African Americans are considered the most important minority group contributing to American minority literature.  Minorities, those groups of people whose ancestors were forced to enter America and abide by the dominant culture’s rules, are usually separated from the dominant culture, or anyone living in America as a descendant of an immigrant culture, in appearance, language, and marriage restrictions.  Yanked out of their comfortable existence and thrown into a frightening and foreign world, African Americans adapted to their new lifestyle as well as could be expected.  They learned English in order to communicate with each other and the dominant culture, and brought with them many of Africa’s wonderful qualities, such as music.  They strived for knowledge in a world where learning was denied to them, and compared to other minority groups, African Americans have excelled to become the most productive. 

There was a time when African Americans had no voice at all.  They were denied what America’s forefathers deemed a citizen’s right in The Declaration of Independence.  The freedom of speech was stripped from them, and they had no choice in the matter.  Frederick Douglass describes in his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass a clear picture of his voiceless experience when his master at the time, Colonel Lloyd, criticizes a slave’s care taking techniques concerning his horse, Douglass explains, “To all these complaints, no matter how unjust, the slave must answer never a word” (352).  Unable to read or write or even speak without punishment, some slaves, like Douglass, resorted to sneaking around in order to steal back their voice and choice.  They used writing as a way to gain a voice.  Today’s world may not know what slavery truly was from the slave’s point of view had it not been for the perseverance of people like Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs.         

For several decades after the Civil War, unfortunately, interactions with the dominant culture are not much different for African Americans.  Maya Angelou expresses this lack of choice in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.  During her eighth grade graduation, she recalls a white politician’s version of the African American boy’s occupational choice.  “He went on to say how he had bragged that ‘one of the best basketball players at Fisk sank his first ball right here at Lafayette County Training School’” (179).  So according to the dominant culture, the boys were only given a choice of which sport they wanted to play with special emphasis on basketball.  That narrows it down quite a bit.  African American girls are not even mentioned.

In contrast to the lack of voice and choice, African American narratives always contain a spark of hope, though it is guarded.  Martin Luther King encapsulates the hope in his speech, “I Have a Dream,” in which he states his “is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream, that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed--we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”  In the speech, King accounts for stumbling blocks, but he urges African Americans not to fall, but to “rise again” in order to maintain dignity. 

Interestingly, King’s speech, written in 1968, was created after the slave narratives and after Angelou’s Caged Bird, yet these narratives seem to hold his speech as a main theme throughout.  For instance, when planning his escape, Douglass thinks about his situation.  “I am not the only slave in the world.  Why should I fret?  I can bear as much as any of them…It may be that my misery in slavery will only increase my happiness when I get free.  There is a better day coming” (389).  There is group identification because he recognizes the he is not the only slave.  Slavery is a temporary setback that he will trudge through, and when it is over, he will rise up and be much more contented. 

When she finally gains her freedom, Harriet Jacobs expresses her hope for an even better life.  “The dream of my life is not yet realized.  I do not sit with my children in a home of my own…I wish it for my children’s sake far more than for my own” (664).  She is free, but there are still disappointments, like her lack of a home.  She will continue to hope for that home for her children and perhaps she will succeed. 

Maya Angelou’s graduation scene in Caged Bird symbolizes King’s speech from start to finish.  When the chapter opens, there is the hope of a momentous occasion for the entire black community.  For this group of people graduating means those students have a world of choices open to them.  A white politician looking for votes lynches their celebrations, but only for a moment because soon their spirits are up again.  “We were on top again.  As always, again.  We survived” (184).

            American immigrant narratives often express a dream, too.  The hero arrives on a dock with a smile on his face and a promising glimmer in his eye.  He knows he has made the right “choice” in leaving his homeland to come to the land of milk and honey and make his way in the world.  As seen in Anzia Yezierska’s 1925 novel, Bread Givers, Max’s dream becomes a reality the moment he steps off the boat, and the social contract between Max and America is in effect. 

The African American slave narrative, however, shows a completely different side.  They arrive in the land of milk and honey only to find out they are the ones milking the cows and fighting off the bees.

