LITR 4333 American Immigrant Literature UHCL 2003 student research proposals

Collected below are student research proposals for the 2003 offering of this course. The purpose of these copies is to provide present and future students with models for student research proposals and an idea of what kinds of answers to expect from the instructor.

I truly enjoyed Monkey Bridge and Bread Givers. I would like to compare and contrast the characteristics of the immigrant narrative between the two novels in terms of the older generation staying with the old ways and slowly assimilating to the new, and the younger generation assimilating more easily and quickly--yet they still struggle with their older generation family ideals and culture. The relationship between the mother in Monkey Bridge is more docile than the relationship between father and daughter(s) in The Bread Givers, but I couldn't help but see the similarities between the two stories.

I would really like to use these two novels as examples of how different groups of immigrants, though for different reasons, share the same struggles in assimilating to the American culture/society. What would you suggest as far as choosing a topic between these two novels if my suggestion does not appeal to you? How would you suggest I approach the compare/contrast issue between the two novels? Is this a good topic to use in my paper?

I BELIEVE I WILL FURTHER REVIEW THE CONFUCIAN RELIGION LOOKING INTO THE SIGNIFICANT ROLES OF WOMEN AS DAUGHTERS, WIVES AND MOTHERS. ALSO, REFLECTING ON THE CHANGES IN THE PRACTICE OF THIS RELIGION AS A RESULT OF THE JOURNEY AND TRANSFORMATION FROM THE OLD WORLD OR THE HOMELAND TO THE NEW WORLD OR AMERICA. THE JOURNAL FORMAT WILL PROBABLY WORK BEST FOR THIS.

For my research I want to turn in a journal. I am debating the topic because I think I could be able to learn and find many things on both.

The first subject is Vietnamese immigration. I want to learn about the struggles in Vietnam, learn about their culture and how the war impacted them. But I would focus mainly on how they have been able to be a part of the salad bowl of The United States. I would interview one of my close friends and talk about her family's experience here. The books I would use would be from the anthology and also as many outside sources that I could. I would like to read The Joy Luck Club.

Another topic is Haitian immigration. I was impacted when we were studying the Carribean Americans. I would do my journal just like the Vietnamese, but I don't have any one to interview.

What do you think would be more beneficial? And Can you recommend any outstanding literature that I shouldn't miss out on?

After reading the excerpt from "Woman Warrior," I was stunned by the oppression of Chinese women in the story. I would like to do an analysis of how the heroine of the story represents a "woman warrior" who battles oppression. I'm not sure how successful she is in doing this, but that will be worked out in the essay. In other words, I want to show how feminism prevails in the text of "Woman Warrior," and what effect it has on the protagonist and her societies both in America and in China.

Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior: a Casebook. Edited by Sau-Ling and Cynthia Wong.

A poetics of woman's autobiography: marginality and fictions of self-representation. Sidonie Smith

As a side note, I have noticed that the story of the "Woman Warrior" is a true Chinese poem and I may try to connect the meaning of that story somehow.

I have chosen option 2: the journal. As I have discussed with you before I would like to have a two-part focus. First, I would like to look at immigration through U.S. Supreme Court cases which focus on who qualifies to become a citizen. In cases such as Ozawa v. United States citizenship was defined (USSC) as a right limited to those of the "Caucasian race", and then in another case - where a man from India was able to show how he was a part of the "Caucasian race" - USSC stated that it was not enough to be of this race, but must be "white" as well. I am curious about more cases and how they have affected the assimilation process in general.

Next, I would like to look at the ambivalent minority story - and possible causes of. I originally was only going to focus on Mexican-Americans, but may broaden this to include Afro-Caribbean Americans as well. My tie in between the two parts being how the law may have created some of the ambivalence. In other words, by treating groups as minorities under the law has the dominant group created resistance in the assimilation process. I will be looking at the immigrant/minority narrative from these groups found in the literature, as well as an interview and possibly a look at the ambivalent minority through pop culture. As you can see, I have some work to do but it sounds like a fun challenge. Any suggestions you have are welcome.

