Comments on Papers

Jenni: It's really exciting to see you pulling all of this together! A couple of thoughts/comments/questions. First of all, I really like the idea of "sexual purity" that you pull in when you're talking about the films--because sexual purity is a very different idea than modesty, although they all kind of fall under the same umbrella. So I'm just curious about whether you can flesh that idea out more: was it more the sexual liberty that these flappers exhibited that defined them, or was it their defiance of traditional modesty? What about in the case of the women in the ads you discuss? Secondly, what is the point that all of these films are trying to make in portraying flappers (or women who are really trying hard to be flappers) as sexually promiscuous? Are these cautionary tales? Finally, I like the chronological aspect that you play up in the section where you talk about film--I think you can strengthen it by playing up what was responsible for this change in what was acceptable to show on camera beyond the fact that films before it had pushed the envelope. Also, good use of section headers--I think that really helps to direct your paper.

Brendan: I'm really interested in how you compare "institutionalized segregation" to the more nebulous discrimination that Latinos and Mexican-Americans experienced. This brings up a broader question for me about the comparative experience of African-Americans in WWII and of Mexican Americans in WWII, as well as in their home experiences--how are the effects of institutionalized segregation different from those of simple discrimination? You talk later on about how Mexican Americans felt more comfortable in a African American units--does this reinforce the idea of Mexican Americans as a minority to be discriminated against, or does it create solidarity within minorites (or both)? Does being part of the African American experience of WWII in any way shape the way that Mexican Americans look back on their experiences? Does it make them more susceptible to the kind of institutionalized segregation African Americans experienced? Also, how does the racialized/discriminatory outlook of Americans at large affect how Mexican Americans viewed, for instance, the Japanese? Does that help integrate Mexican Americans more to the "American" experience of WWII? Finally, what did these soldiers experience in terms of discrimination/racism while abroad (ie from Europeans, from Asians, etc)?