Using Bread Givers, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, one or two poems from class, and a non-fiction source concerning early American labor, immigrant labor and Of Plymouth Plantation, and Weber’s The Protestant Work Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism, I want to explore and analyze aspects of assimilation, fragmentation, and destruction among the immigrant groups. I want to show how their hopes and dreams changed or took on characteristics of an individualistic culture. More exactly, I want to show how American work values can contribute to the destruction of the family.

Michelle Glenn
LITR 4333
Dr. White
19 March 2001

Paper Proposal

For my research project, I believe I will stick to the traditional analytic/research paper (Option 1). As a topic, I would like to focus on cultural objective two. Specifically, I would like to discuss the major differences in the different generations of the immigrant family. This would include such things as generational tensions, expectations, etc.

In my research paper, the primary text will be the novel Bread Givers. I absolutely loved this book and I believe that there is a lot of information on the topic to work with. Primarily, I am interested in this topic because I noticed such a great difference in characters such as Sara and her Mother in the Bread Givers. Through my research, I hope to find out a little more about generational narratives and the distinct differences between the immigrant generations. Hopefully, after researching, I will be able to discuss more than two differences in my paper. I must admit that, so far, the only research that I have done on this topic is trying to sort the information out in my head. Actually, I was hoping for your approval and maybe some direction that might piece my thoughts together more effectively.

In conclusion, I would like to ask if you could recommend any secondary sources off the top of your head? What might be a good way to organize this paper? Also, would it be alright for me to use only one primary text?

Research Paper Proposal

I plan to write an analytical research paper as outlined in Option 1. As my topic, I am focusing on daughters of immigrants. In our readings, daughters face the dilemma of remaining true to the old ways, of being a "good girl" in their parents’ eyes, while at the same time forging an identity that will allow them to assume a place in the new world. I’d like to explore the issues of traditional roles and sexuality.

I have read our assigned texts, and I plan to use The Joy Luck Club as my fiction focus. For a non-fiction source, I have chosen Maxine Hong Kingston’s Woman Warrior. I have an interview with Amy Tan in which she discusses her relationship with her own immigrant mother. If you feel that I don’t have a broad enough base for a solid paper, I am prepared to bring in both How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents and Bread Givers in order to bolster my arguments.

As for the class objectives, I am working with Literary Objective 2, particularly 2a and 2c, which cover the narrator and viewpoint and discuss the characters of different generations. I am interested in exploring how these mothers and daughters perceive their new surroundings as both threatening and filled with opportunity. I will also be looking at Cultural Objectives 2 and 5, which deal with the roles of family, generations, and gender, as well as the nostalgia for the old world and the promise of the American Dream.

So far, I am focusing on the conflicts that arise between first generation mothers and their second generation daughters. My question to you is one of scope. I typically misjudge my topics and end up with a paper that is far too long or woefully scanty on sources. I would appreciate your insight in this area. I could also use some ideas on further secondary sources. Thanks.

As far as my paper goes...I am very interested in drawing distictions between the minority and immigrant issues that arise in the shock stage of the narrative .  When I sent you my ideas about themes in the class, I mentioned that I have not wholly developed this idea yet, but I think I want to pursue something along this track for my paper.  Below is an excerpt from that email. 

Minority issues tend to pop up within the "shock" stage of the immigrant narrative.  When I read The Joy Luck Club, I especially noticed the need to become acculturated before assimilation can take place.  This is also seen in the beginning of The Bread Givers and "Brooklyn Revisited..."  To adapt to the new culture, one must still have a connection with the old culture to have a safety net of sorts.  Acculturation enables the immigrant to have a bridge between the new world and the old world.  This often entails living in an American community that is populated by people from the "old world."  The immigrant is then more able to deal with the third stage of the narrative.  Furthermore, acculturation seems to often takes place with the first generation immigrant.  It seems that there is a level of acculturation that takes place before the immigrant is able to assimilate.  Therefore, the immigrant is more able to assimilate.  Alternately, minorities are often not able to move beyond the discrimination because of their social contract with America.

Another distinction between the minority and immigrant narrative is hope.  Even when faced with discrimination, the immigrant typically can move beyond it; they can still believe in the Dream.  This can solidly be contrasted with the minority narrative.  The American Dream does not have as much of a "catch." 

What do you think?  Am I totally off base?  More importantly....does this make sense??!!!  I, of course, need to do some research to see what I can find on the topic.  Let me know. 

Dear Dr. White,

This is my proposal for the paper.

I would like to write a research paper on the desintegration of the family structure of the Old World by coming to America. The replacing of the identity of the family nuclear by the emerging of the self identity. In the New World where the whole society is based on the freedom as it was declared in the Declaration of Independence. This is meritocracy. I will look at in particular the relationship of daughter with her mother based on Amy Tan’s novel "The Joy Luck Club". I myself have a daughter that were born here in 1980. I can relate to everything that Amy Tan says in her novel.

Traditionally the family nuclear was held together by the authority of the parents especially the father. The parents will choose who their daughter should marry to through arranged marriage. They will decide how their daughter should live her live, what she should study. Everything was thought out and shown and there were very little freedom for the daughter to think for herself and decide what her happiness in life should be. We see this clearly being illustrated in "Joy Luck". The daughter who is born here has tasted the freedom from early childhood. The education that she receives at the school puts the authority of her parents in question. The conflict arises from many angles. The old way at home that she is being treated. The customs and the language that the parents struggle to maintain and force on their americanized daughter. This in turn will result in rebel and deeper separation between the two generations.

