Shades of Gray

I had very similar feelings on the racism chapter. Anderson presents that argument in some of the boldest, broadest strokes in the whole book. For instance, when he argues that "the dreams of racism actually have their origin in ideologies of class, rather than in those of nation," he dismisses a long history of nationally sanctioned racism in times of war (Japanese internment camps, post-9/11 round-ups of Middle Eastern men, etc.). This is not to say that race and class within a nation are not bound together - in fact (and Matt points to this too), racism within a nation can play a major part in how the nation "imagines" itself. In fact, I think the census chapter supports this notion - the community is not a collective imagining, but one of a few imposed on the many. In other words, the reason it has been historically difficult for blacks, latinos, women, etc. to identify as unproblematically American is that the census, the newspaper, and other media are shaped by white dudes.

The idea deserves further exploration, though. There is, at least in our nation, a hierarchy of race/class/nationality that, for instance, makes a more feasible presidential candidate out of an African-American than, say, a Korean American. Various markings of not "white," or not male, or not middle class, position citizens in varying degrees of distance from a kind of central image of what is "American." (I know I'm generalizing and making a boatload of assumptions, but some of them were at least supported by conversations I had with my Interp class last semester). In any event, I think these gray ares are worth thinking about.

Oh and hymns of hate? How about the Marseillaise?

Aux armes, citoyens !	To arms, citizens!
Formez vos bataillons !	Form your battalions!
Marchons, marchons !	Let's march, let's march!
Qu'un sang impur	May a tainted blood
Abreuve nos sillons !	Irrigate our furrows!

And Anderson's mention of "God Save the Queen" reminded me of another anthem...

God save the queen
The fascist regime
They made you a moron
Potential H-bomb

God save the queen
She ain't no human being
There is no future
In England's dreaming

Don't be told what you want
Don't be told what you need
There's no future, no future,
No future for you

God save the queen
We mean it man
We love our queen
God saves

God save the queen
'Cause tourists are money
And our figurehead
Is not what she seems

Oh God save history
God save your mad parade