LITR 4332 American Minority Literature UHCL 2004 student research proposals

Using option two, I would like to peruse the exploration into the life and writings of Vine DeLoria. An Indian writer, Vine Deloria wrote "Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto". He is talented, sarcastic and employees an easy writing style that seems to be enjoyable to read. I would like to learn more about him, as an author, an Indian, and intelligent individual with a strong opinion.

For my research project, I am planning on doing the journal option (option 2). The main theme of the journal will be Objective 4 which is the minority dilemma of assimilation or resistance. I plan to cover historical events that put pressure on the Native Americans to assimilate or to resist. I want to cover the establishment of missions and their subsequent closing; the introduction of the horse, the Colt, the railroad and the changes these things brought to the Native American culture; and the creation of government schools in an effort to "Americanize" the Indian; and then perhaps end by highlighting a children's book that can be used to educate school children about the American Indian of today. I will include ideas and concepts from poems from Unsettling America and from American Indian Stories by Zitkala-Ša.

I already have material about the establishment of missions, but I will have to research the rest of the material; so I do not know what or how much information is available. Do you have some suggestions for possible sources? Also, does each topic covered in the journal have to be the same length?

My subject of interest was Shakespeare and minorities. Very broad, huh? Research quickly helped me narrow it down. First off, I have not researched on the Internet yet. I have, but only the library databases for scholarly works and the catalog for books. I have not searched Shakespeare and minorities on Google, for example. As for the library researching, I have found almost nothing on Hispanic or Native American minority stuff. It is almost all on African Americans, (and non American Africans,) pertaining to Shakespeare, primarily on Othello and Caliban. I am happy I read both Othello and The Tempest just last semester, so both works are fresh in my memory. My problem is this: what on Shakespeare and blacks? (Black could mean African American, African, or as the Moor is commonly depicted in Othello, as a dark Muslim.) I admit I have not been able to research as much as I was hoping so far, I had a major paper due in my other Lit. class. However so far I have some ideas circulating in my head. I can’t write something as mundane as the history on representing blacks in Shakespeare’s plays. One idea is to link my paper to some ideas we have been going over in class—some objective or objectives. Another thought I have is something on how as society’s perception of race has changed so has the discourse surrounding Shakespeare and Race, focusing on the portrayal of Othello and maybe Caliban. I will have to be specific on what society I am talking about. American, British/European, or both. I am just thinking that one can always come up with something new on this very old subject for the fact that its discourse is perpetually changing and evolving.

I could have kept on in one long paragraph, but you asked for two. But I will continue with what I was writing. All of Objectives 1 and 2, and 4 can be applied to Othello and/or Caliban. Maybe on how current perspectives, such as the Tabular summary of Objective 4b, affect the way we interpret Othello and its subject of race now. Of course, how who interprets it—the dominant culture or the minority culture? I’ll bet you all my money that the majority of essays written on the subject are by people of the dominant culture, with exceptions such as the book I requested an ILL on, Othello: New Essays on Black Writers. Dr. Mieszkowski, as an advice tip of the sorts, said that they (those judging my writing sample,) will be looking to see how well I incorporated the latest materials on the subject into my paper. I am happy that I found many very current books and articles. I want my thesis and research to #1, be a doable 20 pager, #2, be interesting for me, #3, be interesting for the reader. I do not want to have a 20-page writing sample on how I can regurgitate what everyone else has already said on the matter. I want my paper to have something fresh and zingy to it. (Although my boyfriend the computer science major would say there is nothing zingy or interesting about Shakespeare. However I beg to differ!) As I start reading this weekend more of the million assays I have to work with, I am sure I will come up with an exact something so I can start the paper. Which has to happen ASAP…so any suggestions would be appreciated.

I have elected to pursue for my research assignment, option two, the journal option. The overall topic of my journal will be poetry of women as a minority. I will include women of all races. Focusing less on their race at first but more on the minority of being a female.

I would like to narrow my research to that of women who write about their problems and concerns. What is in their minds that makes them angry, afraid, worried or happy. I plan to unify the poems I review by comparing and contrasting their emotions with each other and attempt to find simularities (or differences) among the women of the different races.

My Question: As I have never done research based on poetry, can you recommend sources that might start me off in the right direction? Is there some place that I might be able to be real specific in my search or am I about to embark on vast readings of many poems?

After thinking about it, I would like to compare two women characters. The two novels I would like to focus on are I know Why The Caged Bird Sings and House on Mango Street. I may even add Black Girl Lost. The issue I will explore is there are three women from different cultures, but all want the same thing out of life. All have the same determination.

