Define or describe ALL THREE of the following terms or concepts, illustrating with examples from our texts and / or examples from American culture or history. "Develop" your examples.

1. "Minority," especially in terms of American ethnic groups but also in other categories or relationships. Define in terms of history and power. Which ethnic groups does this course treat as "minority groups," and why?

The term "Minority," in terms of American ethnic groups could not exist without a dominant culture, which in the case of the United States is an immigrant culture. The difference between the two is that an immigrant culture has a sort of "social contract" which is the decision to move from the old way of life to the new way of life in the quest of the "American Dream." On the contrary, a minority culture has no self determination to seek out the land of opportunity to obtain prosperity, but is forced into the dominant culture without choice. The minority group becomes then right from the start "voiceless and choiceless," which means that the minority group is put in the object’s position rather than the subject position. In terms of history, the best example of a voiceless minority is the black slave woman in Equiano’s slave narratives who had an iron muzzle to limit her speech and/or influence on the dominant culture. For the immigrant historical background it is much different, i.e. the Quakers came over to America to seek out a new way of life or the dream of religious freedom. In the case of this course, the ethnic groups that are considered to be of minority status are African Americans, Native Americans, and Mexican Americans. [NG 00]

Many minorities, such as African Americans were involuntarily forced to come to America, specifically to be slaves for whites. This course treats African Americans, Native Americans, and Mexican Americans as minorities. African Americans are known as the "definitive" minority because they are the only group to be involuntarily brought to America and had their entire culture- (including language, etc.) taken from them. All three groups have been "voiceless and choiceless", have been disconnected from their heritage in some way, have not chosen to join the dominant culture, but were forced to, and have been powerless to and over-powered by the European/white dominant culture. The Native Americans were the first people of America, but were taken over by the Europeans. A good amount of America was once Mexico’s, but they were taken over by the Europeans also. Minorities are not just defined by race or ethnicity, but can be defined by just lack of power and equality whether it is gender, sexuality, or race. [SDu 00]

In terms of American ethnic groups (in this class), minority groups include: African-American, Mexican-American, and Native American. Other minority groups can include: women, children, and homosexuals. "Minority" is a struggle between the oppressor and the oppressed. American's dominant European male oppressors gave "no choice" and "no voice" to the African people. They were forced away from a homeland of rich with tradition and language. The oppressors forced Native Americans and Mexican-Americans from their very soil and burial grounds, uprooting centuries of tradition. These minority groups still struggle in finding ways to hang on to the past and simultaneously live in the European dominated American society. [BJJ 00]

Minority- A minority can be defined in terms of race, gender, or social status. Minority groups are groups of people who have very little, if any power. For example, minority groups have been coined "voiceless and choiceless" because they don't have the power to make the important decisions that the dominant culture makes. Minority groups are those groups that have been brought to America against their will. For example, African Americans were brought to America to serve as slaves and they had no choice in the matter. This is called involuntary participation. Minority groups are very different from the dominant culture, in the fact that they have more of a connection with their past through traditions, stories, etc., and because they are more family (even extended family) oriented. Many times, it is possible to be a double minority, such as a Native-American woman. This course treats African-Americans, Mexican-Americans and Native-Americans as minorities because each of these groups fit the standard definition of a minority group, ensuring them the hardships that must be endured by the minority group and not the dominant culture. All of these examples are present in both novels. In Baby of the Family, the family tradition in the car and the parent/child voiceless and choiceless example in the "I am Real" chapter are both examples of minority concepts. In Black Girl Lost, the same parent/child situation can be seen with Sandra and her Mom, as well as the fact that Sandra had to be bad (selling drugs, etc.) because she had no other choice. These are also things associated with the minority group. Clifton's "Song at Midnight" also shows a minority trait, in that the poem is asking the brothers of the race (extended family) to ban together and love this woman as they should. [MG 00]

Assimilation has to do with losing the ways of the "old world." In the example of Black Girl Lost, Sammy’s wife wants to learn English and thus become more a part of the dominant culture. And as Sammy and his wife become more Americanized, they grow father away from the ways of the old country and begin a journey of becoming American. It is reasonable to assume that the children of Sammy and his wife would be products of the dominant culture and retain very little of the past. In contrast, the poem Ka’Ba calls for resistance to leaving the ways of the past behind; in fact, it admonishes the readers to return to the past, destroy the bonds the dominant culture has placed upon it, whether those bonds be the chains of the shackles of slavery or the links in a chain link fence that surrounds the projects in a northern city. And out of that resistance, a new creation of the black culture would be modeled on the past. [PA 00]

Assimilation is joining forces with the dominant culture and resistance is opposing the dominant cultures demands. I think of assimilation in "Baby of the Family" with Lena’s mom trying to leave behind the ways of the backwoods and resistance in the fact that she continues to go to Dr. Williams when a lot of the other folks move on to the integrated hospital and the "good Jewish doctors." Resistance is being shown in our culture with manufactures like FUBU specifically saying to the dominant culture- don’t buy our products, they are only "for us." [PKA 00]

"The American Dream" includes voluntary participation, forgetting the past or getting over it. "The Dream" involves involuntary participation, connecting to the past, and the traditional extended family. "The American Dream" works for Sandra in Black Girl Lost until she finds the dope and her boyfriend Chink (class notes). "The American Dream" works for Sandra when she is employed at the liquor store. In addition, Sandra has also forgotten or gotten over the past as far as her mother and her previous home life are concerned. "The Dream" in Baby of the Family is exemplified with the superstition of the caul when Lena is born. The meaning of the caul has been passed down through the generations. Lena’s grandmother living with the family is an example of the extended family. Additionally, the regulars at her father’s bar are extended family members in the sense that they know everything about Lena since her birth, they have watched her grow into a young girl. [Anonymous 00]

