LITR 4333: American Immigrant Literature

Tuesday, 24 January: Examples of the Immigrant Narrative. Anzia Yezierska, “Soap and Water” (IA 105-110) [handout]; Nicholasa Mohr, “The English Lesson” (IA 21-34); Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, “Going Home: Brooklyn Revisited” (VA 158-169) [handout]

·        Fiction-nonfiction dialogue: instructor

Fiction: “The English Lesson”; Nonfiction: “Going Home: Brooklyn Revisited”

Tuesday, 7 February: African American Minority vs. the immigrant narrative. James Baldwin, from No Name in the Street [handout]; Jewell Gomez, “Don’t Explain” (182-190); Toni Cade Bambara, “The Lesson” (IA 145-152); Alice Walker, “Elethia” (IA 307-109)

·        Fiction-nonfiction dialogue: Joel Carter

Fiction: “The Lesson”; Nonfiction: from No Name in the Street

Tuesday, 21 February: Mexican Americans: Immigrant / American Dream story, or Minority? Richard Rodriguez, from Hunger of Memory [handout]; Gary Soto, “Like Mexicans” [handout]; Nash Candelaria, "El Patron" (IA 221-228); Sandra Cisneros, "Barbie-Q" (IA 252-253)

·        Fiction-nonfiction dialogue: Rosa Ortiz

Fiction: "El Patron"; Nonfiction: “Like Mexicans”

Tuesday, 7 March: Caribbean Immigrants: Minorities or Immigrants? June Jordan, “Report from the Bahamas” [handout]; Edwidge Danticat, “Children of the Sea” (IA 98-112); Paule Marshall, “The Making of a Writer: From the Poets in the Kitchen” [handout]; Paule Marshall, “To Da-Duh, in Memoriam” (IA 368-377)

·        Fiction-nonfiction dialogue: Daniel Garcia

Fiction: “To Da-Duh . . . “; Nonfiction: “The Making of a Writer”

Tuesday, 28 March: Indian & Pakistani American Literature Chitra Divakaruni, “Silver Pavements, Golden Roofs” (70-83); Tahira Naqvi, “Thank God for the Jews” (IA 229-236); Bharati Mukherjee, “A Wife’s Story” (IA 57-69); Bharati Mukherjee, “Love Me or Leave Me” [handout]

·        Fiction-nonfiction dialogue: Karol Davis

Fiction: “A Wife’s Story”; Nonfiction: “Love Me or Leave Me”