I will look at the Chinese American history/immigration, Chinese women in U.S.A., Chinese family. I would like to refer to Vietnamese situation as well since we are experiencing the same problems that I just mention. Our community is trying to understand the issues and to find a solution. A lot of us are resisting to assimilation because we are considered ourselves in exile.

May I write about this. Thank you sir.

Good morning Dr. White,

I am writing regarding the proposal. With my writing capacity would you think that I have more chance with journal?

I am thinking of doing journal on Joy Luck Club. Could I do a Vietnamese immigration history or does it have to be Chinese?

1. Critical analysis/journal on Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club.

2.- Book reviews.

3.- Amy Tan's bibliography.

4.- History of Vietnamese or Chinese-American immigrants.

5.- Interviews with my own family members: 2

6.- Conclusion.

Could you give me some guidance?

Thank you sir.

Hue Martell

I have chosen Option 1 for my research project. I would like to discuss the influence of the biblical Exodus story on African-american culture. What are the similarities between the ancient Hebrews and African-americans? How has the Exodus theme influenced African-american spirituality, mentality, and their overall identity? These are some of the questions I hope to answer in my paper. I will be using the Bible and some of Martin Luther King's speeches as sources. I thought some books about African-american history and religion might also be useful. Could you suggest any?

My source of interest in this topic is my own spiritual beliefs. I am an amateur student of the Bible, so that accounts for my interest in Jewish culture and history. My interest in African-american culture comes from my own church, which is substantially influenced by the spirited forms of worship that have been prevalent in African-american Christianity for quite some time. I feel this topic is significant because African-american experience is an integral part of the American experience and I desire to gain a greater understanding of it. I hope to find out the reasons for current African-american thinking and spirituality and how the Exodus theme has influenced these.

Dear Jonathan,

A good proposal, so thanks. I'm especially impressed by the use of Dr. King's speeches—I assume you're thinking of "I've been to the mountain top," but I'd be glad to find out other places where King continued or developed the theme.

On a whim I typed in "Black Moses" at www.amazon.com, thinking I'd heard the title somewhere. Here's the URL for the titles that came up, some of which relate to Garvey and others to spirituals and others to I'm not sure what:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/102-8679121-2882568

A couple of other references to mention:

In ch. VII of Uncle Tom's Cabin, the Ohio River separating slave territory from free territory is compared to Jordan. Also consider the spiritual "Roll, Jordan, Roll." Both of these are in the Heath Anthology of American Literature, 3^rd ed., vol. 1, which I'm using in my American Renaissance class. You're welcome to copy the pages or borrow it from any friend you might have in the class. (Some of your classmates in Immigrant Lit are in that class, including Linda, whom you presented with.)

Also the spiritual "Go Down, Moses."

I can't recall an author and title now, but a book about 10 years ago discussing the plagiarism controversy surrounding Dr. King described the way that certain themes and samples of speech are passed from one black minister to another. This could give you an insight to how Dr. King shared in this tradition of African American discourse.

LITR 4333

Paper proposal

I have chosen option 1, a research paper exploring the idealistic dreams versus the realities of immigration.

I will be working with How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents and Bread Givers, and some of the short stories that have been read in class. I find it fascinating how intelligent adults are so willing to believe in the immigrant dream and basically drop everything for the promised land. I am interested in exploring the motivation behind immigration in literature as well as bringing in cultural objective 2b and exploring the differences in the attitude toward immigration of separate generations. The only research I have done so far is in reading and trying to locate points in the texts where the reasons for immigration become apparent and noting the difference in the attitudes of the different generations towards immigration. The research has been useful in guiding me towards narrowing down my topic.

Dr. White, at this point I think that my topic sounds broad and I would like to speak with you about ways to narrow the topic. I am trying to figure out how to tie together the Old World figures of parents and grandparents and their attitudes toward the promised land with the New World figures of children and natives of the New World.

Dear Linda,

You may be right that the topic sounds broad, but it also generates some real interest on my part, so stay with it and I'll help as I can. Sometimes a strong or sharply-formed organization can compensate for breadth--that is, your organization can force the material to conform to certain boundaries or at least keep it moving. Inherent in your description is such an organization: the implicit dialogue between the two generations concerning their attitudes toward immigration. Keep this dialogue format in mind as you arrange your materials. State the position of the first generation according to the textual evidence, then answer that position with the second generation's changing insight. As you proceed from one text to another, summarize what you learn from the procession of dialogues and use that summary to evaluate the next dialogue(s). (I hope this is helpful--my advice is starting to sound too broad.)

One reason I'd like you to stay with the topic is that it's a question that intrigues me, especially because you don't actually hear that much from the first generation on the subject, except implicitly in their arguments against the changes America entails. As a reader I sometimes want to shout in to the characters, "What did you expect?" But they rarely say. Overall, though, I think it boils down to what I said in class yesterday: "They expect the Old World, only richer." They don't see the kinds of social changes that the pursuit of wealth and equality. One catch, shown in Bread Givers, is that sometimes they expect the wealth just to exist, rather than to be created, whereas the second generation may understand the idea of opportunity rather than wealth itself. Put more simply, generally the only reference points for the first generation is the Old World, so they anticipate the New World in terms of the Old World, only without hunger or war. The second generation forms its mentality in the presence of the New World, though, so they have a different knowledge base to work from.

Sorry if I go on, but as I said, this is a subject about which I want to know more. One possible source for you may be the thesis I directed by Madeleine Pardo a few years ago--you can find it in Neumann Library. She discusses in some detail why or how some immigrants succeed in the New World based on their attitudes toward home and change. Otherwise I haven't seen much secondary research on the subject, so I recommend mostly textual analysis on the model suggested above.

Regards,

Craig White