If you look beneath the rhetoric of many of our deepest political and cultural disagreements, what is often at issue is a simple question: what does it mean to be an American citizen? In a provocative one-man performance, former Clinton White House speechwriter Eric Liu, author of The Gardens ofDemocracy and The Accidental Asian, takes us on the journeys of five Americans who took unexpected paths to reach new understandings of what it means to be a citizen. Weaving together autobiography, reporting, and conversations with ordinary Americans, Liu tells stories and inhabits roles to explore all the conundrums and paradoxes of being part of Club America. He also reflects on the path his parents took in the 1950s from Taiwan to New York City. Should everyone, even the native-born, have to earn citizenship rather than just be given it? Who are we, and what do we owe one another, and who gets to be American and who does not?
About Zócalo Public Square:
Zócalo Public Square is a not-for-profit daily Ideas Exchange that blends digital humanities journalism and live events. We foster healthier, more cohesive communities by tackling important contemporary questions in an accessible, non-partisan, and broad-minded spirit.
Admission:
Free, reservations recommended at http://www.zocalopublicsquare.org. Open to the public. Free beer and wine reception follows the discussion.
When:
Wednesday, November 28, 2012, 7:30 PM
Where:
The Actors’ Gang
9070 Venice Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
Media/Event Contact:
Jennifer Y. Lee
213-381-2541 x 203
[email protected]