LITR 5733 2004 midterm assignment

Six more or less complete sample essays, in no particular order:

Complete sample midterm essay 1

Complete sample midterm essay 2

Complete sample midterm essay 3

Complete sample midterm essay 4

Complete sample midterm essay 5

Complete sample midterm essay 6

Excerpts from all midterm essays, in no particular order:

When we get the monsters off our backs all of us may want to run in different directions... What happens beyond the idea of that enemy and beyond the consequences of that enemy? “Report from the Bahamas”, June Jordan (1937-2002)

This quote is at the start of this essay, because I have adopted it as my thesis. Upon reading this narrative I found this quote to be applicable to the distinguishing of the minority and immigrant narrative. It is the status of assimilation that supposes the difference between immigrant and minority. This question establishes the boundaries between marked and unmarked by focusing on the marker, the enemy. The “monsters” are the people of the dominant culture. For the minority, the immigrant, and the ambivalent minority the “enemy” is an ever present source of their status; the decision-makers as seen in “Immigrants” by Pat Mora, “Will they like our boy, our girl, our fine American boy, our fine American girl?” This is still (arguably) the land of choice. The immigrant narrative is an example of that choice of which direction to run, to pass or not to pass, after gaining the acceptance of the dominant culture. The question of “beyond” posed in this essay will discuss the enemy, immigrant, minority, and ambivalent minority narrative as a means of acquiring for the minority narrative, acceptance for the immigrant narrative, and ambivalence for those stopped at the fork in the road. . . .

The answer Jordan gives for her own question is “the ultimate connection cannot be the enemy. The ultimate connection must be the need that we find between us. It is not only who you are...but what we can do for each other that will determine the connection.” We see this answer in the enemy/teachers in the immigrant narratives. [SG-R]

“Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor”…Then What?”

The “Give me your tired, your poor” statement at Ellis Island named the kind of foreigners that America wanted, the tired, the poor, the huddled masses, the wretched refuse (I find that a bit harsh, but why question history), etc., but it did not say what it wanted to do for them once they got here, other than leave the lamp on to make sure they got through the golden door. Was that enough, just to make sure they got in? What was to happen to the people once they got inside, and the golden door was closed behind them?

The video, “A Nation of Immigrants,” based on a book by former President, John F. Kennedy, Sr., narrated by Robert “Bobby” Kennedy, showed immigrants, men, women, and children, coming from various countries by ships, elated that they made it to America; to a seemingly new and prosperous life. One man prostrated himself on the ground as soon as he disembarked to show his appreciation for at least being able to reach America, the land of opportunity. Did he, and the others on the many ships that came, later find what they were looking for? Did they find and experience the American Dream? We will never know concerning them, but we can examine ones that did or did not . The new immigrants on the ships were visibly tired and dirty (no doubt due the lack of bathing facilities on whatever vessel they came in on), which is the picture some may have of immigrants, dirty. We could see that they wore their best clothing, in their minds, for the long journey, but still they appeared dirty. . . .

One way to know if you have acclimated into, or are accepted by a particular society, is to try to date someone of that society and see if you will receive welcoming pats on the back, or stare down the barrel of a shotgun. “How to Date Brown Girls” by Junot Diaz shows that, granted, there may be liberties that you can take once you are in a certain society, crossing the lines of interracial dating was taboo, and still is in some circles. The African American community used to have a saying, “if you can’t use their comb, don’t bring them home,” meaning if a person doesn’t have the same kinky hair as you do, the same oily hair that you do, then you should not get involved with them on a romantic level. . . .  [MC]

The narratives of immigrants and minorities are woven as multi-hued and multi-textured threads in the tapestry of the overarching story of America. In seeing the tapestry as a whole, a cloth that protects us, identifies us, and comforts us, we sometimes assume its strength and beauty comes from the quality of the loom, from the machinations of living within the governmental and societal constructs of America. We frequently assume that the tapestry represents a final product whose many parts are rendered the same by virtue of having passed through the same machine. That assumption allows us to dismiss the power, beauty and characteristics of each strand, or narrative, in the tapestry. Were the tapestry made of one type of thread, its strength could be overcome by a single weakness. But the American tapestry is made of fibers diverse in their power, strengths and characteristics; the binding of these discrete strands lends beauty and enduring power. None of the strands have the exact same tensile strength, thus allowing the fabric to give, shift and stretch without tearing. Such flexibility, strength and texture give vibrancy to the tapestry. The story of America is the story of a many narratives that have been interwoven and blended into a colorful tale as diverse as the strands of the richest tapestry imaginable.