Demanding their equality, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, African Americans are proving to the dominant culture that nothing can keep them down.  They have risen from slavery and use their pens to connect to the past in order to help themselves heal and to hold America accountable for their part of the contract.  From the Civil War to civil rights, African Americans have time and again featured in American history, acquiring them a steadily increasing voice in mainstream American culture. [JJ]

            The American dream as it relates to the dominant culture, immigrants, and minorities is an intricate ideal that has embedded itself in the American DNA. Differentiating the American dream from the dream creates a semantically complicated discussion that distracts from the greater question: why do different groups possess such diverse interpretations on the definition of the dream? The value in analyzing the definition and effect of dreams to the collective psyche of a group of people is more essential than defining the dream from the American ream separately. Upon close examination of the nature of the dream through a historical perspective, differences emerge between the experiences of minorities and immigrants, as well as in the dominant group.

            When Max ran away in Bread Givers and made his way to America as an immigrant, he got a job, earned his first dollar, and immediately felt the “riches of all America in [his] hand.” Once Max started making money, his dream of making a new life for himself in America came true—his land of opportunity became his home. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick also earned his keep under the employment of Mr. Price (in fact, Frederick’s daily wage was nearly identical to Max’s). But Frederick was an involuntary participant in the system, and thus had insufficient justification to be happy with a dollar a day—he knew he was worth ten. He also knew that the only reason he gave Master Hugh a single penny was because his master “had the power to compel [him] to give it up.” Frederick knew that he would own no man if he was free. As described in Objective 1, the relationship Frederick and Max had with the dominant culture was the biggest factor in the creation of a dream. Max and Frederick both worked and they both had dreams of working, making a living, and being self sufficient. Yet there is a clear distinction between the two men and the groups whom they represent: the sky was the limit for Max the immigrant, while Frederick the slave dare not venture past the tip of his master’s whip.

            This distinction is essential in understanding how the dream for African Americans differs from the immigrant and the dominant dream. Max is actively pursuing a better life in Bread Givers and mentions how he “wanted to make [his] own way in the world.” As for Dr. Martin Luther King, although his actions as a civil rights leader (the likes of which the world has never seen) clearly show his active pursuit of a better life for himself and for future generations, he possesses a cautious optimism. His caution is borne of a dream that America will some day no longer be an oppressive force bent on extinguishing the ambitions of her black citizens. This history of oppression and exploitation is entrenched in the collective dreams of the Black community. A lineage traced to involuntary participation taints the African American dream with a much more realistic outlook in comparison to the egalitarian ethic that is seen in immigrant literature. TNK, in the 2004 midterm essay describes the dream as a “series of choices.” But African slaves were given no choice, and for generations the Black community has had to create a dream that fit in a world where many choices were unavailable. The past was shattered for slaves who were given no choice, while the past was irrelevant to the future-oriented immigrant desperately trying to assimilate.

            The themes found in Bread Givers and Narrative represent the salient characteristics of immigrant and minority literature, respectively. To gain a better understanding of the struggles these groups faced and wrote about, one must analyze the dominant culture’s writings. A document that captures the mentality of the dominant group while simultaneously displaying a literary flair is the Declaration of Independence. The elite white men (three inseparable descriptors) who created the framework for a new nation were immigrants themselves. In fact, the eight of the first nine US presidents were born British subjects. These men were immigrants by definition—they became Americans by declaration.

            The Declaration of Independence alludes to social contract theory by stating that governments derive their “just powers from the consent of the governed.” Jefferson and his cohorts laid claim to their legitimate power and authority in the Declaration, and subsequently defined who was fit to be governed (Native Americans need not apply, while blacks were relegated to fractional importance). The Declaration cemented the dream of the dominant culture: the unalienable rights to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” This became its own definition of the dream according to the dominant culture. The document also provided elite white men with justification for the usurpation of the Native Americans and the exploitation of the Africans brought to the continent. Understanding the historical significance of the Declaration is essential in recognizing the differences among the dreams of the dominant culture, immigrants, and minorities. The new nation, built with the hands of immigrants and on the backs of blacks became the breeding ground for dreams of all types. . .  . [JC]

            A dream is something your heart and mind desires.  The American dream was sought after by a people looking for freedom of choice and the ability to desire and attain.  These individuals were the first settlers in America and their actions and survival helped to create the American dream for themselves and other immigrants.  Many immigrants long ago, though they may not have desired the journey to America, desired the opportunity to come to America and live their individual dream.  Many Americans today desire to live a comfortable life and be successful; whatever a person sets their mind on is what they are capable of achieving. 

