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2018 Midterm1
(assignment) |
LITR 4340
American Immigrant Literature Model Assignments |
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Greg Bellomy
Inter-American (Im)migration
I am interested in the migratory patterns of Americans during the 19th
and 20th Centuries. All
the while that new people have been pouring into the United States from around
the world, millions of Americans have been forced to move from one part of the
nation (which spans a continent) to another. Most often, these moves have been
made (or forced) for political, economic, or social reasons. Some of the most
notable aspects of inter-American migrations might include black Americans
moving North to escape Jim Crow, farming populations being pressed into cities
by the dust bowl and the banking system, and white flight from urban areas into
suburban neighborhoods (and the resultant ghettoes that are left behind).
I feel that even though this research proposal is more centered on
migration than immigration, it offers some study that can be very relevant to
our course objectives. One possible benefit is to explore the difference between
immigration and migration – immigrants are most likely dealing with more drastic
cultural and social changes (plus a different language), but migrant peoples
must also deal with acculturation and assimilation to significant degrees. It
could also be worthwhile to examine how economic and political policies may have
been responsible for the displacement of people from their originating place.
The study might also shed some light onto whether these migrations were planned
and or orchestrated at an institutional level.
Anyhow, I am aware that this seems a little bit off the topic of the
course, but I am interested in taking up this study as a means of finding
commonality in experiences. Perhaps this course of study is most inspired by our
location, since Houston has one of the greatest transplant and immigrant
populations percentages in the United States. So, to end with a few questions:
what likenesses and differences do inter-American migrants and immigrants share
in their experiences? To what degree do the experiences share commonality? Are
there situations where the likenesses break down?
Logan Blair
The Irish
For my final paper I was thinking about going into how the Irish
immigrants came to America and their struggles that they face, also how they
adapt to America. I am interested in this topic because my family has a huge
part of Irish in them and I would like to learn about them. I’m aware that we do
not have many readings about these migrants, so I was going research on pieces
and hopefully find some in the library. I understand these immigrants had a lot
trouble coming into America too, I want to learn about this culture.
For the questions have about this topic is their any literature pieces
you can think of to help me further my research? Also, should I go a different
direction and work on different immigrants that we talk about frequently in
class? I am very excited either way to go deeper into this topic and learn
things from different cultures that I didn’t know already.
Tori Boone
Scottish/Irish Immigration to the U.S.: Clan Cleland
For my research proposal, I
would like to research immigration from Scotland/Ireland to America during the
late 1700s to early 1800s. My ancestors immigrated to America during this period
and I would like to learn more about everything that they might have went
through during the immigration process. I would also like to find out what they
may have done to assimilate to the dominant culture after arriving in America. I
found a resource detailing the first Cleland, Alexander Cleland, who is a
descendant from Sir William Wallace first recorded from Cleland, Scotland. I
also found another resource detailing the emigration of Arthur Cleeland in 1791
to Butler County, Pennsylvania. I plan to use these sources as a “jumping off”
point to further research Clan Cleland's history, and the process they underwent
emigrating to the United States.
Clan Cleland origin:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleland,_North_Lanarkshire
Emigration of Arthur
Cleeland to Butler County, Pennsylvania:
http://historicpittsburgh.org/islandora/object/pitt:US-QQS-mss831
Ruth Brown
Model Minorities and Transfer Students
I would like to focus my research report on Asian-American immigrants,
particularly on the idea of the “model minority.” I’m interested in this topic
because it seems like different expectations and standards than “normal”
immigrants face. I know we have read some Asian-American literature pieces
already this semester, such as “In the Land of the Free,” “In the American
Society,” and “What Color Would You Like Ma’am?” and they have been my favorite
ones and I would like to discover more.
I don’t know if examining the “model minority” is too broad, but if I should
narrow it down, I think it would be fascinating to examine the specific culture
within the “model minority” of transfer students within the U.S. Transfer
students are a different type of immigrant that I really have not heard that
much about and I wonder if their stories are similar or very different from
other immigrant stories. I know UHCL has transfer students from other countries,
and I have a friend who is a transfer student that I could interview for this
project. Do transfer students count as immigrants and could I do a full research
report on them or should I only write about it as one aspect of the “model
minority?”
Kirstyn Bullington
Haitian Identity
I’ve always had an interest in the Haitian community. As an evangelical
Christian, one of my dreams has been to visit Haiti, and embrace that community.
I serve in student ministry, and this is a place that is available to experience
as a mission trip. I’ve seen so many students go on mission and visit Haiti and
come back completely changed by the people. Changed because Haitian’s don’t have
much in terms of materialistic things but they are a community full of faith.
Again as a student ministry leader, this will help me to better speak into and
understand my junior high girls. Bringing them information about topics that
they necessarily wouldn’t know.