For my research paper I would like to choose option one. Specifically, I would like to look at El Patron and the nature of assimilation versus the need for independence. The son and daughter have assimilated so well to the dominant culture that they are actually working their way further from their family. In contrast, the father has taken the position that the son should be following in his footsteps regardless of what the son wants to do. This whole bouncing back and forth between stages four and five against the backdrop of draft evasion makes for serious analysis. Who is truly really assimilated to the dominant culture? What has that assimilation done to the old world concept of respect for family? Is this what the father wanted when he immigrated to the dominant culture? On top of all that is the statement by the father that he fought with Poncho Villa against the very army that he is pressuring the son to join. What kind of message is that?

For my research project, I am proposing to write an essay (Option 1) that focuses on the role of education in the immigrant narrative. I have noted that many of the stories—such as Anzia Yezierska’s Soap and Water, Nicholasa Mohr’s The English Lesson, Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior, and A Wife’s Story by Bharati Mukherjee—address the topic of education from a female perspective, and I am hoping to use that theme as a means of gaining some insight into other cultures’ views on gender issues. I also hope to incorporate references from some of the poetry—Pat Mora’s “Elena” comes to mind—to illustrate how education and gender roles intersect (even in an informal setting) in the immigrant narrative.

I believe that from drawing on the content of these primary sources, along with both background and secondary sources, I will be able, as Literary Objective 1(c) states, “To explore the immigrant narrative as an organizing principle for studying multicultural literature.” I also think that Cultural Objective 1(a), the “American Dream versus the American Nightmare,” may apply here as well, particularly with regards to the notion of a “social contract,” since some of the willing participants expect a degree of reciprocity from having fulfilled their end of the “bargain” (e.g., the narrator from Soap and Water, who sacrifices years of her life to get an education, only to find that society reneges on the “contract”).

My only concern at this point is finding suitable background and secondary resources, because I would like to keep “on topic.” In order to keep the essay from drifting into areas of discussion other than those that I have chosen, the background and secondary material that I incorporate needs to support my thesis, rather than going off on a tangent. Do you have any suggestions for effecting a productive search, based on my proposal? I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on the matter, as well as any concerns that you might have on the proposal itself.

I am choosing to do option 2 for my research proposal because I would like to explore several different areas and texts rather than focus on one topic in a paper. I'd like to use texts from several different ethnic groups to concentrate on the life and trials of the female immigrants and minorities.

I think female immigrants had it very rough due to their lack of choices and decisions allowed. In addition they had to constantly look after and care for their families and children. Some texts I would like to consider using include: "When I Was Growing Up," "Father From Asia," "From the Poets in the Kitchen," "The Woman Warrior," "Soap and Water." I would also like to explore other poems in Unsettling America that we have not yet gone over in class. I would like to include some kind of poem from an American Indian female author as well. Do you think my topic too diverse and broad?

I want to explore the strained relationship between Asian American Mothers and their American born or Americanized daughters. There is lots of evidence of that in Amy Tan's novels The Boneseters Daughter and Joy Luck Club, in Monkey Bridge, and in several short stories in the anthology Growing up Asian American. The relationship harks back to Confucianism and the devaluation of daughters.

The Asian Mother/daughter relationship is a different dynamic than other cultures. There is more of a "prove yourself" dynamic in the Asian relationship. Some of that stems from Confucianism. Should I explore both influences or stay with the devalued issue? One problem with that is that the Viet Nam and the Korean cultures have allowed women to maintain a valued place in their societies.

What I am planning on doing is the first option of research the analytical paper. I will be doing my paper on Native Americans and their experiences in the “New World”. I will use texts from Imagining America and also from Unsettling America. I will also look into libraries for a couple of other texts that focus on the Native American experience in America. I want to get information as to what was lost and how they still hold on to a portion of their Ethnic Identity amidst the constant assimilation that occurs everyday. I will look for information on the authors we studied in class and I will also gather information on people and subjects that are related to class but not covered.

I am considering doing a journal on Angel Island. I have been intrigued with our discussions in class and would like to learn more about it. I did find some interesting sites on the internet that included statements and stories by Chinese immigrants that were held there. I would also include some of the poetry that was found on the walls there since they now have been published. I would also include any other literature or poetry that mention Angel Island.

