Introduction:  To understand the differences and similarities between the Immigrant and Minority Narratives, I chose to explain the differences but primarily gave examples of the Immigrant narratives since this is what we have learned so far.

Essay #1

It is difficult to understand the difference between minorities and immigrants without a class defining the two categories. Minorities and immigrants seem to be one in the same for many people until a person learns how different the two really are.  The one thing that causes them to be similar is the fact that both go through discrimination and marginalization.  These two groups are distinguished from the dominant culture, but one is more reluctant to assimilate into the dominant culture, while the other is willing.  Immigrants are willing to assimilate because they chose to come to America.  Since it is a choice an immigrant makes it is easier for an immigrant to follow their “social contract” with the dominant culture. They will be willing to abide by the dominant culture’s rules. Minorities, on the other hand, have no “social contract” because they were either brought unwillingly to America or forced to accept to be taken over by the dominant culture.  Minorities have no choice or options so their idea of the “American Dream” is really an “American Nightmare.”  Many ethnic groups can fall either into the immigrant category or the Minority category, but one that is in between both is the Mexican Americans.  It is difficult to place them in either category because some are immigrants and others minorities since the dominant culture resides on some parts of the country that once belonged to Mexico.  Although the United States is filled with people from different ethnicities,  some have chosen to reside in the United States to fulfill their “American Dream,” some have been forced to live the “American Nightmare” and some fall in between the two categories, the “ambivalent minority.”

To begin with, since immigrants have chosen to come to migrate to a new country for an opportunity, their narratives are of hope and success.  Immigrants are a wide range of ethnic groups: Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans, Irish Americans etc.  These ethnic groups learn to assimilate to the new culture and way of life because they are aware they can go home if they please.  They arrived in the new country for a chance that was not available to them in their mother country. Immigrants claim that they will return to their mother country after they have saved some money.  Most of them do not return because they get accustomed to living in their new surroundings.  In Mohr’s “The English Lesson” William Colon states that “‘I am working here now, living with my mother and family…I study Basic English  por que…because my ambition is to learn to speak and read English very good. To get a better job’”(IA 23).  William has learned to assimilate to the dominant culture by learning the language.  He knows he will have a better opportunity if he spoke English.  William learning English, in a way, makes him leave his old culture behind.  Yes, he will still be speaking Spanish, but that will slowly fade away through his children, then his grandchildren.  In the story, “In the Land of the Free,” Hom Hing is willing to abide by the rules of the government when asked to hand over his son.  Hom Hing knows that he is a business owner because he was given that opportunity by the country he is now living in.  His assimilation causes him to accept the rules and follow them.  Hom Hing tells his wife in Chinese “‘Tis the law…’”(IA 5).  Hom Hing knew he had to give up his child to the customs officer.  He had faith that he would have his son returned to him in a timely matter, but it was not as easy as Hom Hing believed it would be.  Yet, he had to take that chance on a country that had taken a chance on him.  Immigrants seem to have patience with the dominant culture.  They seem to believe that their willingness to abide by the rules will eventually land them ahead.

Essay#2

Across the ages, storytelling has survived as the mode of discourse for the history of the world’s peoples. The Immigrant Narrative, synonymous with the American Dream Narrative, is, by its very nature, an extension of the time-honored tradition of storytelling, a blend of the literary and the cultural as a means of defining who we were, who we are, and who we become.  Within the complex, multi-layered structures of the immigrant narrative and its counterpart, the minority narrative, are elements of diversity, resistance, and assimilation that produce similarities but also differences in the story of the nation’s historical, literary, and cultural heritage.

In Soap and Water, the idea of America as a “’golden country’” emerges in the dreams of a young Jewish refugee, “nurtured on hopes of America” who seeks the fulfillment of her dream through the pursuit of an education (VA 109). Yet the path to success is not without hardship and disappointment.  Inevitably, the woman discovers the harsh reality behind the promise of the dream, a reality of slavish labor, alienation, and rejection.  Despite her valiant efforts, she must face the ultimate humiliation at the hands of the dominant culture, as she confronts the stereotype of the “dirty immigrant” in a system where being poor and foreign are often the ultimate sins. However, her indomitable spirit prevails, as she negotiates the pitfalls on her way to claiming part of the prize, reinforcing a basic tenet of the American Dream: individual effort counts and is instrumental in achieving the dream.  As such, the story satisfies the literary and cultural aspects of the narrative, as it combines the quest of the individual (Romanticism) with the sociological elements of social mobility, class discrimination and exploitation.

            Undeniably, Soap and Water offers a glimpse of the immigrant narrative from the point of view of the individual.  In Mohr’s The English Lesson, the pursuit of education as a means to a better life remains a central concern, yet the perspective broadens to present a microcosm of America in which the multiple aspects of the immigrant narrative emerge in the classroom setting.   Mrs. Hamma, a third generation German American, represents the immigrant narrative to completion.  Hers is a story of successful assimilation to a culture not unlike the one left behind two generations previously.  Her students, a diverse group of first generation immigrants, present a myriad of responses and expectations.  Lali, for instance, a young woman used to the protection of an extended family in a “sheltered environment,” finds herself thrust into a world at odds with her traditional upbringing, a world involving the development of an identity and life separate from that of being simply Rudi’s wife (IA 28).  In effect, Lali’s experiences expose her to change and the potential for conflict as the values of the old world meet those of the new, creating a shift in dynamics in terms of family, gender roles, and personal and social relationships.  As Lali’s situation indicates, the immigrant experience is not without risk and will often involve some kind of loss, sacrifice even, before anything is gained.

What becomes apparent is that the story of America is one of voluntary and involuntary participation in a dream that instills wonder and hope along with anger and despair. In exploring the differences between the narratives, we learn of the nation’s rich, diverse, and sometimes tragic history. As new narratives unfold, it will be interesting to discover how much has changed and if the Dream remains as elusive as ever. [YH]

Conclusion:

I have provided examples of essays that define the differences between the immigrant and minority narratives using slightly different views.  Both, however, touch on assimilation and the quest for the American Dream.  These examples should provide a better understanding of what is expected from our midterm.