American Studies

Hand to Hand is William Archer’s story, the story of an outsider learning about the American political process and coming to terms with his own ‘political’ past in Britain.

The film is designed to promote respectful dialogue on this divisive topic and raises questions such as: Do mainstream Jewish institutions foster dialogue, or silence dissent? Is there a room in this conversation for a range of ideas? If not, what is lost?

The documentary tells the personal stories of the dancers at Philadanco, the Philadelphia-based African-American modern dance company, with sincere testimonials from young dancers.

Chronicles life on East Seventh Street in New York City and its transformations. Residents share their memories of what used to be an immigrant lower-class neighborhood.

This film follows the Chicano comedy trio Culture Clash on a whimsical journey in search of the mythical Aztlan—the ancient homeland of the Aztec people believed by many to be located somewhere in the southwestern United States—using a map they’ve discovered and riding in a 1952 lowrider Chevy.

Available in a 105 minute or 55 minute version, Third Party looks carefully at what motivates and inspires parties vying for a foothold in a country dominated politically by the Democrats and Republicans, and explores their strategies, their issues, and their thoughts on the obstacles they face.

Basketball star Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf caused a national stir when the NBA suspended him for refusing to stand during the national anthem because of his "Muslim conscience."

Point of Attack is a critically acclaimed, timely documentary that chronicles the post-9/11 racial profiling, large scale round-ups, detentions and mass deportations of Arab, Muslim and South Asian men as part of the government’s “War on Terrorism.”

This video chronicles the history of Wall Street, America’s financial center since 1949, exploring the last half-century of economic history through the life of Jim Maguire.

This documentary examines two migrant experiences, one from the Caribbean and one from Latin America, which comprise an important part of the Hispanic experience in New York.

New and revised. This documentary examines the current controversy over the issue of slave reparations, addressing the most often voiced objections ("It’s long over," "I had nothing to do with it," "Affirmative Action is enough," etc.) to the claim for financial restitution to the ancestors of slaves for the wealth created by black labor in previous centuries.

This video chronicles, from inception to completion, the creation of a commissioned art work, showing how one community comes together to make a vision a reality.

The major political, cultural and social issues of each year in the decade are brought vividly to life in this ten-part series.

This ten-part series examines the history of the North American Indian, exploring their social, political and economic systems, as well as their art, religion, and educational values

The powerful Loomis Gang of Central New York may have been the largest family crime syndicate in 19th-century America. In this video, documentary filmmaker Brian Peter Falk returns to Waterville, New York, his boyhood home and the epicenter of Loomis power during the Civil War era, to chronicle the gang’s legend and explore the efforts by a handful of local people to revive it.

The major political, cultural and social issues of each year in the decade are brought vividly to life in this ten-part historical series.

Examines the history and current status of the region's family and commercial farms. It begins in the pre-settlement periods of 1640 and continues up to the present day, featuring interviews with numerous local farmers who explain how an increasing number of farms are vanishing from the Long Island landscape.

Between 1840 and 1870, over 250,000 Americans traveled west by covered wagon on the Oregon Trail. Some claimed land in Oregon; others headed for California gold country. Many went enthusiastically. Others reluctantly left homes, family and friends to face hardship and an uncertain future. Actress Amy Warner vividly presents the experiences and feelings of these pioneers in her one-woman performance based on entries from diaries, letters and memoirs of pioneer women and a young girl who trekked the Oregon Trail.

This video tells the story of a controversial mural painted on a Los Angeles building in 1932 by Mexican artist David Alfaro Siqueiros.

Dr. Robert Butler, a psychiatrist and specialist in gerontology, discusses the ways in which American society compartmentalizes people into age groups and discriminates aginst its senior citizens, who often face neglect, a lack of emotional and intellectual stimulation and economic hardship.