The primary text I intend to work with is The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven. I plan to explore Objective 3b - Native American Indian alternative narrative: "Loss and Survival." I will also touch on objective 1c and show how the Native Americans used literary strategies to gain voice and choice.

For my research project I am planning on doing a journal, but I haven't decided exactly what to do. One of my options would be to focus on the African American Literature, especially Amiri Baraka's work. I have already read Ka BA and one of his play called the "Dutchman". I would like to find out more about his participation in his fight for the African Americans and contributions to the community through literature. I would also try to do a compare/contrast with other African American writers. I hope I learn the impact that literature has on society and find other writers who have made a great contribution.

If you think this is too focused on him, I would like to research what minority cultures have brought to our society and how its changed it. I would focus on reading books about experience. I really haven't chosen the books yet. I already know the Mexican Americans have influenced the American culture through food and celebration, but I would like to find out things that the ways African and native Americans have contributed to the American culture.

For my research project, I would like to do option two. I want to do the journal primarily on the topic of women as double minorities. I am not sure whether to center the journal around texts written only by women, or to include those texts that are written by men, but have a women as the central character. As a woman, and the mother of three girls, I have always been concerned about women’s minority status, even though they out number men in the general population by the time they reach adulthood.

By biggest dilemma is whether to include all three of the minorities we are addressing in this class, or to only include African American women. I know I am going to start with the texts Caged Bird, The Color Purple, and Possessing the Secret of Joy. I will also use some of the texts by Jacqueline Woodson. So many books address the issues of African American women and their problems as a double minority that I will probably stick to that topic. What do you think?

After much contemplation on this subject, I have decided to go with Option1, a research and analysis paper. As a topic I have chosen "Women Writers of the Harlem Renaissance." The topic is significant because it signaled tremendous changes in black culture, and encouraged creativity in artistic endeavors for blacks in many areas. The topic is of interest to me because African American history is my projected area of concentration, and I know nothing about the Harlem Renaissance (except about jazz).

For texts, I have chosen "Women of the Harlem Renaissance" by Cheryl A. Wall, "Authentic Blackness" by J. Martin Favor, "A Renaissance in Harlem" by Lionel C. Bascom, "Black Culture and The Harlem Renaissance" and "The Emergence of the Harlem Renaissance," both by Cary D. Wintz. I may also use information from "The Sleeper Wakes, Harlem Renaissance Stories by Women." Do you think this subject will be best done in essay form, or should I use Option 2 instead?

Title: The Evolution of the African American Voice
Survival of the Fittest
I will be doing a journal because of the quantity of text, but it will be in essay format.
Here is the Idea
Comparing the text of Fredrick Douglass, Beloved by Toni Morisson, Black Girl Lost by Donald Goines, Dutchman by Amiri Baraka, and Master Harold...and the Boys by Athol Fugard I can collect a wide range of the voices that evolved from the Black American experiences. Fredrick told his own story, Toni Morisson writes realistic fiction about the past, Donald Goines writes about modern day struggles of African Americans, Amiri Baraka takes a more violent political stance, and Athol Fugard, although white, writes about the struggles between blacks and whites in society at his time. All of these writers address the survival and strength that was present even in the face of apparent defeat of the African People.
Question: Can you think of any texts or any resources that will help me to develop my ideas further?

I think I would like to do option 1 the research paper. The topic that I would like to guide my paper on is the American Dream. I am not truly aware of the effect that this phrase has on the Americans of all color and gender. I think by doing this paper I will become more aware on the issues at hand. A “New Dream” has been brought to my attention and would like to compare and contrast these two in a research type setting.

I was thinking of doing a journal on the hierarchy of gods or god system of the lakota mainly, and discover if I can why the female is an important figure head in family and religion. This is interesting to me because in every Native American tribe that I know of the decendents line is through the mother's information and when a man marries someone from outside of the tribe he goes and lives with her tribe, ad their children are of the woman's tribe, almost never the husbands. So I would like to investigate this further in the journal format.

I decided to do the journal option. I want to focus on objective 3 and, in a sense, prove what the objective is teaching. I can take each part of the table (original relation to USA, relation to time and social structure) and do some research on them. I can also use the texts we have read to help prove them. I might also look at the different minority culture's narratives (3a, 3b, 3c) and write about the differences between them and why they are different.

I am going to try my hand and mind at option 2. This journal will look at the importance of education on forming an open-minded opinion about the significance of African-American literature. In this course we have covered the definition of minority and the aspects of "the Dream" and "The American Dream" ; the similarities and differences between the two.

