Exile in America: Historical and Literary Perspectives

Prof. Dr. Christine Gerhardt (American Studies)
Prof. Dr. Sabine Freitag (Modern and Contemporary History)

Course Description

Much of US-American culture has been informed by histories of immigration. The impact of these global movements on American culture and its narratives can hardly be overestimated. On the one hand, the US has long prided itself to be able to absorb people, languages, and cultures from all over the world, and the supposedly egalitarian ideals of the “Melting Pot” (or “Salad Bowl”) and the “American Dream” are inextricably linked to people’s geographical mobility across national borders. On the other hand, the imperial notion that the US was “destined” to spread from Atlantic to Pacific, and th