Resistance is the concept that many African American’s have toward the white dominant culture of America. This is the attempt to retain their heritage and traditions by clinging onto their past and/or ancestors. The immigrant culture usually leaves behind the old traditions and starts anew, in a few generations their heritage is lost. Minorities on the other hand tend to cling to the past due to their violent ripping apart from their cultures. There is that constant desire to reconnect to the past which was not abandoned voluntarily. The best example of resistance is when Marcus Garvey, during the 1920s of American history tried to unite the black community in the idea of "Africanism." He started a strain of separatists who rejected the white way of life, wanting to stay separate and refused to assimilate and rejected integration. [NG 00]

The major thematic funtion of "Black Girl Lost" is that of strong, often graphic resistance. Assimilation for Chink and Sandra is simply not an option. In contrast, "Baby of the Family" centers more on a constant, gentle push/pull of assimilation versus resistance. [JJ 00]

I am considered a minority and when I see the words assimilate and resist I can hear the dominant culture chanting, "prepare to assimilate resistance is futile." I also believe several members of minority groups feel the same. [AR 00]

Minorities always have the very confusing and difficult decision of deciding whether to forget about everything that has been done to them and assimilate into the dominant culture that oppressed them or to try and resist that culture and fight against them. Both choices are hard ones to make because either way you are losing some of yourself. [SDu 00]

Assimilation is when a minority joins in with the culture that has oppressed them. The are pressured to join the dominant culture and lose their old culture. Slaves had to learn English because no one spoke the same language. So the slaves had to assimilate in order to communicate with the master and even with their fellow slave members. The significance of assimilation and resistance is that every minority has the choice whether to assimilate to or resist the dominant culture. But what many minorities do is find a median between both extremes in order to keep their won culture and still adopt some of the dominant culture. Resistance is when a minority refuses or fights to not join the culture that is oppressing them. They don't accept the dominant culture and choose to stand outside of culture. Chink and Sandra choose no to join in with their dominant culture. Instead, they lead a life of dealing drugs in the bad part of town and end up suffering the consequences. [BC 00]

Assimilation and resistance are the two basic choices minorities face with regard to the their relationship with the dominant culture. The question is: Do we join or fight? Of course, no situation concerning differing cultures can be so simplified. There are always gray areas, middle ground. Frequently, members of the same minority group, indeed, the same family will be on different sides of the issue. In "Baby," Lena’s mother would be considered more in the assimilation group because of her preference for modern things and modern ways. Lena’s grandmother is closer to the resistance group because of her adherence to past ways of thinking – like that blacks have no business being on the beach. Lena herself is that gray area. She thinks of someday running her father’s place and has some modern ideas, but because of her special gift, she will always be connected to the past and the heritage she has. [JM 00]

3. Referring to course texts and to our common American culture, compare and contrast "The American Dream" of the dominant culture and "The Dream" of the African American minority.

The American Dream for the immigrant or dominant culture encompasses a social contract. This ‘contract’ places an immigrant in a land of opportunity where hard work will equal success. In addition, the immigrant story incorporates "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Therefore, an immigrant can fulfill the American Dream and become absorbed by the dominant culture, which would likely will be the case of Sammy in BGL. Alternately, the minority culture has little or no ‘voice’ in general society, thereby having an American Dream that has limitations or ‘a catch.’ When Martin Luther King refers to the "promissory note" that all Americans are entitled to, he is referring to the fact that minority groups do not enjoy the same ‘contract’ that WASP’s do. As Langston Hughes stated, the "dream" is "deferred." [SDu 00]

"The American Dream" and "The Dream"- The Declaration of Independence's preamble is a nice, compact example of the "American Dream," which is part of the dominant culture. More or less, it is the "social contract" of the dominant culture. This dream is one in which everyone is equal, people work hard, are rewarded, and everyone is happy. "The Dream," the minority version of the "American Dream," is much different. Though it stems from the "American Dream," it can be best viewed as the "American Dream" with a catch. "The Dream" is a dream of working hard, playing by the rules, catching a lucky break, and getting ahead. Again, as in Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, it is clear that the two are not the same but that "The Dream" is "deeply rooted in the American Dream." In Black Girl Lost, Sandra catches her lucky break by acquiring the drugs. Then, she is able to live her life better and closer to her dream life. Without her catch, she would still have been unhappy and living on the streets. "The Dream's" catch is needed because the "American Dream" fails to include minorities, defaulting on its "promissory note in so far as her citizens of color are concerned," as Dr. King said. Because of this, "The Dream" is simply a visionary idea that will hopefully come true "one day." [MG 00]

"The dream" of the African American has yet to come to be. Our dream is to actually have what the American dream says is available to all. The American Dream says that if one works hard, plays by the rules one is able to catch a break and move ahead in life. However, this dream has limits for the African American. The catch is that Blacks find it difficult to catch that break in dominant society. The "break" Sandra got in "Black Girl Lost" was to sell drugs. Even though it worked for a while, they got caught because it was illegal. There was no way to make the dream happen out of the ghetto for Chink and Sandra. The American Dream is for immediate individual success whereas the Dream for Blacks factors in setbacks, the need to rise again, and a quest for group dignity. [VI 00]