Hans J. Massaquoi’s Destined to Witness as an Autobiographical Act of Identity Formation

Authors

  • Alexandra E. Lindhout

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5283/copas.89

Abstract

In his autobiography, Hans J. Massaquoi describes the discrimination he encountered in Nazi Germany and Liberia because of his mixed racial background. Throughout his life Massaquoi had to cope with identity crises. Through the self-therapeutic discourse in the form of his autobiography, however, Massaquoi developed his hybrid transatlantic African American and African German identity.

Author Biography

Alexandra E. Lindhout

CVAlexandra E. Lindhout studied American Studies, British Studies and Political Science at the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany. During her studies she attended the University of California, Los Angeles and the Breadloaf School of English, Middlebury College, Vermont. In 2006 she received a joint degree from the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, i.e. an M.A. degree as well as the First State Exam (1. Staatsexamen für das Lehramt an Gymnasien). Since April 2006 she has been a doctoral candidate at the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz and is currently Visiting Scholar at Columbia University, New York. In fall 2006 she will be teaching at the English Writing Program of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Her research interests include 20th century autobiographical writing, transatlantic relations, the Black Atlantic, and 20th century African American and African German/Black European literature.

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How to Cite

Lindhout, Alexandra E. “Hans J. Massaquoi’s Destined to Witness As an Autobiographical Act of Identity Formation”. Current Objectives of Postgraduate American Studies, vol. 7, Mar. 2012, doi:10.5283/copas.89.

Issue

Vol. 7 (2006)

Section

Articles

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Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal.