

Alisse Waterston, "My Father's Wars: Migration, Memory, and the Violence of a Century" (Routledge, 2024)
Feb 11, 2025
Alisse Waterston, a Presidential Scholar and Professor Emerita at John Jay College, discusses her poignant book, 'My Father's Wars.' She reflects on her father's migration across continents shaped by war, weaving personal narrative with anthropology. The conversation highlights the fusion of storytelling and introspective ethnography, exploring identity through change and the emotional complexities of family histories. Waterston also emphasizes innovative multimedia approaches to enhance ethnographic writing, illustrating how personal experiences can challenge traditional academia.
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Intro
00:00 • 2min
Navigating the Past: A Daughter's Journey
02:11 • 12min
Identity Through Change
13:50 • 6min
Exploring Intimate Ethnography
20:01 • 9min
Intertwining Narratives: Ethnography and Personal Stories
28:43 • 10min
Heritage and Identity: A Reflection on Displacement
39:02 • 16min
Exploring Narrative and Multimedia in Anthropology
55:21 • 4min
Innovating Storytelling: A Multimedia Experience
59:48 • 14min