I needed to take an Arts & Humanities course to graduate so I signed up for a 100 level American Studies course entitled “What is America?”. After a month of the class, I hate it. It’s not interesting or stimulating, and worst of all most of the course is just an opportunity for the teacher to further their own personal agenda. It’s not even a third (1/3) of the way through the semester and we are already having a midterm. The midterm is on one (1) of the five (5) books we’re covering this semester. That means that 40% of my final grade is dependent upon my comprehension of my teacher’s PhD thesis. What could be so compelling that answers what is America? Japanese American Internment.

Yes, it wasn’t cool. It was bad. It should have never happened. Everyone said they were sorry and the US government paid over a billion dollars in reparations to surviving internees and their heirs.

That doesn’t mean it defines America (or even 40% of America). Honestly, all things considered, it wasn’t the worst thing happening to a group of people in the 1940s. Ever heard of the Holocaust? Even for America, it wasn’t the worst treatment to a group of people. Anyone remember slavery? I’m pretty sure they’re still waiting on their reparations if they haven’t given up completely.

If my grandparents were internment victims like my teacher’s were, I might be out there trying to educate people about something that gets overlooked when studying WWII. I wouldn’t spend 15 years on a PhD and then shove it in the faces of a bunch of college kids whose grandparents and great-grandparents were overseas dying for the war instead of being relocated. If my teacher knew anything about America, they’d write a book or make a documentary, win some awards, put some money in her pocket. This is the “land of opportunity” not the “land of oppression”.

The remaining four books that the final will be over are more of the same faults of America that you don’t need a college course to know. Racism is still alive, the poor get poorer while the rich get richer, fast food has made Americans lazy and obese, and when all else fails you can run away from your problems with no consequences.

I’m sorry for anyone who majors in American Studies and has this as their introduction to the department. I’m sorry if I sound inconsiderate towards my teacher’s efforts and those affected by Japanese American interment. I’m not sorry for wanting to actually learn something and still being proud to be an American and live in America.