However, the question is:  Who wants the American dream?  This type of dream is associated with a choice and choice is something the dominant American culture and larger European, Asian, or Latin American minority groups had access to.  The immigrant minority such as the African Americans and Native Americans were not afforded the same opportunities of choice and were soon living not a dream but a nightmare.

In order to better understand, one might break up the ideas associated with the dream into various sections.  To approach these topics systematically, the American dream will be discussed:  as written in the Declaration of Independence by our founding fathers, as it is viewed by immigrants in their narratives, and as African or Native Americans view the dream – a minority experience.

Let us first take the Declaration of Independence as it states “That these United Colonies are, and of Right, out to be Free and Independent states…”.  The original American dream is to be free from outside rule and of oppression and to live as free and equal men. But is this American dream for everyone?  The answer is obviously no.  This type of freedom is predominantly for the dominant culture.  Americans have long geared themselves towards individual improvement leading to the development of small nuclear families and less extended families.  Myself and my family are doing wonderful, might be a statement made by an American man about his wife and children.  This would not include extended family.  The loss of group unity is due largely impart to the aspect of the American dream that deals primarily with immediate individual success as opposed to group unity.  This mind set was extremely detrimental to African Americans as the American dream eventually would turn to them to help attain that dream through slavery.  The finalization is that the American dream is a wonderful thing but does everyone have access to the same dream?

To elaborate, let us refer back to choice, in the text of Bread Givers, it is stated, “I snatched up a shovel from the stack and dug into the snow. At the end of that day, when I was paid a dollar, I felt the riches of all America in my hand”.  Even still as an immigrant of the dominant culture there was an opportunity to have your own dream.  It was a significantly smaller dream, but nonetheless they had a choice.  It seems as though with the immigrant narrative, that the dream is being lived; that is to say, they haven’t quite attained it and they are not quite sure what the actual boundaries are but they are living it.

In contrast to the dominant culture immigrants we have the African and Native American minorities operating on an entirely different plane.  These individuals are not given a choice nor are they involved in any type of social contract.  That is to say, that they have not voluntarily consented to anything.  The African slaves were brought to America by force and the Native Americans were already here and in essence were raped of their pride and dignity. 

Concentrating primarily on the African American slaves, let us look at one example of Frederick Douglass.  In his narrative, it states in regards to his age, “I was not allowed to make any inquiries of my master concerning it” (339).  The slave was robbed of every right, including knowledge of his own being.  If a slave had no right to his own identity then no choice existed, for the any choice a slave thought he made was only allowed by his master and not for himself.  A slave was the creator of his master’s dream.  Because of this rape, it seems that The Dream of the African American slave came alive.  It drove them to bond together in search of their beginnings and hope for a better future as a group.  In essence, their loss of individuality led them to their group identity which is often associated with The Dream.

Ritie expresses in I know why the caged bird sings, “It was awful to be Negro and have no control over my life…We should all be dead”.  It is this realization that still points to group identity as Ritie realizes that it is not just here that is bound but all Negroes.  Unfortunately it is shown in this instance in negative terms but let us continue The Dream in a more positive aspect through the words of Martin Luther King.

Though Dr. King realizes the great injustices being done, he chooses to lift up a torn down society.  He focuses on the past dreams of others like himself to help propel The Dream.  In his Dream speech, Dr. King states, “And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.  We cannot turn back”.  This statement demonstrates the unity of the African Americans and their desire for forward progression.  They have on a level chosen to stay together, to accept their past and move forward towards their goal.  Their final goal will be to achieve the American Dream. 

However, in order to achieve such a dream they must first achieve the same equality that the dominant culture has access to.  Dr. King suggests a hope for integrating together the dominant culture and the minority culture (AR).  In retrospect, the ability to call a dream your own is determined by the situations you have been placed and whether or not it is your choice to be there.  Through American Minority Literature we have learned that the freedom of choice is a necessary concept when you choose to dream.  It is that lack of freedom or the varied degrees of choice that establish just which dream is yours or if yours is indeed a nightmare.  [MAC] 

In order to define minority literature and culture one must understand its historical relation to the dominant American culture.  From this historical relationship a literary relationship is born.  America is a land founded by immigrants and their descendants.  These men had a vision of what they wanted their new country to be – a “land of opportunity.”  This vision can be referred to as “The American Dream.”  Sons of immigrants wrote The Declaration of Independence, the document that has established and maintained the backbone of democracy that not only supports this country, but provides an example for other groups of people who wish to follow this example of democratic organization.