I will be using personal experience as well as information from Caged Bird, Slave Girl, Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a Dream" , and The declaration of Independence. My secondary sources will include Amiri Baraka's Dutchman, Athol Fugard's "MASTER HAROLD" . . .and the Boys, and Off White: Readings on Race, Power, and Society edited by Michelle Fine, Lois Weiss, Linda C. Powell and L. Mun Wong.

I would like your opinion on whether this subject is too broad and if so if you have any suggestions on how to make it more concise.

For the research project, I'd like to do Option 1, the research paper. I'm interested in comparing and contrasting "loss and survival" in Native American texts and poems by Sherman Alexie and Louise Erdrich, particularly Alexie's short stories in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and Erdrich's poem, "Dear John Wayne." However, I'd like to include other poems by Erdrich and Alexie that will not be read in class but are in Unsettling America.

My interest in this topic comes from working on my poetry presentation for Erdrich's "Dear John Wayne." I'd like to learn more about Native Americans' views and attitudes towards the dominant culture. Erdrich and Alexie both use satire and symbolism to explain their culture's feelings towards the dominant culture. However, Erdrich's tone is more sarcastic while Alexie's is comical.

While I could focus on symbolism and satire to compare and contrast loss and survival in the works of these two authors, I'm not sure if that is the direction I want to take. What are some other ideas I could focus on? Also, do you have any suggestions on where to find the best research sources for my topic?

I am thinking very seriously about writing a paper, rather than the research journal. I am interested in either situation in researching contemporary African American drama. With the idea of the paper, I am namely interested in comparing and contrasting Lorraine Hansbury's A Raisin in the Sun and August Wilson's Fences. Between the two (forgive me - I don't have my Objective #s handy), I am interested in considering "The Dream" versus The American Dream, the issue of assimilation and resistance, and the role of family and community (namely in the extended families in the pieces).

This is my thought at the moment, but I must clarify one potential issue. I am in Gretchen's Modern and Contemporary Drama, where we will study Fences, but I am not writing the same paper by any means for your class and hers. If allowed, this just gives me a springboard into the assignment.

Using option 1 I would like to explore Native American Assimilation in terms of Interracial Marriage. I would like to explore this topic through both Alexie and Zitkala-Sa’s texts as well as some of the poetry readings, especially Linda Hogan’s poem “Heritage.” I have great interest in this topic and have done some previous research including White Captives: Gender and Ethnicity on the American Frontier by June Namias, Colonial Intimacies: Indian Marriage in Early New England by Sharon Block, and Indian Women as Cultural Mediators by Clara Sue Kidwell.

This topic greatly interests me because I have two great, great grandmothers who were Cherokee Indian who married white men. I have a good deal of knowledge and even a photo of one my great great grandmothers because I am fortunate to have a grandmother who can still remember her very well. I would like to employ personal interview with her in my paper. It has always been my desire to understand why these women made these choices when so many others so hotly defied assimilation. I wonder how they felt about their heritage and marriage. I have not yet read the two Native American Indian Texts but hope that I will still be able to use them to speak to this topic in relation to Obj. 2a – Women as double minorities, and Obj. 4 - the dilemma of assimilation or resistance. Because I am not familiar with the two texts we are beginning to read I wanted to know your thoughts on how to use them in this paper (maybe compare and contrast those who assimilated versus those who did not), and if it is acceptable to use the poetry selections as well? I look forward to exploring the minority experience of assimilation through this topic.

I have decided to write a research and analysis paper, option 1, using some or all of the following texts: Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, an American Slave, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and Black Girl Lost. As you have mentioned in class, African-American literature is the most significant and abundant of all of the minority genres in American Literature. I agree about the importance of these writings and want to write about Objectives 1a, 1b, 2c, 3a, and 6a as they relate to the texts. I love each of the books listed, and I believe Fredrick Douglass is one of the most eloquent writers of any literary genre.

I know this is a broad range of topics and I would appreciate your helping me to focus my research. I am not sure if I should use all of the texts or only compare and contrast Douglass with Angelou, does that sound like a wise decision to you? Those particular texts are both narratives written in first person, but written in different eras. I know the project will go well because I am very interested in the subject matter and I enjoy the texts. Please give me any and all advice you may have for my project to evolve into an A paper. Thank you.