Preparing to write this report I became interested in doing my report about
Edwidge Danticat. She is a Haitian-American, and immigrated to New York at the
age of 4 years old. She is a strong advocate for Haiti and Haitians and their
education here in America. Researching about her immigration story, and if she
identifies as a minority or immigrant for my report. Most importantly, giving a
career overview and highlighting some of her major writings. However, could I
focus on her activism for Haitian education in America?
Justin Butler
A Change Gon’ Come
As a black
male wanting to always be closer to the roots of my lineage, I have always been
fascinated with black culture and the significant role it has throughout
history. We are all well aware of slavery and the momentous impact it has had
for a plethora of stories. However, I will utilize minority narratives, songs
and poems as an enlightenment for how slaves and minorities never lost hope and
knew a change was going to come.
FLIP SIDE
On the other hand, I am thinking about proceeding
with a study on black history. We are all familiar with Martin Luther King, Rosa
Parks, and Harriet Tubman. However, I say why stop there. There are so many
black people that have encouraged and are a true addition the minority narrative
and culture throughout history but are never acknowledge. I plan on shedding a
little light there way in doing so, while attempting to discover why we are only
taught a few in school during Black History Month when the number of them are
endless.
Grant Gitschlag
Jewish
Immigrants at a Time of Crisis (Research Topic)
The
probable topic for my research report might be about Jewish Immigrants. However,
there will be a focus on Jewish Immigrants during World War II. My friend’s
family often talks about the challenges and struggles that their family went
through during this time. It peaked my interest in what others may have faced in
immigrating during this time.
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum mentions that over 340,000
migrated from Germany and Austria. And roughly 100,000 of those who fled to
other European countries were killed in the holocaust. What this lets me know is
that Jewish Immigrants had trouble finding a place safe location from the threat
chasing them. I wish to find out more about how they adapted to migrating to
America.
Tanner House
Bonds of Oppression
I am
going to use transnationalism as a backup plan, but I have recently become very
interested in the idea that ethnic and racial identities are something of
tremendous value to individuals and communities, and should be celebrated and
preserved, but that they are also things that have been coopted and subverted by
a corrupt institution of power to install systematic oppressions and maintain
control over an increasingly strong and diverse populace. Basically, our
differences are being used to divide us when they could be being used to empower
us.
Jojo Hunter
Stuck Somewhere In-Between
I am
half white, half Hispanic, yet I grew up with only the white side of my family.
Because of this, I have had problems that minorities have experienced, yet I do
not necessarily identify as a minority. I also cannot identify as white because
my skin is not fair, but dark. I have been rejected by both the dominant culture
that I grew up in, and I have been dismissed as a “gringa” or “coconut” because
I lack all knowledge about being Hispanic. I have also been rejected by the
dominant culture for having darker skin, and have even been call “Spic” or
“nigger.” These things hurt me, because I never did anything to deserve being
called names, and I certainly had no hand in what my skin color would be. My son
is half white, quarter black, and quarter Hispanic, and fair skinned. However,
he identifies more closely with black culture (music, dance, speech) but he is
too young to realize this. I have wondered if he will be treated as I have been,
or if, because he simply looks like the dominant race, would he be treated
better?
I would
like to explore the topic of mixed race experiences from writers of all
ethnicities to determine whether or not my experiences relate closer to those of
minority or immigrant writers. I don’t know how many books, stories, or articles
have been written about being bi- or multi-racial, but I am curious to know if
other people have had similar experiences to my own as children or adults. I
want to know what commentary there is, and I would like to see if others have
come up with solutions to combat my identity crisis.
I found
a blog called the Experience Project that allows everyday people to share their
experiences about being bi- or multi-racial, so this is where I would like to
start.
http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-Biracial/432857
I found
a story on being of mixed race and racism here:
http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1019065
A short
essay on bi-racial identity:
https://wspucla.wordpress.com/2011/05/14/if-im-biracial-who-am-i-a-short-essay-about-the-problematic-nature-of-being-multiracial/
Poetry
by bi-racial people:
https://www.poetrysoup.com/poems/best/biracial
I would
like to know if this exploratory idea is okay with you, Dr. White.
Carrie Hutton
German Immigrants and Their
Journey to Being German-American
The
research report I would like to write about is literature from German
immigrants. The reason I chose this topic is because some of my ancestors are
German who immigrated to America. I spoke with my mother who informed me that my
Great, Great, Great Grandfather and his immediate family, his wife and children,
immigrated to America through Ellis Island around early 1900s. He was a doctor
and they moved to Johnstown, Colorado where he opened a practice. He and his
family assimilated through language and economically. They abandoned speaking
German and began learning and speaking English once in America. This story has
always interested me and I would like to research this further and also research
German-American narratives that describe other immigrants’ experiences.
