Tuesday, 24 June 2008: Web highlight (2006 midterms): Kristin Hamon

Purposes of midterm exam:

1. Web Review: Students practice online self-instruction while potentially extending previous seminars' work. Your answers in turn serve as models to help instructor and future students.
2. Long essay: Students demonstrate knowledge of representative texts and critical thinking on the immigrant narrative as a standard for discussing American multicultural literature.

Two parts to midterm exam (details below)

1. Web Review: Review student submissions from previous semesters (both undergraduate and graduate offerings), especially in the Model Assignments on course webpage. (60+ minutes)
2. Long essay: Evaluate “immigrant / minority” distinction as organizing motif for multicultural literature (90-120 minutes)

Introduction

I attempted to organize all of my sample postings in a way that would not only give a breadth of options in styles and analysis, but also in organization. I wanted to provide various ways in which to approach the midterm assignment and also point out some great attributes and areas for improvement in a couple of the example postings in order to better equip our seminar for success.

Web Review Example #1– A Posting from K. Fisher

Active Link to K. Fisher’s Summer 2006 Midterm Web Review

http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/hsh/Whitec/LITR/4333/models/20065731/midterm/mt06wr/mt06wrfisher.htm.

Fishers’s Link to Reviewed Submission: http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/LITR/4333/models/
2006/midterm/mt06esssampro.htm

This submission begins by talking about society’s inability to tell immigrants from minorities.  It is true, as the author states, that the two categories mirror each other to a point that without proper education, their differences are invisible.  I’ve found in this submission, the true spirit of the course, to gain the ability to see beyond the commonalities of the terms and see for myself the unique situations that immigrants and minorities are forced to face.  This isn’t a small feat, considering I’ve grown up as an active participant of the dominant culture - after all, as a white male who is more dominant than I?   Also, I enjoy the author’s view point on Mexican Americans.  The author points out their ambivalent status, since part of their country now belongs to the United States, some Mexican Americans didn’t migrate here, but we suddenly inside the United States after a sudden change in federal borders.

Comments on Web Review Example #1

Strength(s)

·         Great organization – very “clean” and easy to find the essay reviewed and understand his reaction (including hyperlinks were very helpful)

·         Concise

·         Mentions major premise of “ambivalent minority” existing in Mexican Americans

Weakness(es)

·         Even with education, it is hard to separate distinction between groups

·         Explains that he is able to go beyond “commonalities” but doesn’t specify in what way. Is he completely rid of all characteristics of the dominant culture?

Web Review Example #2– A Posting from K. Daniel

Active Link to K. Daniel’s Summer 2006 Midterm Web Review

http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/hsh/Whitec/LITR/4333/models/20065731/midterm/mt06wr/mt06wrdaniel.htm.

The next essay I read was Penny O’Neal’s, Be Careful What You Wish For.  This was not a midterm, but rather a research project.  In it Penny discusses the ideas of guilt and irony in the stories of Baldwin and Rodriguez.  I really liked her discussion of irony as that was the same recurring theme I picked up on when reading these pieces, especially Baldwin’s.  She does a great critique of the irony of Baldwin using the dominant culture’s educational system to allow him to become successful, and thus “attack” the very culture that gave him the skills to do so.  I think this is a common problem with minority culture.  She also addresses the idea of Rodriguez’s guilt at assimilating to the point of losing his native language.  Honestly, I think this is a sensitive issue that does not receive that attention it is begging for.  Of course one is more successful if one learns the native language of the culture they are living in.  How could it be any other way?  The better spoken a person is, the easier they work and live in society.  Rodriguez obviously agonizes over his loss of his native tongue and O’Neal does a good job of analyzing this. 

Comments on Web Review Example #2

Strength(s)

·         Looked at a research project (did not simply review midterms)

·         Refers to concepts of guilt and irony as a thematic link between Baldwin and Rodriguez

·         Goes in depth into discussion that student brings out and comments on the effectiveness of the arguments made by the student.

Weakness(es)

·         Other postings were not equal in strength (as far as depth is concerned)

Web Review Example #3– A Posting from W. Reed

Active Link to W. Reed’s Summer 2006 Midterm Web Review

http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/hsh/Whitec/LITR/4333/models/20065731/midterm/mt06wr/mt06wrreed.htm.

(POSTING REVIEWED) Mexican-Americans, the “ambivalent minority,” also find themselves in this last group, caught between the American Dream and the American Nightmare. Since Mexico at one time holds much of what is today America, Mexican-Americans sometimes have difficulty reconciling their feelings of patriotism for their homeland with those of their newly-adopted country. In Nash Candelaria’s short story El Patron, Tito turns his back on his father’s beliefs, defying him by refusing to register for the draft. Tito bases his decision to do so on the principle of the matter—Tito believes that his social conscience takes precedence over one’s patriotic duty to any country. Tito’s father views this defiance as an insult, since El Señor Martinez has embraced this country as his own—total assimilation. Tito typifies the ambivalent minority, however, because although he embraces some aspects of American culture—he does enjoy eating at fast food restaurants—he abhors other facets of American culture, such as its meddling in other country’s affairs—perhaps viewing this as another incarnation of the country’s earlier policy of Manifest Destiny, now extended globally. Although many of the immigrant cultures are structured along the lines of the “extended family” concept, many will not embrace their “Uncle Sam” when he comes to visit their own country.

