Carly Ficke- CAPS #2

We sit in classrooms, noses in books, eyes on teachers, ears ready to listen, and minds ready to absorb. However, our view and education regarding "History", as a one-hour slot in our academic days, is so lacking in the complex understanding of the many histories that have contributed to the grand narrative of life. It leaves one wondering if we are only getting one person's take on certain events. Is this how it really was? Whose stories are being left out? Should we believe one person's narrative? The truth is, that the big picture of even a singular event, is so vast, so specific, and so personal to the ones effected by it, that is it extremely hard to include it all. However, it is necessary to recognize that their are many histories (cultural, familial, racial, national, etc) that play into humanity's course of events.

When a treaty between the United States and Austria-Hungary was struck in the 1860s, a mass immigration of europeans (especially the Czech people) began and would continue throughout the century. However, the "American dream" was not an easy road. Czech people especially worked in hard manual labor jobs, were unfairly paid, and were ridiculed for their unfamiliarity with the English Language.

Moreover, the Czech people struggled with their own cultural identity and whether or not to take pride in their roots or to assimilate to an "american" life (e.g. changing last name is disguise descent, abandoning the Czech language....(hidden histories)). However, the Czech culture still held on and is still and active way of life in many Czech-Americans (especially in Nebraska). In the Czech cultural video below, a Czech woman says "the smaller the country, the bigger the national pride". Starting at 2:00, there is a brief overview of their and cultural history.

In school, I might have learned in a text book, of the World Wars and a brief explanation of the European immigration to the US. However, this view is narrow and does not explain all the histories surrounding the event. By studying the narratives, music, hearing the stories of Czech-American immigrants, and studying prominent Czech figures and peoples, we can expand our communicative view to include hidden histories, religious histories, and cultural histories. A broader view is needed to become more educated in this prominent event, and therefore any historical event in the grand narrative of the world.