            In examining the literary and cultural tapestry of America, we can use many lenses or paradigms: the melting pot, the salad bowl, and the patchwork quilt. All of those lenses, though, must focus at some point on the narratives of minorities and immigrants, for we are members of those groups or their descendents. [SC]

I watched a documentary several days ago about a photographer who has drawn fire because of the photos he takes of Appalachian residents --minorities. The commentators criticized the photographer because they said the shots he took were photographical narratives and that negative stereotypes were perpetuated because of the gritty, vivid, and often disturbing, photos he chose to take. A discussion about how the dominant culture (not the term they used) interprets what they see, based on norms and values, was included. They panelists insisted that the photos perpetuate a sense of otherness between the dominant culture and the Appalachian minority. I couldn’t help but compare the film to what we are studying in class…though photography and fictional narratives are different media, how we respond to them is guided by the same principles. We take what we know and believe (good and bad) into the text with us…and it’s in the hands of the narrator to determine how to craft his story. 

            The really interesting part of the debate came about halfway through when the photographer revealed that these were “his people” and that he felt it most appropriate to depict his subjects in a way agreeable to him and them— in a fashion that was real, through true human experience and interaction. He was a well spoken, well dressed and groomed middle-aged man with an affluent looking office and it was obviously a surprise to the individuals who were contesting his right to take the pictures he takes. Suddenly, according to me at least, he had a new role—authenticity. What he was doing was no longer demeaning or questionable, but it became minority narrative. My point is this, the pictures are the same, the people are the same, but when the photographer’s status changed from a member of the dominant culture to a member of that minority … everything changed. The photos were contextualized. When I thought about this I recalled that in Visions of America a small biography precedes each of the stories.  This links the importance of the narrative as a literary experience with that of the cultural. The biography authenticates the narratives, in a way. If we thought of these stories as framed, they would perhaps be the minority story, framed within the immigrant story, framed within the reality of the author’s life. The frames aren’t always visible, but they exist. Each one intrudes and affects the outcome of the other.

            I came into the course without any thought to the similarities or differences between the immigrant and minority experience. In fact, immigrants were a group that my mind often relegated to the early twentieth century and before. After class discussions and readings I, naturally, reconsidered. But, I wondered why did I ever think that? One easy and quick answer might be the speed with which new immigrants are assimilated now. If you want to catch an immigrant family in the raw, you gotta act quickly.  As technology and society speed up it seems the pace of assimilation follows along. Seventy-five years ago the scene was different. Today, unless groups of refugees arrive, most immigrant families tend to come into the U.S. alone or in small families by plane. . . .

In “Silent Dancing” the narrator refers to other Puerto Ricans and Jewish merchants who “philosophically accepted” the new Puerto Rican immigrants. Though somewhat disconnected from this essay, issues of tolerance among the dominant culture for minorities and immigrants is an interesting one. Even more interesting is the concept of tolerance found in “Silent Dancing” for immigrants by minorities. How quickly immigrants are willing to adopt the negative attributes of the dominant culture in order to be assimilated is a rabbit hole too deep to chase here.

            But, what I’d like to say here is that the idea that we should simply endure one another is misguided. If tolerance is the highest goal we can aim to achieve, then what future is there for a place like America? Immigrant literature shouldn’t be approached with any sense of tolerance, but one of acceptance, even the desire to embrace.

            In summary, one of the most important concepts that I’ve been exposed to here is the ability or inability for an immigrant to become either a minority or part of the dominant culture—the price being willingness to lose their culture in favor of the American way of life. The often ignored part of the America social contract (for immigrants) is the inability of some ethnicities to assimilate fully into the dominant culture. When this occurs the story of the immigrant changes to that of the minority. This is why reading only the words in these narratives isn’t enough, as students and members of society we have to read for more than words—we have to read for voice. [LE]

To aid the understanding and appreciation of American culture, its benefits and challenges, an examination of its narrative literature is very useful.  As I have come to understand it, the immigrant narrative is the basis of American literature,  which not only reflects the waves of migration in American history, their voices and history, the culture-values, language, family structure, gender roles, and so on, but also is in its being a shape of history, culture of people caught in the waves of migration or in the turmoil following, and their problems, dreams, and desires in the present.  Beginning with the first Europeans to land on American soil for profit, prestige, and the freedom for independence and “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” or “The American Dream,” countless other people from cultures all over the world have flocked to America for these same reasons.  Despite the differences in cultures, the narratives of immigrants from all over the world nonetheless maintain a more or less consistency of theme in that each undertook a journey to a new world.  This theme of the journey has several stages which can be identified throughout the various narratives of immigrants. However the tone of each narrative is colored by historical circumstances that shape each migration and the repercussions of belonging to a particular set of circumstances.  As a result the rich treasury of immigrant literature can be sub-divided into basically three categories that more precisely reflect the unique origins and situations confronting different cultural immigrants and their relationship with America, thus providing insight into the complex, diverse culture of American communities and society as a whole. . . .

