ROHNERT PARK - The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has chosen Sonoma State University Professor Jeffrey McIllwain to attend their summer institute entitled "Ethnicity, American Identity, and Cultural Transformation in Twentieth-Century America: The Case of New York." It will be held at Barnard College, Columbia University for 6 weeks this summer.
McIllwain was selected for his scholarly interest in the history of the American underworld. Specifically, he will provide insight on the role of the underworld in shaping American identity and cultural transformation. "The more one researches the history of the underworld," McIllwain explained, "the more one appreciates how blurred the distinction is between it and the upperworld in many areas of American life." For example, McIllwain points to the role of organized criminals in defining jazz culture, labor relations, political corruption, and the provision of illegal goods and services like gambling and prostitution to the public.
"In addition to substantive contributions like these," McIllwain added, "the underworld and the gangster image have inspired a century's worth of literature and film, further shaping the public's perceptions of American identity and many ethnic cultures."
McIllwain will also contribute his expertise on the Chinese-American experience to the seminar. He gained his background over five years of research and publication on the history and development of Chinese organized crime in the United States.
The seminar also provides McIllwain the opportunity to conduct research related to seminar topics. "I especially look forward to continuing my research on Chinese immigrant and opium smuggling syndicates in New York City and how these syndicates influenced the Chinese-American experience in that great city," he stated.
"This NEH seminar will allow me to gain valuable insights in literature, art, architecture, and ethnic studies from my fellow seminar participants. I can then apply the many lessons that I will learn to my classroom and research, thereby broadening the traditional social scientific approach currently dominating the study of crime in the United States."