Immigration has always interested me, but I have never truly researched it. I
think researching it through short-stories or narratives would be interesting. I
will also include factual information about the history of Germans and reasons
they might have immigrated to America. I will also research the struggles the
German immigrants faced when assimilating. Reading narratives and stories
written by German-American immigrants will give me an insight of their journeys
and struggles in America. In my essay I could include examples of types of
narratives, movies, and even perhaps businesses around the area. Below is a list
of possible resources and websites that can be used in furthering my research. I
will also include my family's story as a resource and I will interview more of
my family members. I have a few questions. Is research proposal acceptable and
how can I expand it further? Also, do you know any German-American stories or
short stories I could read?
https://www.worldoftales.com/German_folktales.html
http://www.wwnorton.com/college/history/archive/resources/documents/ch12_02.htm
https://loyolanotredamelib.org/php/report05/articles/pdfs/Report41Donaldson33-42.pdf
Anne Ngo
Asian-American Identity and Vietnamese Immigration
For my
research report, I would like to explore multicultural identity in relation to
second-generation Asian-Americans. As a second-generation Asian-American, I find
myself in between two cultures to identify myself with. Am I truly American? Am
I truly Vietnamese? As I have encountered through articles, other
Asian-Americans have similar struggles in feeling connected to both cultures. I
find that this situation reflects the stages of immigrant narratives in which
many second-generation Asian-Americans have gone past the fourth stage
(assimilation and loss of ethnic identity) and into the fifth stage (rediscovery
or reassertion of ethnic identity). An academic article that could help me with
my research is Sapna Cheryn and Benoit Monin’s
Where Are You Really From: Asian Americans and Identity Denial. This
article offers insight on the Asian-Americans’ struggle with identity, relating
to the topic I am interested in researching. Thus, this is a potential subject
area that I could write for my research report.
Additionally, I am also interested in researching Vietnamese immigration
to the United States. As a Vietnamese-American, I have been personally
interested in learning Vietnamese diaspora, and I would like to learn more about
Vietnamese immigration to America. An article that I could use for my research
on Vietnamese immigration is from the
Encyclopedia of the Great Plains, sponsored by the University of Nebraska-
Lincoln. The article provides history that I have not learned about before:
Vietnamese immigration to the Great Plains. I think this article is a potential
source that I could use for my research report.
Thus,
these two topics hold a great interest for me. As I continue thinking about my
research report, I will choose one of these topics to explore.
Clark Omo (initial proposal)
Alienating Materialism
I propose for my research project to trace the attitudes toward cultural materialism expressed by American immigrants encountered in the literature studied thus far in the semester. I shall pull from texts such as Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson”, Dr. Ihedigbo’s excerpt from Sandals in the Snow, Le Ly Hayslip’s excerpt from Child of War, Woman of Peace and other examples that represent American immigrants’ attitudes toward the importance and acquisition of material wealth, as well as its important to American culture. So far studied, these attitudes range from initial feelings of abhorrence and alienation to eventual feelings of acceptance, tentative and otherwise.
Analyzing such feelings held by American immigrants will lend greater insight into differing cultural attitudes toward what most Americans take for granted, as well as some of the underlying detriments that accompany such an overly-bountiful society such as ours, especially when compared to the lacking conditions that some of the immigrants in this body of literature have previously escaped. Understanding the role that materialism plays in American cultural interplay from an immigrant’s perspective highlights the effects that materialism has upon American society as a whole, as well as acknowledges critical attitudes and the pitfalls of a culture that places so much emphasis upon commercialization and over-abundance of commodity choices.
Clark Omo (replacement proposal)
Tracing the Italian Immigrants
For my
research project, I plan to trace the immigratory paths of the Italian to the
United States of America. In doing so, I shall examine the period in which they
chose to emigrate from Italy, along with the reasons for why they chose to
leave, and then start anew in the United States. I will then transition into
discussing what obstacles they faced while leaving their homeland, the
challenges they met in coming to America, along with the barriers they
encountered upon trying to establish themselves in their new home. From here, I
think it would do great benefit to trace the contributions the Italians have
made to American culture as well as identity in many areas, including the
aesthetic practices and culinary arts. This study should shed light upon a
unique and critical immigrant group whose own distinct experience in immigrating
to the US has so penetrated American culture that it was pivotal and integral in
giving America its own customary color. And by doing so, perhaps it can be
revealed just how much the Italian Americans have managed to retain their
original traditions, and, subsequently, see how much the Italian Americans have
adapted to the cultural demands of the New World.
The
reason for my choosing of this topic is personal to a degree. My mother’s side
of the family is dominantly Italian, with my grandfather on her side being the
progenitor. I think it would not only give me greater understanding into the
Italian American identity, but also a bit of a glance into my own family
history. As a further note, I would also like to see how the Italian Americans
migrated to Texas, as well as examine how and what they contributed Texan
subculture, giving the unique zest to the highly diverse and variegated history
of the Texan.