            Differences enter into the narratives because there are differences in the circumstances surrounding each migration, especially with respect to how it is undertaken, and in the people who undertake it.  The result is a completely different experience and story, different perceptions of America, and different desired relationships with America.  In other words, the reason for the journey, i.e. the motivation and/or the Dream, differs or is relative to which immigrants to America we are talking about.  The author’s relationship with the American Dream (or is it a Nightmare?) depends on the various cultural-historical circumstances behind his/her family’s migration.  To some it will be the Dream (European immigrants, Asian, Mexican, and so on), to others a Nightmare--minorities-African Americans, and Native Americans-Horse)---because to some their migration was voluntary-to others involuntary-and to others somewhere in between-to avoid persecution choose migration I.e. voluntary/not voluntary-Children at Sea, also Mexican-not persecuted by war but perhaps by poor economic circumstances). As a result, immigrants will either want to assimilate, resist assimilation, or are ambivalent toward assimilation I.e. some where in between. The treatment of immigrants is different on the basis of race/skin color, “white but not quite“--mixed--and dark, so the tone and experience of America by immigrants is also colored or not colored by this issue.  Different immigrants have different tools for dealing with problems: Hard work, gender roles, family structure-intermarriage.  All immigrants however, value education in America-but are divided as to how to integrate it with their lives--i.e. the issues of assimilation and losing their language and/or culture.

            With these different issues in mind and generally speaking, immigrant narratives can then be sub-divided into three categories describing different motivations for and different conflicts and issues resulting from the journey :  immigrant, minority, and ambivalent. [Note: Although these three categories are defined, this is not to say that each corresponding narrative speaks of or to all of the characteristics of its group or that it falls neatly into any one category at all.  To limit a culture or its narrative to the framework and themes of the journey would be to suppress the inherent creativity and uniqueness of every individual and his experience.  In other words, this framework/categorization is not meant as a rigid standard or absolute, however it is given in order to provide an order or yardstick by which these immigrant experiences can be organized (measured) and communicated to others and from there, to provide a common ground from which to depart.]   Immigrant refers mostly to European immigrants (such as Yiezerska) who come to America for the American dream, place a high value on education (Thee English Lesson-the Italian), and education being a key to economic success (the professor in The English lesson), as well as hard work, in America, and wish to assimilate in American society (Yiezerska).  They experience some problems with discrimination (such as in Soap and Water-the girl is scorned and spurned until the end, by dominant culture) because of their ethnicity but not as much as others because they are “white but not quite.”  Their migration is in essence voluntary and individually desired. (Brooklyn, )

            Minority literature reflects an involuntary participation in the American Dream-which turns its purpose for betterment into its opposite-the American Nightmare, from their horrible history involving oppression and/or enslavement, discrimination, violence, and exploitation-forced migration-of both African American and Native American peoples from their native land to land not their own.  Their experience has been one of suffering and discrimination on basis of ethnicity and skin color (Blond White Woman, American Horse) and live in conditions of poverty which they must overcome to survive (American Horse-poverty of Natives, The Lesson-poverty of children).  Their struggle is to find/reclaim reassert their cultural and personal identity so resist assimilation into dominant culture . . . .

            Ambivalent narratives however, take elements common to both minority and immigrant narratives in a unique hybrid of their own, both wanting and not wanting to assimilate, having problems but not all problems of minorities, and both involuntary and voluntary migrations.  They are sub-divided by their cultural groups to be considered or discussed for their uniqueness or individuality.  Non-Mexican Hispanics-have a quasi status with the US with their citizen status but treatment as minorities on basis of their skin color-(Silent Dancing-father is accepted but family is not; How to Date a Brown Girl-different sets of rules for girls with different skin colors-different sets of rules for different vistors). For these people American society is and is not desirable- wanting to progress in society (acceptance of the American dream-for betterment) is seen in The English Lesson--represented by William and Lali-(English is desirable to learn because it will help them get ahead and yet also the 'not-wanting-to-fit-in' or to assimilate is also in same story and represented by the Dominican- who disliked American culture in proud favor of his own.  Or  like in Coca-Cola and Coco-Frio--because one find’s that one’s own culture is actually better/dearer to the heart, one doesn‘t want to assimilate outright---and yet one is also really  somewhere in between (How to Date a Brown Girl--both American and Dominican desirable-the photos and yet hide the cheese).  Love of the homeland is often seen.  (wistfulness in Coco-Frio, the traditional ways of gender behavior in relation to courtship embodied by Mexican girl in Silent Dancing).  