I would like to write in the journal format to try something different. The topic I would like to write about is the Black Arts Movement (BAM). In class, we briefly touched on the idea that the Black Arts Movement is a revolutionary idea in that black is beautiful. It was a time in which people were beginning to wake up. This significant movement gave people the idea of voice. I think it’s interesting how African Americans once with all the limitations upon them can boldly rise up against the dominant forces and take a stand because it takes courage. I will generally discuss what the BAM is all about. So far I have read at least one poem by Amiri Baraka and Sonia Sanchez, two significant people involved in the BAM. I would like to provide a biography of each person, a review for a poem from each person and the strategies they employ that relate to the BAM. I also read Dutchman by Amiri Baraka, and maybe I could provide a review on this story and the strategies he uses. Perhaps I will research and discuss two important institutions during the BAM, the New Lafayette Theatre and the Black Arts Repertory Theatre/School. I would like to gain more knowledge about this movement because this is my first time to learn about it.

I was surprised and overwhelmed with all the information on the BAM that I found on Internet sites, especially http://www.umich.edu. This site is so comprehensive and provides more information than I probably need. I’m not real sure what to focus my theme on and how to connect my ideas. I feel as though I’m jumping all over the place. Is there a way to focus my journal, or is it okay to explore different areas? Are there any secondary sources from the library that you might suggest? Are there any limitations or cautions I should be aware of when writing about this (e.g. Avoid doing research on [. . .] because you might come across problems such as [. . .] )? Is/Are there any other suggestion(s) that you believe is/are important to mention? Thanks for your concern.

I would like to do my research journal on Maria Child. I want to find out more information about her and her life and why she made the decision to assist in the abolitionist movement. I also would like to learn just what kind of things she did to help abolish slavery. Giving the topic that I have proposed, does this sound like the journal approach will work better than the essay? I think my topic is too broad to stick to an essay, but I'd love to hear your feedback.

I believe that the journal in opting two would work will for the type of research I am planning. I want to learn more about the Native American Storytellers. I am hopeful that I will be able to discover more about how they became the storytellers, the importance of the tales they were entrusted with, and how their culture carries on the tradition today.

I know that I can turn to a few people in my family for a first hand experience. This is because my mother’s aunt was a Reverend on a Native American Indian Reservation, and she married a Native American originally from that reservation. I already have a list of web sites that are for a large number of Native American Tribes, authors, and artist. At this point I know the general direction I want to take but I am uncertain about the types of resources you want, can you clarify if have any specific requirements. Also, do you know of any resources that might be useful?

For my research project, I would like to do option two. Being in this class has awakened an interest in the heritage of my own people’s artistic merit and value. I would like to find the roots of our literary expression and follow it in its growth through today.

Many Ameri-Puerto Ricans find that there aren’t many literary role models to follow in their footsteps. Because of this, I myself have been discouraged from submitting my own writings for publishing. This topic is something that is for personal gain, along with a wider scope of multicultural literature growth of a specific group of minority people.

In regard to the research proposal, I am still feeling pretty conflicted. I know that I want to research Native American literature and culture, but I have no clear direction or thesis outlined at this time. I would like to know more about the literary history of Native Americans, perhaps explore the transition from oral to written culture. I am interested in writers such as Zitkala-Sa, who act as "bridge" people between cultures. I suspect Sherman Alexie fits into this catagory as well, although I haven't read much about him yet. It seems to me that the ability to communicate through literature is one way in which these people are able to bridge cultural gaps and become representatives of their native cultures. I considered taking the notion of character development and applying it to the way in which various Native Americans present themselves in their writings. Or am I really talking about voice here? I see a topic like this in the form of option 1.

I also thought it might be interesting to compare the writings of people like Zitkala-Sa to any writings or records of the people running and teaching at the boarding schools (again, option 1).

A third idea I had involved studying the Native American role during a given time period, such as the Civil War. When we learn history we tend to learn about the Native Americans "over here" so to speak. Then we learn about the progression of Anglo-European American society "over there." But obviously many events were happening simultaneously and likely impacted one another. It would be nice to gain a greater sense of continuity. This topic would probably work best as a journal paper. Perhaps this is too far removed from a literary endeavor?

I am going to do Option 1 essay. I did the Journal last time and this time I think I will have better luck with the essay. I would like to Compare and Contrast two books that we have already read. The two books are Maya Angelou's I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and Donald Goines's Black Girl Lost. I would like to compare and contrast the two girls, Maya and Sandra. What I would like to find out about these two characters is how much they are like and how much they are different. I will do research on these two characters by looking for critical reviews on these to girls. I have not done any research yet but will start this week-end. Please let me know if you get this.

For my research project, I have chosen to do Option 1-the research and analysis paper option. I'm interested in women of color as double minorities in two particular texts. One text I have chose is Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges and If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson. I am highly interested in learning how to recognize the significance of literature to our society today.

I plan on teaching grades 8-12 in English/Language Arts and would like to incorporate these texts into my classroom somehow. I would like to incorporate Maya Angelou's text, somehow, maybe by looking at how the Civil Rights Movement effected these authors through their texts.

