American History

In “American History,” Cofer tells a story that is very distinct in its setting—Paterson, New Jersey in the early 1960s. She depicts the flux in the town’s population, which occurred in communities throughout the Northeast, Midwest, and Pacific Coast in the 20 years after the Second World War. Around this time, populations—particularly from the South and the Caribbean—migrated to industrialized cities, where they took advantage of job opportunities and established new communities. These communities, usually comprised of people of color, often settled in neighborhoods formerly populated by white immigrants. The latter groups enjoyed greater prosperity, ultimately allowing them to leave crowded cities like Paterson for larger homes in neighboring suburbs—a distant dream for Elena’s parents. In this regard, Cofer’s depiction of Paterson becomes a microcosm of communities throughout the United States experiencing rapid demographic, economic, and political shifts. As the story’s title suggests, its events reflect American history writ large.

This is clearest in Cofer’s depiction of the tensions that exist between racial groups in Paterson and the ways that underlying animosities manifest: Mr. DePalma calling his students “idiots” and “losers”; Gail mocking and stereotyping Elena’s supposed diet; and, most jarringly, Eugene’s mother’s cruel rejection of Elena. Despite the disparities in income, race, ethnic background, and regional affiliation, Paterson’s residents all feel the fallout from the tragic assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The mourning is most palpable among the adults, who better understand the event’s gravity, but, as Eugene’s mother’s behavior illustrates, the moment never becomes the catalyst for social unity that it could have been. Elena’s mother, Eugene’s mother, and Mr. DePalma all grieve in private and distinct ways, retreating into their respective corners of the city for solace.

Cofer’s depiction of the broader community coincides with examinations of residents’ private lives, implying that these too constitute “history. Elena’s understanding of romantic love comes less from her parents than from her observations of an old Jewish couple that had previously lived in Eugene’s home. Elena remarks on the couple’s routines—how the wife “fixed the meals” and the husband “read his newspapers” (20). She notes that a gulf would open up between them after arguments, but that they continued looking after each other during periods of sickness until the old man died in June; his wife then sold the house and moved in with a woman who was presumably her daughter.

In contrast, Elena doesn’t witness conversations between Eugene’s parents. On weekends, they each sit “hidden behind a section of the newspaper” (20), and Eugene’s father is gone for most of the day. Though Elena doesn’t realize it, she is learning how Americans performed gender during this period—men and women, like members of different ethnic groups, often lived in disparate worlds. The men are largely absent from the narrative, away at work for long hours or—as their habitual reading of newspapers signals—preoccupied with world events. Though Eugene’s mother works and also reads the newspaper, her occupation (a nurse) is one that has traditionally been associated with women. Eugene’s mother appears to be racist and resentful of living beside El Building, highlighting that hateful and biased people exist in all areas of society and sometimes have occupations that require them to provide care to those whom they may quietly dislike (Eugene’s mother’s employer, St. Joseph’s Hospital, is an actual healthcare facility based in Paterson).

By focusing on a specific and key moment in American history, Cofer offers the reader a detailed portrait of a diverse but socially and economically segregated community. Though Paterson did not experience the violent strife that consumed Southern towns at the time, Cofer shows that Northern cities were not immune to racism. Moreover, President Kennedy’s assassination occurred as the administration was shifting its focus from international policy toward domestic policy—particularly the development of a response to the civil rights movement. The abrupt end to Kennedy’s presidency, which embodied the promise of progress, mirrors the abrupt end of Elena’s burgeoning romance with Eugene, and both events suggest a difficult truth about the American experience: that racism, discrimination, economic inequality, and cultural biases have too often snuffed out the hope the United States claims to represent.