 However, while asserting that “all men are created equal…” and that these same men are deserved of the “unalienable Rights” of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” these very men were devising ways to develop their country through means of slavery, warfare, and deception. This same hallowed document that demands freedom from an oppressor ensures that the majority of this culture will make some effort to oppress.  European immigrants were availed the opportunity to buy into the “American Dream” voluntarily, while others were either excluded completely or forced to slave unrewardingly to make this dream a reality for the majority.  The very document that outlines the “American Dream” regards Native Americans as “merciless Indian Savages” who border “our frontiers.”  African-Americans were brought here by the boatload through many unsavory means to be worked to death in dehumanizing conditions.  There are marked differences between the stories told by these groups and a comparison is necessary in order further understand their relation to each other. This contrast can be referred to as “the immigrant narrative vs. the minority experience.”

A perfect example of the immigrant narrative can be found in the story told by Max Goldstein, the Russian-Jewish émigré, in the novel Bread Givers.  Max regales Sara with the story of how he found work fresh off the boat clearing snow in the street.  “I pushed myself in among them and begged for a shovel….before waiting for an answer I snatched up a shovel from the stack and dug into the snow.”  He earns a dollar, gets to keep his dollar, and is thereby able to pay for a week’s lodging.  When he is unable to find work the next day, he seizes an opportunity when he finds an old man unable to drive his pushcart.  He rushes to him, “begging with my eyes and my hands to let me help him.”  The old man allows it, and Max is able to work for him.  Even the fact that he can’t speak English doesn’t affect him because he still has a voice that isn’t quieted by the majority.  Soon Max owns his own store and eventually a chain of stores.  This is what the Founding Fathers had in mind -- the American Dream personified.  Max rises from immigrant to successful businessman with only hard work and determination.  He has limitations – he was young, poor, and he spoke no English – but he was not judged by these perceived limitations.  The “content of his character” propels him forward. 

This notion of the “content of one’s character” comes from “The Dream” speech made by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  It is but one of the references (both implicit and explicit) taken from the Declaration of Independence and expounded upon by Dr. King during that speech.  Dr. King’s dream was a dream, “deeply rooted in the American dream,” delivered with faith that Americans would one day be able to do something as simple as work together.  Compare Max’s immigrant narrative to the minority experience. In his famous slave narrative, Fredrick Douglass recounts an instance where white workers, “broke off, swearing they would work no longer, unless (the foreman) would discharge his black carpenters” (412). When he continued to work (albeit for his owner’s benefit) he then had to fight, nearly losing his right eye in the process.  Upon escaping slavery and finding work in the North he remarks, “It was new, dirty, and hard work for me; but I went at with a glad heart and a willing hand. I was now my own master” (428).  All that many slaves wanted was to have families and be free to work for their own wages in the same manner as their white counterparts.  It is in this manner that the African-American Dream and the American dream coincide, yet are still separate.  

In his “Dream” speech, Dr King refers to the social contract to which the writers of the Declaration of Independence made with its future generations.  He calls it a “promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.”  He is making reference to the guarantee of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”  As times have progressed, so have many attitudes but the blood with which this contract was signed will not be and cannot be forgotten.  [AH]

Literature 4332: American Minority Literature defines a “minority” as one who is an involuntary participant in the American Dream. The literature that results from minorities exposes a history of injustice and expresses a hope for the future.  The writings reflect that these groups are not easily assimilated into the dominant society because of their differences:  appearance, language, gender, traditions, customs and/or sexual orientation.  Differences have hindered minorities from enjoying the benefits of the American Dream, an ideal that embodies life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

            Racial barriers keep minorities from full consideration in the American dream.  When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he stressed equality.  This document states that “all men are created equal” and that government gets its power from the consent of the governed.  Since minorities, particularly African-American slaves, had no voice in government, they could not give their consent for the whites to hold them.  They were left out of the “created equal” claim by Jefferson.  The slaves were captured and imported to the American Colonies.  They do not fit the immigrant model, because they did not have a choice in the matter.

