The Nacirema

They are a North American group living in the territory between the Canadian Cree, the Yaqui and Tarahumare of Mexio, and the Carib and Arawak of the Antilles. Little is known of their origin, although tradition states that they came from the east. . . .

- H. Miner, "Body Ritual Among the Nacirema"

The tribe Dr. Thapar studied is called the Asu and is found on the American continent north of the Tarahumara of Mexico.

- Author Unknown, "The Sacred Rac"

New Literature Found!

It is the opinion of this researcher that the Nacirema and the Asu are in fact one and the same. We suspect that while ethnologists in the field may be more likely to hear the people of this society refer to themselves as Nacirema, apparently Asu is also an acceptable term of reference.

Perhaps research into the cultural or socio-linguistic weight of Asu versus Nacirema within their society may provide us with additional insights into their culture and world view.

In the interim, we ask that any researchers in possession of papers discussing the Asu please come forward, so that we might further expand our store of materials on Nacirema/Asu studies.

Contents

• Anthropological Work on the Nacirema
• College Courses on the Nacirema
• Camp Nacirema and Nacirema Operating Co.
• Nacirema in Modern Literature

Anthropological Works

• Miner, Horace (1956). "Body Ritual among the Nacirema." The American Anthropologist, 58:503-507.
  • alternate copy
  • alternate copy, with spelling errors
• Author Unknown (Date Unknown). "The Sacred Rac."
  • article text, with reading comprehension test for instructors
• Walker, W. (1970). "The Retention of Folk Linguistic Concepts and the ti ycir Caste in Contemporary Nacireman Culture." American Anthropologist
• Thompson, Neil B. (1972). "The Mysterious Fall of the Nacirema." Natural History, December 1972.
• Water, W.C. IV (1978). "Sex negativity among the Nacirema." Marriage and Family Counselor's Quarterly, 1978, 12, 35.
• Kuehl, B. P., & Newfield, N. A. (1991). "Family listeners among the Nacirema: Their curative ceremonies and how the natives view them." Family Therapy Case Studies, 6(1):55-66.
• O'Flaherty, Michael (1992). "Doing Research Among the Adinac-Nacirema," Antaeus [Graduate student journal of the Department of Anthropology] (now Vis a vis), 3, 77-79. University of Toronto.
• Philipsen, Gary (1992). "'Communication' as a Nacirema Way of Speaking." In Speaking Culturally, chapter 4. State University of New York Press, Albany.
• Frank, Scott [Prod.] (1998). "Academia: Life Off the Street." [Ethnographic Film]. University of Southern California, Department of Anthropology. (Abstract available at from Project 734, http://ctashiro.annenberg.edu/734.html)
• O'Neil, Ariel (2000). "Magical Mass Migration of the Nacerima." Aptos, California: Cabrillo College. [Also in ZIP archive format.]

• See also: Reaction Paper: A Nacireman Life Enhancement Ritual

Courses on the Nacirema

• Anthropological Perspectives on American Cultures
• The Nacirema at Alfred University, listed under American Culture Studies, Comparative Cultures, Marketing Track II (College of Business)
• Nacirema Reaction Paper assignment in "SOC 101 - Self and Society," at Creighton University
• Nacirema Anthropologists discuss undergraduate education: Anthropology Through the Looking Glass: The Anthropological Self in a Multicultural Classroom.

Cultural Artifacts

• Henrietta Houdin, Desert Storm pinup-girl at Camp Nacirema, Turkey
• Washington State Supreme Court case: Nacirema Operating Co. v. Johnson, 396 U.S. 212, 90 S. Ct. 347, 24 L. Ed. 2d 371 (1969), reh'g denied, 397 U.S. 929 (1970).
  • Stevedoring Services of America v. Eggert, 1996, includes citation of Nacirema Operating Co. v. Johnson (alternate URL)
  • Judges' Benchbook: Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, makes two references to Nacirema Operating Co. v. Johnson
• A Nacirema Guide to Trying to be Irish [Unfortunately, this content no longer appears to be available on the Web.]

Nacirema in Modern Literature

• Jabberturkey, a Nacirema children's rhyme (alternate URL) [Unfortunately, this content no longer appears to be available via the Web.]
• Ramachan Nacirema, an AD&D character (deceased)
• Two Who Forgot, in this story, a Nacirema is seen in Saigon in a dream on a train