These topics interest me for many reasons, but mostly I know through my experiences as a Substitute teacher, when the students are able to connect to the texts in some fashion, they are easily connected to the lesson plan.

Do you suggest and further emphasis on these texts or other ways to focus on such a critical period in our society? Please help me focus on a way to focus on women of color through these pieces of literature or any other that would be more significant.

I would like to explore the theme of women as a double minority in the literary selections "Caged Bird," "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl," "Black Girl Lost," and "The House on Mango Street." Some of the aspects or objectives that I am interested in are:

For my paper I would like to choose option 2. At first, I wanted to do my paper over African American inventors. I am quite aware that society owes many of its inventions to African American people, yet you hardly ever hear about them. For my first section I think I want to pick one or two inventors to focus on and briefly summarize their past and how they became an inventor. In another section I might include a book review over one of their autobiographies. I also wanted to see if there were any websites on African American inventors and review those as well. Another section that I want to do is just a quick list of African American inventors and what they invented.

One problem that I have with this topic is the question of how general or specific I should be. Should I just focus in on one or two main inventors and do a book review on one of their bibliographies? I also have a problem with the theme of the paper. What I want to discover by doing the journal is some information on some of the most influential African American inventors. Then when I do a book review over their autobiography, the theme would expand to how literature allowed the inventors to express their own experience to the outside world, and become recognized and acknowledged their literature. I also want to touch on the topic of why so many African American inventors are not properly recognized for their inventions. I want to make sure that the different sections I picked out for my journal are sufficient. Do you have any suggestions about the sections? Also, do you see any other path or information I need to cover with the theme of my paper? Would I be connecting the different sections of the paper correctly with the theme that I chose?

I cant seem to find many books by inventors, and it seems that I can really come up with a unifying theme for my topic. Instead I was thinking about doing my journal on Native Americans and the theme of loss and survival. For example, with today's reservations the Indians are suffering a great loss, but yet they try to survive in horrible conditions to keep their culture alive. I would tie this to literature by reviewing some of the books that we read. Then in another section I would want to do some research on Indian reservations, and what kind of things they offer to the Native Americans and tie that in to the idea of loss and survival. Then I wanted to do some reviews of websites about Native Americans and their culture. I also maybe wanted to discuss some different articles that I found about how the government has implemented technology into the Indian reservations to keep them update with today's world. However, isn't the whole point of reservations to keep their culture? This dilemma obviously connects to the objective of loss and survival.

For my research project I would like to do Option 2, the Journal. I would like to use the topic or theme of ‘Native American Indians and African (Americans) being the foundation or stepping stones of the American dream’. The only problem with this is I am not sure where to go or what to do to show and prove this. I would like to use the examples of slavery of both the peoples, stealing land from Indians, and the usage of these two people, and in the case of the Indians some usage of their culture, to further the American dream. It was they who did most of the hard labor that built America up to what it is today.

I have trouble choosing and coming up with topics; I have always been that way and have been through several topics before I settled, however hesitantly, on this one.

The only other topic I could think of was ‘the struggle of women throughout the founding and building of the American Dream to what it is today’. I think both would be great topics to do. I would like your opinion in this decision.

If you could give me some advice on where I could likely find good, reliable information for the research paper, in book form. I can use www.google.com to find web pages to gather information from. I am not very good at finding actual books for research. I can find just about anything on the internet but I like to use books as well.

I plan to examine spirituality or spiritual reference in text. So far, I have selected, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Attic in My Mind, and Their Eyes Were Watching God. I am hoping you might have some suggestions of different texts or poetry that would be fitting. The texts do not necessarily have to be by African American authors. In fact, I would like to span out into texts by several minority authors. I look forward to hearing your suggestions.

Update: I am considering changing my scope from spirituality to Strong Female Characters. I might even title it "Steel Magnolias." I will be using the same texts. I will be looking at strong female characters. Do you think this is a good angle or is it too broad.

As I have previously indicated to you in my mid-term I was very naive to a lot of the struggles and tragedies that African Americans have overcome in history, especially African American Women. Quite frankly the amount of persistence, strength and perseverance that I have read about in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and in Black Girl Lost Has inspired me to write about the importance of African American Women's literature using option 1. I will be integrating Objectives 1b, 2a, and 3a to illustrate the double minority that these women have had to conquer.

I chose these two texts because I can relate to both on some level being a female but at the same time, both opened my eyes to a world in which I was blind to that I think everyone should be enlightened to. The trouble or concern that I fear I may face with this topic is that it may be to broad. Do you know of a way in which I could narrow the topic to focus on a more direct subject?