Immigrants and minorities do not have the same experience. Both may experience difficulty upon arrival, but each has their own status and limitations.  For instance, in Yezierska’s Bread Givers, the young immigrant is excited about the opportunities to be found in America.  He has come by choice to improve his economic conditions.  Even though there is a language barrier for Max, it will be easy for him to assimilate into the dominant culture because of his skin color.  He can be tossed into the melting pot and blend with those around him.  This is not true of the African-American slave.  Because of his racial differences, when he tries to assimilate, the result is that of a tossed salad.  It is mixed together, but each part can still retains its separate identity.  Olaudah Equiano did not have Max’s hope when he was aboard the slave ship.  When he encountered the white slave traders on the ship he said “…I feared I should be put to death, the white people looked and acted…in so savage a manner; for I had never seen among any people such instances of brutal cruelty” (Gates 58). 

Equiano and Max are in stark contrast regarding the American Dream.  Max will work for himself while Equiano will work for a master. When groups are denied the basic rights of citizenship, they will often come together and organize an uprising.  This is true with the African-American community.  Dr. Martin Luther King was a charismatic leader of this minority and his famous “I Have a Dream” speech is a powerful symbol of the civil rights movement.  His people were once excluded from the social contract of American identity, and his speech brought this deficiency to the forefront.  He wanted to bring his people together and pave the way for the African Americans to become voluntary participants in the dominant culture and buy into the American Dream.  He quotes the Declaration of Independence as a model for American life.  Dr. King says that when this document talks about equality, it was for everyone.  The Founding Fathers signed a “promissory note” and that “This note was a promise to all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”  These are the tenets of the American Dream.

Dr. King’s speech is rooted in the American Dream, but there are subtle differences that can be attributed to his heritage. In a 2004 midterm, NC says that “The Dream and The American dream are inseparable in that they intertwine with one another in sharing the same values.” This may be true, but the “Dream” of Dr. King factors in some underlying ideas that make it dream narrative.  In minority literature, a dream narrative factors in group identity, a quest for group dignity, future hopes, the need to rise again, and setbacks. 

The American Dream stresses an individual’s immediate success.  The “Dream” focuses on the African American identity as a group and the goals that they have yet to attain.  Dr. King says “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed” as an example of this principal.  Frederick Douglass echoes this idea when he talks about his dreams for the future in the midst of oppression: “…and but for the hope of being free, I have no doubt but that I should have killed myself, or done something for which I should have been killed” (Gates 370). 

Whether in political documents, speeches, or narratives, the dominant culture and the minority culture share literary works that serve as models of human behavior and identity.  Literature from all cultures expresses experience that can foster understanding.  It allows people from different backgrounds to connect through these stories and ideas on different fronts.  A common ground can be reached through literature in the exchange of ideas.  The more voices that contribute to a democratic society, the better the society becomes. [JH]

. . . A major difference between African Americans compared to the dominant culture is that these minorities did not willingly come to the United States, but were forced to migrate as slaves.  Therefore, a major difference between African Americans and other dominant cultures and or immigrants, is their social contract and freedom of living location.  In the Slave Narrative of Olaudah Equiano, the main character was kidnapped from his homeland and forced to America on slave boats, unable to give his objections of the transfer.  Equiano’s experience follows the guidelines of objective 1a, involuntary participation, also known as the American Nightmare.  He was given no voice or choice, just taken away and forced to partake in his new American life.  Instead of being able to continue living his normal life, Equiano was thrown into a new world, where he could not even communicate with a single person.  Just to survive, he was required adapt his ways to fit those of the dominate culture, and other slaves.  To be forced away from your family and be made to adapt to an entirely different lifestyle is a hardship most slaves faced throughout their lives.

In comparison to Equiano’s experience, in Max’s immigrant narrative in Bread Givers, he willingly goes to America in hopes for a better life; he is an immigrant because he chooses to leave his homeland, unlike Equiano.  Max is able to work and keep the money he earns, obviously Equiano is not.  Max is capable of working, living, and developing in this new world freely and at his own pace.  He is also able to create a better life for himself, a pleasure which Equiano has no choice to do.  These dissimilarities fulfill the requirements of objective 3, comparing and contrasting the “American Dream” with alternative narratives of American minorities; Max living the American Dream, while Equiano’s minority experience brings sadness and burdens into his life.  Unlike Max, Equiano was not allowed to live the American dream, although his voluntary enculturation of American dialect, religion, and way of life sculpted him into an American occupant. . . . [KDG]

Minority cultures, unlike immigrant groups, were forced to become a part of the dominant culture.  The dominant culture then turns back and makes these minority cultures feel unwanted. [RO]