American Studies
SEE ME: FIVE YOUNG LATINASAmerican Studies Education Latino Studies Sociology Women's Studies Directed by Women Immigration
Five teen-aged Latinas living in San Francisco's Mission District-most of them recent
immigrants from Mexico or other Central American countries-talk frankly about their
lives, from discrimination and school , to friends and family relationships, experiences
with gang activity and violence, and plans for the future. Their comments are blended
with footage of neighborhood life and other activities to provide meaningful insights into
the everyday lives of young Hispanic women in the U.S. today.
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THE FORGOTTEN GRAVEAmerican History American Studies Sociology Women's Studies
This video tells the true story of Sarah Emma Edmonds, a 20-year-old woman who,
disguised as a man, enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War. She initially worked
as a male nurse, later disguised herself as a black soldier and a woman refugee and engaged
in espionage work behind enemy lines, and fought as a soldier in battles at Antietam and
Fredericksburg, among others.
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STRIPPED AND TEASED: TALES FROM LAS VEGAS WOMENAmerican Studies Sociology Women's Studies Directed by Women
Since its earliest days, Las Vegas has depended on women. It's a city where the female
body is more an object of commerce than anywhere else in America. This video goes
behind the Showgirls mythos to tell the true story of real women who live and work in
Las Vegas, the mothers, maids, wives, casino executives and showgirls, who struggle
against the sex-object stereotype.
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HOUSING COURTAmerican Studies Criminal & Law Sociology Urban Studies Directed by Women
Examines the operations of the Bronx Housing Court which annually mediates some
125,000 disputes between tenants and landlords, including evictions, rent strikes and
housing code violations. The film also explores the social and economic causes for the
growing problem of urban housing decay.
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SQUATTERSAmerican Studies Architecture Criminal & Law Sociology Urban Studies
Tells the stories of poor people in Philadelphia who illegally take over or `squat' in
abandoned houses in order to get places to live and to change housing policy locally and
nationally. The film focuses on a 22-year-old single mother of three small children who
becomes a leader in the national squatters movement, and includes numerous interviews
with activists, real estate developers and government officials.
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WHERE CAN I LIVE?Urban Studies Sociology Criminal & Law American Studies Architecture
Examines gentrification, a process by which an underdeveloped neighborhood is
`upgraded' by real estate speculation, with higher income individuals moving into and
improving existing properties, but also displacing many of the neighborhood's longtime
residents.
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THE HEART OF LOISAIDAUrban Studies Sociology New York City Latino Studies Criminal & Law Architecture American Studies Directed by Women
Depicts the efforts of Latino residents of New York's Lower East Side who have taken
over their own buildings abandoned by landlords. Organizing themselves into Tenants'
Associations, they undertake the repair and renovation of their decaying tenements and
provide their own services.
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HOMEAmerican Studies Architecture Criminal & Law Sociology Urban Studies
Examines the plight of `squatters' in Brooklyn, NY as they try to claim buildings
abandoned by the city and to transform them into habitable dwellings.
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BOMBING L.A.Children & Young Adult Urban Studies Sociology Criminal & Law American Studies
This video on the subculture of graffiti features interviews with numerous graffiti
'artists,' follows them on "bombing" expeditions, attends a national graffiti art
conference, and records encounters between graffiti writers and adults angry about
defacement of private and public property.
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DELIVERED VACANTUrban Studies Sociology Architecture American Studies Directed by Women
Filmmaker Nora Jacobson spent eight years documenting Hoboken's
battles over gentrification, from boom in the '80s to bust in the '90s. This epic,
dramatially engrossing documentary features a real-life cast of long-time residents, newly
arrived Yuppies, tenants' organizers, real estate developers, street people, immigrants
from around the world, and local politicians.
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PASSIN' IT ON: 25 YEARS ORGANIZING THE NORTHWEST BRONXUrban Studies Sociology New York City Latino Studies American Studies African-American Studies Directed by Women
During the Sixties and early Seventies, banks, insurance companies, the City of New
York, and many landlords drew a red-line around the Bronx and abandoned its
neighborhoods. More than 12,000 fires burned each year, 300,000 people fled, and in the
South Bronx 40% of the homes were destroyed.
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IS THIS DREAMING?Sociology Political Science Peace & Conflict American Studies
Chronicles the history of arms control and disarmament negotiations since WWII,
discusses ways in which international conflicts can be most effectively resolved, and
suggests how ordinary people can influence progress towards disarmament.
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