            Mexican-Americans are also ambivalent---their struggle is over identity and how much of their own culture do they keep i.e. how much do they resist America, but how much do they give up when they assimilate into becoming American because they were never American to begin with.  As a former student wrote in their midterm,  being Mexican means that you are ambivalent because Mexico once was the better part of the southwestern US and then her people were forced into a new land-so there is involuntary as well as voluntary migration at work here. Mexicans too like the American Dream but at what expense to the loss of their cultural identity?  In “Like Mexicans” the son progresses to becoming a college graduate---to get a better life-but the family wants him to marry Mexican I.e. it does not want him to lose his culture so does not want him to assimilate through intermarriage.  One also sees resistance to assimilation in other forms --such as language -the disapproval of the aunt with the loss of her nephew’s Spanish in Hunger of Memory---yet he retains his relationship with her despite the language barrier-and discovers a new identity in the process.  while in other non-Mexican communities, Again, in El Patron, one sees the emphasis on getting a college education to get ahead (the daughter) and even intermarry (with Emilio) but her family wants her to be in the kitchen making tortillas, and not mediating the dispute-but then this is a traditional way of dealing with familial conflict as well-the woman handles it--but just not so openly).The open resistance to authority of tradition is seen in all narratives- (Hunger-aunt,  Like Mexicans-the family, and El Patron-the father) but yet the tradition wins out in some ways-the woman is still mediating (El Patron-who is the real boss?, Like Mexicans-the man is still married, and the nephew is still associating and loving Mexican culture and family).

            Afro-Carribean narrative is also unique because of its voluntary but involuntary migration-only voluntary in that they chose to come but only because life was unbearable politically in their home country.  There is a great love of homeland. . . [KK]

A non-Mexican Hispanic example of a vague or moving dream narrative with possible betrayal is found within Juno Diaz’s studied works.  If you listen to Diaz on film during the “American Dream Literary Seminar,” one would definitely lump him into the minority narrative area.  According to him, the dominant culture consists of religious Anglos, and the American Dream can only be achieved by them.  However, in How to Date a Browngirl…, Diaz’s narrative excludes any loss that is supposed to be built into it in order to be considered minority.  In fact, the text is very heavy with cross-cultural dating which can be viewed as assimilation.  Class discussion states that interracial marriages are examples of attempts to join the dominant culture, and I argue that interracial dating should have similar relationships.  Diaz’s statements appear to follow minority, and his narrative sounds fairly immigrant in nature.  Include his going to very prestigious universities and being a successful author, and you have another James Baldwin.  How would Diaz’s cultural equals judge him?  I think they would consider him having betrayed his people under the same auspices of Baldwin’s paradox.  When you have “made it,” you are basically considered assimilated by the “others.”  I feel that this narrative also falls into the “points in between” the minority and immigrant narrative.  Comparing it to other narratives studied, such as The English Lesson, Daiz’s narrative is similar in style.  For instance, not all of the students in class had the same views when it comes to the American Dream.  In fact, the Diego Torres character in Lesson reflects Diaz’s statements in the video, and Rudi could be juxtaposed with Diaz’s main character in How to Date.  Yet, other immigrants considered non-Mexican Hispanics in Lesson had differing views on what they considered to be the American Dream. [JL]

For many Americans the Immigrant Narrative as it is outlined in the course syllabus, is simply the story of our backgrounds, our family story.  Which I can easily relate to even if the only real immigration that the ancestors in my family can remember was from East to West.  The story for us holds true, we assimilate and become more or less like one another, or at least like one another enough that as in Richard Rodriguez’s Hunger of Memory we may keep our meetings “quick and impersonal” so that they may be “efficiently managed.”  But for important reasons not all everyone who came to this country have measured up to this cultural yardstick of assimilation.  (It does seem as though even to a cynic that assimilation is a less encouraging term than might be used to describe this immigrant stage; perhaps one that suggests the formation of a certain cultural cohesion between people of divergent backgrounds would be more fitting).

