Speaking of IDentity

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"Men can starve from a lack of self-realization as much as they can from a lack of bread." ~ Richard Wright, American Novelist "In America nobody says you have to keep the circumstances somebody else gives you." ~ Amy Tan, American Novelist "Today we all speak, if not the same tongue, the same universal language. There is no one center, and time has lost its former coherence: East and West, yesterday and tomorrow exist as a confused jumble in each one of us. Different times and different spaces are combined in a here and now that is everywhere at once." ~ Octavio Paz, Mexican Poet, Essayist "How simple a thing it seems to me that to know ourselves as we are, we must know our mothers names." ~ Alice Walker, American Novelist "I am America. I am the part you won’t recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me." ~ Muhammad Ali, Heavyweight Champion "Every man, when he gets quiet, when he becomes desperately honest with himself, is capable of uttering profound truths. We all derive from the same source. There is no mystery about the origin of things. We are all part of creation, all kings, all poets, all musicians; we have only to open up, only to discover what is already there." ~ Henry Miller, American Novelist

Speaking of I.D.entity | Project Requirements | Project Resources | Project Calendar | California State Standards

So, who are you? Or, if it’s more relevant, who do others think you are?

The way we identify ourselves connects us to the world around us. Or, in some instances, it separates us from it. Identity in America, be it cultural, ethnic, religious, gender, or any other, is what defines and binds together groups and their movements. It is the starting point for evolutionary (and revolutionary) change in our American society. Individual identity, the unique mix of influences we choose for ourself - or the one that chooses us, is what makes us us. The great mix of identities found in the United States is what makes it, for better or worse, unlike any other place in the world.

The examination of the concept of identity, both group and individual, and the role it plays in your life, is our purpose in this project. We will conduct this examination both from an academic standpoint and through personal and family reflection. As a result of this examination we will be producing a variety of outcomes, including a movie which you will write, perform and produce the music for, a history scrapbook, a family cultural memoir, and, of course, a public performance. The mental and spiritual challenges you face on this journey will allow us all to grow closer to ourselves and to the diverse world around us.

To culminate the project the DSA Class of 2012 will be hosting a public showcase and celebration in Romaine Hall during which you will be performing the spoken portion of your movies live on stage. Such a large public show certainly demands the best from you. We’ve come to expect nothing less.

The following pages contain outlines of requirements for all of the components of the project, as well as a calendar listing all important project dates. You will receive grades in English, US history, and Multimedia for this project.