the #WISenateDebate can be said to have "turned against America," it's Johnson. That he attacks Barnes for doing so embodies this 3rd layer of mythic patriotism: a patriotism that celebrates white America, attacks those who don't, & undermines our ideals in every way.

For more, check out my book--which I'd love to chat about w/any & all communities, including students/classes for sure!
rowman.com/ISBN/978153814…