African Or American

Black quest for cultural identity is a heatedly-discussed topic in the academic world. But most studies on this topic in China are literature-oriented, exploring how the protagonist of a literary work traveled on the journey into him/her-self. This thesis, based on the social, historical and cultural experience of the blacks in the United States, explores black quest for cultural identity since their arriving in the New World.From the very beginning of their landing on America, the blacks were different from other immigrants. The whites were there to collect wealth and pursue dreams. However, the blacks were just the victims for the benefit of the whites. American dream turned out to be a nightmare for the blacks. 250 years of slavery deprived them not only of labor force and physical freedom, but also of cultural root and the power to stand up. The deep scars left by the slave experience had significantly handicapped American blacks. The slight hope brought by the Civil War and the Southern Reconstruction was soon crushed by Jim Crow's"separate but unequal"principle. The civil rights movement broke racial segregation and won real political and legal freedom for American blacks; however, the cultural and psychological influence of four hundred years of discrimination could not be pacified in a short time. Direct racism turned into a more indirect and subtle form of discrimination, which closed a lot of doors to opportunity and success for American blacks.So, the blacks are put into a dilemma with regard to their identity and cultural attachment. On one hand, their African cultural root was lost long ago; on the other hand, the American culture which they have served for more than 400 years cruelly rejected them. They don't know where they came from and where they are going. Sometimes, they wanted to identify with the African culture and sometimes they wanted to identify with the American culture. They painfully wrestled with this kind of"double consciousness". In this thesis, five leading black figures are chosen as representatives. Their thoughts and efforts, in many ways, represented the thoughts and efforts of the whole race.Black experience in the United States is a great satire to the so-called"American democracy". Black cultural identity dilemma cannot be solved only by the efforts of the blacks. Though racial problem is not as serious as it was in the past, total equality needs more joint efforts from both blacks and whites. Only in a free and equal country can American blacks achieve their true self.