After much deliberation, I have finally decided on a research topic for Option 2. Although it was not on the list we discussed after class, I would like to research Italian Americans. I would like to learn about the patterns of immigration. I think that the Sicilians were first to immigrate, with other Italians following. I would find out if this is true and why. I would also like to research the stereotype projecting Italians as gangsters. Through narratives, essays, and articles, I would find information on Italians and how they feel about the gangster image. Having grown up in Dickinson, Texas, I would like to find out about the establishment of the town. I have heard that Italians had a strong presence in the town. Would this suffice for an Option 2 research project? I also considered looking into the strong influence of the Italian mother and possibly connecting that with catholicism. Should I include this?

I decided to focus my project on the transition to the old world to the new world especially with Mexican Americans. This transition will cover a lot of different aspects from our syllabus like assimilation, discrimination and reassertion of ethnic identity.

Also I will try to explain the communication barrier that has either helped or hurt our Mexican/American relationship. Another aspect is the family. I want to find out how the immigrants' family life has affected the traditional American family and vice versa. It is important to show both aspects because of the importance of influence affects both groups. Some other subjects include work, education, children, food and customs. Should I interrelate these subjects with American society?

Also, should I keep this project specifically on one ethnicity or could it include other races such as South American immigrants from Peru, Argentina, and Ecuador primary language is Spanish? Could I even include the Spanish?

I know that I want to do for my research proposal and I have chosen Option 2. I would like to do a journal on Chinese Superstitions. I will check out what is on the Internet, in books, and in journals in the library about Chinese Superstitions. I do have some questions for you. Does this sound good to you? Does this go with what we have been doing? Am I on the right track? We have been learning about different cultures and so I think this goes a long with what we have been doing. I have always been interested in Chinese Superstitions.

I plan on doing a journal about Jewish immigrants and their impact on American arts. I want to focus on artists, directors and producers in Hollywood, and authors. I will discuss both first and second generation Jewish Americans.

For my research project I will explore the immigration experience of Vietnamese Americans, specifically how the cultural aspects of Vietnamese values affect their assimilation to dominant American culture.

My primary interest is how the immigration experience influences the family structure and relationships of Vietnamese Americans, as well as how the traditional Vietnamese family compares to the Vietnamese family in the U.S.

I have discovered very little literature in our class texts regarding the Vietnamese American immigrant experience. As far as authors I will refer to and/or research, I will include Lan Cao (Monkey Bridge) and Le Ly Hayslip (When Heaven and Earth Change Places). I hope to locate additional related poetry or short stories during my research to include as well. Do you know of any other specific authors/texts I can read for further insight on this topic?

I have been interested in learning more about the Hmong immigrants since I read The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman a few semesters ago in an anthropology class. An anthropologist wrote the book from her point of view. It left me feeling as if I didn’t really know the Hmong people. Since the Hmong did not have a written history until the 1950’s, they are literally creating their own history through their contemporary writings.

I am considering Option 1, focusing on Literary Objective 2c. I would like to try to extract a sense of the conflict between old and young Hmong immigrants, centering on the younger generation’s attempt to understand what it is to be Hmong.

I purchased two books that I think will be helpful in my research. One is Bamboo Among the Oaks: Contemporary Writing by Hmong Americans by Mai Neng Moua and I Begin My Life All Over Again: The Hmong and the America Immigrant Experience by Lillian Faderman. Both books contain essays and poetry expressing a wide range of issues that correspond with the Immigrant Narrative. These books showcase writers of all ages and walks of life (there are even some essays by young Hmong gang members), expressing different views about the immigrant experience.

Because of the unusual history of the Hmong, which includes their assistance to America during the Vietnam War and their history of non-assimilation in other countries such as China, I am also considering Option 2. I could include Hmong history and explain more about why assimilation has been so difficult for them, keeping with the theme of ethnic identity.

Since I would like to use more individual Hmong poems and essays instead of a few well-known writers, would Option 1 be my best choice?

For my project I would like to write the journal. I have been reading so much about the differences between the Old World parents and New World children. This will be my main focus concentrating on The Joy Luck Club, Monkey Bridge, various poems, and narratives we have read in class. I would like to interview my grandparents because they have many pictures in their house from New York and they always talked about who they met as they arrived in America. Finally, I would like to research websites, articles, and the immigration history of Chinese and/or Vietnamese. Thank you very much.