(W. REED’S RESPONSE) When I began writing about the New World Immigrants in my essay I nearly hijacked this idea, planning to add on to it a little bit.  But as I was writing it I could help but be reminded how American it is to defy the government and how much this idea differed from the “el patron” idea of absolute fealty to one’s leaders.  Though I think this is well thought out and I like the way this person described America’s meddling in other countries as parallel to Manifest Destiny that took land away from Mexico, I disagree that Tito is an ambivalent minority.  I think the struggle lies with his father coming to terms with the American philosophy of democracy, that when a government is wrong it is the people’s duty to make a change.

Comments on Web Review Example #3

Strength(s)

·         Nice organizational choices (setting the chosen points of discussion in blue and his responses to those selections in green)

·         Was not afraid to question the student or disagree with a given opinion

·         After exposing a point of contention, the student offered another possible way of looking at the struggle between Tito and his father (did not simply point out where the author was “wrong”)

Weakness(es)

·         Could have expose other arguments or stylistic choices that were done well

·         Lacked overall conclusion to review of students’ work or leaning gained from review

Long Essay Example #1– A Posting from K. Rearick

Active Link to K. Rearick’s Summer 2006 Midterm Long Essay Submission

http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/hsh/Whitec/LITR/4333/models/20065731/midterm/mt06ess/mt06essrearick.htm.

America is a country built by immigrants; it is only logical, therefore, that the immigrant narrative is a fundamental story line for organizing American multicultural literature. Immigrant literature has a distinct form and common characteristics that appear repeatedly within the genre, and it is the primary means by which the American Dream has achieved mythical status within our society. The immigrant experience requires that, for a time at least, an individual must remain an “outsider,” a position that allows the immigrant author to observe the commonalities and differences, and the opportunities and exploitation, which affect numerous marginalized groups within society. Because the immigrant narrative is often a commentary on the minority experience, too, as well as the dominant culture, it is an all-purpose tool for defining the American experience.

For the purpose of organization within this class, we have examined the immigrant experience in terms of three basic groups—Immigrant, Minority, and New World Immigrant—as well as each of these groups’ relationship to the dominant culture. In exploring the dynamics of each of these groups within American society, I have found it useful to ask three basic questions about each one: First, why did the particular group or individual come here? Second, what were their experiences in adapting to life in the United States? And third, how did their experiences affect their attitudes of either assimilation or resistance to the dominant culture? These questions coincide fairly well with the five basic stages of the immigrant narrative outlined in Course Objective 2, and the answers to these questions explain a great deal about the American experience each group encounters.

Early in my graduate school career, I became embroiled in a heated debate when I arrogantly insisted that true oppression in this country no longer exists, that oppression is a self-inflicted wound that certain groups use to avoid hard work. My work over the past two years, especially in classes such as this one, has changed my own worldview tremendously. The value, then, in the study of immigrant and minority literature is apparent in my very own character, and my perception of the United States as a multicultural nation has been deepened by my ability to understand and empathize with people I never thought I would identify with.

Comments on Essay Example #1

Strength(s)

·         Exceptional organization within structure of essay (clear and thoughtful intent apparent in organizational choices)

·         Moved seamlessly from one stage to another allowing for easy movement between stages and questions being answered

·         Multiple and grounded examples referring back to texts that supported each movement or question asked

Weakness(es)

·         Not too many! I loved this one!

Long Essay Example #2– A Posting from A. Noblitt

Active Link to A. Noblitt’s Summer 2006 Midterm Long Essay Submission

http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/hsh/Whitec/LITR/4333/models/20065731/midterm/mt06ess/mt06essnoblitt.htm.

According to our objectives, one of the main differences between minorities and immigrants are their journey to the United States rather than their skin color.  The difference between the two, though, should end there.  Unfortunately there is an overpowering force called the Dominant Culture, which demands that immigrants and minorities alike should sacrifice their own culture to the American Dream.  This false idol asks that they give up so much of themselves, but it does not guarantee success in return. 

First generation immigrants, such as the father in Gish Jen’s story, “In the American Society,” are more reluctant to sacrifice their past to the American Dream, but the second and third generation immigrants cannot wait to “fit in” with the Dominant Culture and are usually happy to throw their culture away.  The daughters in Jen’s story cannot wait to be able to join the country club and they push their mother to join and use the prejudice of the country club members to get them invited to a country club function.

Comments on Essay Example #2

Strength(s)

·         Stories mentioned are closely related to her subject matter

Weakness(es)

·         Lacked clear organizational structure in which the reader can clearly understand the intent of the essay

·         Some of the textual examples are only briefly mentioned then she quickly moves on

·         Conclusion lacked same strength and insight seen in other previous student’s closing

Conclusion

This review was extremely helpful in that I started understanding importance of organization choices and the impact they make on a student’s overall presentation of his or her ideas. I really loved having the opportunity to read several different students’ opinions and seeing the way in which they responded to similar themes or patterns of assimilation that have been discussed in class. Studying other students’ work also reminded me that the most important part of the midterm endeavor is to expose how much the student has learned and then, ideally, everything else should “fall into place.”