For those who were brought to this country against their will, the immigrant story must seem eminently foreign.  In fact, slavery does not fit in at all with the Immigrant Narrative or the American Dream, nor do the people native to the Americas and Canada.  They are listed with livestock and goods, or sometimes with embarrassed acknowledgement of the true nature of their participation in the American story. [TSP]

 . . . Children of the Sea tells a story that hangs somewhere between the immigrant and minority narratives.  If we look at this story as an immigrant narrative, we see stages one and two of the immigrant narrative pattern.  We see the homeland in the diary kept by the young girl who remains in Haiti, and we see the island and its people through her eyes.  We also are able to catch glimpses of Haiti in the recollections of the young man on the boat, but he is naturally more preoccupied with stage two, the journey.  But, in spite of the presence of these two stages, is this an immigrant narrative?  Ignoring for the moment the fact that the boat never seems to arrive in America, we have to ask ourselves what would happen if it did?  Would the Haitians assimilate to the dominant American culture?  Would they be viewed as immigrants trying to start a new life, or as a minority?  The likelihood is that no, they would not assimilate, because they would not be able to, just as the Afro-Rican speaker in In the Good Old U.S.A. is not viewed primarily as an immigrant, but as a black man, a minority.  The Haitians might be able to cover up their status as immigrants or refugees by assimilating to the minority African-American culture, but it is unlikely that they would be able to assimilate to the dominant, (i.e. caucasian,) culture.  Perhaps the primary question is:  do the Haitian refugees attempt to participate in America voluntarily, or are they forced?  They do voluntarily get on the boat and attempt to sail to the United States, and some would point this out as a sign that they are voluntary immigrants.  However, they only attempt passage to the U.S. because of danger and instability at home.  How many people, faced with the possibility of rape, torture and execution, would choose to stay in their home country when escape was possible?  The Haitians in this story, therefore, can be said to be unwilling or mostly unwilling to participate in the American experiment, and would rather remain in their home country, or return there.  It is for that reason that they sing Beloved Haiti, there is no place like you.  I had to leave you before I could understand you.  They had to leave, not chose to leave.  Are the Haitians immigrants, or minorities?  Neither, and both: they are exiles and refugees. 

            This last category of story, the story that is neither quite an immigrant narrative, nor quite a minority narrative yet sharing characteristics of both is the biggest surprise I have had in this course.  I rather expected immigrant stories to reflect the pattern presented in the 1986 animated movie An American Tail.  In this story a family, (apparently Jewish, though I don’t believe this is ever specified,) leaves behind Russia and a repressive government to find America.  It is not, strictly, a rags to riches story, as the family does not become rich, but they do count their situation as greatly improved.  I did not expect there to be any common ground between the immigrant narrative and the minority narrative. [BS]

America is a country that is frequently described as a melting pot in terms of the make up of people living here who are from a wide range of races, cultures and ethnicities. This country was built as a result of the efforts of many minorities and immigrants. Once it was firmly established as a land of opportunity a dominant culture emerged and resulted in a defined social class structure. The fact that America is made up of people from all walks of life and from all parts of the world it is easy to see why people’s experiences are often reflected in literature as well. American literature stands as a representation of these various races and cultures and also sheds light on the social order of America and its values. Furthermore it reveals truths about the lives of minorities and immigrants living in America and how they have contributed to American culture and literature.

The immigrant and minority narratives not only gives us perceptivity into their culture but also American culture through their point of view, which can lead to a clearer and more complete depiction. It can also serve as insight into the values of the hegemony or a kind of conscious. In other words the mentality of the dominant culture is also illustrated through close examination of their stories.

The immigrant narrative loosely consists of four stages, which includes: departure of the old world, journey to the new world, shock and resistance, assimilation and rediscovery or reassertion of ethnic identities. The immigrant category connotes a voluntary choice meaning immigrants choose to come to America for various reasons. A number of them are drawn to America because they may be refugees or are simply hoping to achieve financial and political freedoms. However, the minority narrative reveals other aspects of American culture because the initial contact or immigration was not voluntary. For instance, African Americans and American Indians are both groups of people who were enslaved and oppressed by the dominant culture, therefore there tends to be hostility and resistance amongst them. They both experience the American nightmare as a result of their history in America. [RS]

The American Dream myth is created by many that participate in American way of life and the culture voluntarily or involuntarily. For some, America ends up being the fairytale story of a lifetime and for others a living nightmare. Experiences of the immigrants and minorities intertwine and one must learn both the immigrant and minority literature to truly assess the impact of these narratives on American English language and life.

            The Immigrant experience of America is what we think American Dream is. When the immigrant believe that America will provide all that one could not achieve in her or his own country, the only thing she or he needs to do is to come to America. Where wealth is in abundance and only requirements are that you work hard and you adapt quickly to the mainstream. For the immigrant this is the social contract that binds him with the dream.  However the dream occurs with a cost of losing their own ethnic identity, while some immigrants do recognize this, some do not depending on their experiences in America and ties to their native country. [DY]