Taylor Prejean
Proud to be Cajun:
“Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler”
For my final
research report, I am considering writing about the history of the French
Acadians. I have briefly researched the French Acadians to get a better
understanding of their history. I learned that they are now mainly located in
Nova Scotia, Canada. Also, I learned that they migrated and settle in Louisiana
between 1765-1785. According to The Acadians in Louisiana official website,
Acadians made their way to Louisiana from the French West Indies and Maryland.
To go into further detail, I want to research the troubles they face(d) when
coming to America. I want to research stories, fictional and non-fictional, and
real examples of people who have been through the struggles and what all they
encountered in order to get assimilated.
To start off,
my question is, what happened to make them become known as “Cajuns” instead of
“Acadians”? And why of all places did they decide to settle in Louisiana? Were
they forced to go there? I am choosing this topic because it has always been a
personal interest of mine. My family is from Louisiana and I have always taken
much pride in being Cajun-French. I love everything that has to do with being
Cajun, such as the culture, lifestyle, food, and music. I would love to learn
more about where my family roots came from and what it took to get them here. I
am looking forward to doing this research.
Breanna Runnels
Research Proposal
I would like to write about Jewish immigrant group and their struggles in
their homeland as well as when they travelled here. I would like to develop
research on their role in the dominant culture or inversely their separation
from the dominant culture. I would like to explore the Jewish-American
literature group and how their language differs from other immigrant groups.
It would be beneficial to study one area of Jews, like Syrian Jews for
example. I’m indecisive on the exact route I would like to take. My main
interest is doing a report on the Jewish culture and rituals that have withheld
even through assimilation to the dominant culture.
Ryan Smith
Annie Tran
Journey to America and the Struggles of Assimilation
I am stuck between two topics, but I am leaning towards the first:
Vietnamese American and the refugee stories OR human trafficking (the raising
awareness and advocacy angle).
The reason why I chose the topic on Vietnamese American and the refugee
stories is because I’ve always wanted to know more about the history behind how
I came to be born in America. I know a lot through hearing stories that my
family and relatives tell and retell, but I have not taken the initiative or
have had the time to research the historical, political, and social background
of the Vietnam War and the Fall of Saigon.
In this past year, I have been wanting to write a book about my parents’
8 year separation because of the war, their struggles during and after the war,
their reunion in America, and the hardships of adapting to life in a completely
foreign land. Doing this research on
Vietnamese Americans would not only be interesting, but it would also be the
basis for possibly writing a book about my parents’ journey to America. That’s
an intimidating idea though. My
research methods would include interviews, reading literature written on the
subject (like the ones we read in class), and looking at sources in our library
and reputable and scholarly online databases.
The human trafficking issue has been on my heart in the past several
years. This crime has been going on
for decades, but only in recent years are people realizing the gravity of the
issue. Celebrities are now using
their fame to be a platform for raising awareness.
This is a topic I would like to explore and research because it is a
cause that can benefit from more research and be used as a vehicle to raise
awareness and encourage advocacy. I
don’t know a ton of information on human trafficking besides the information
that I gain from being involved in organizations that actively fight human
trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Reading excerpts from The Interesting
Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, . . . the African reminded me of
the modern day slavery, human trafficking, and sexual exploitation that are so
prevalent in the world today.
Further research on this topic would include interviews with staffs of the
organizations I mentioned, researching websites that offer information about
human trafficking, and looking at online databases as well.
Some of
the sources that I have briefly researched so far:
Avdan,
Nazli. "Human Trafficking and Migration Control Policy: Vicious Or Virtuous
Cycle?” Journal of Public Policy, vol. 32, no. 3, 2012, pp. 171.
Birman,
Dina, and Nellie Tran. "Psychological Distress and Adjustment of Vietnamese
Refugees in the United States: Association with Pre- and Postmigration Factors." American
Journal of Orthopsychiatry, vol. 78, no. 1, 2008, pp. 109-120
Jie Zong
and Jeanne Batalova. “Vietnamese Immigrants in the United States.” Migration
Information Source, 8 June 2016,
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/vietnamese-immigrants-united-states.
Accessed 23 Feb. 2018
Tammy Tran
The Collectivist Identity
I plan on
researching two common ideologies that mold how certain people view their
identity, values, and actions: individualism and collectivism. If I need to
narrow down the topic, then I will specifically research on collectivism because
most Americans have individualistic ideologies that they may take for granted
and examining collectivism will help me and others understand at least one
identity of people from generally collectivist countries. In other words,
immigrants may come from collectivist countries, so understanding collectivism
helps us better understand how immigrants view themselves and their experiences,
which shapes the immigrant narrative.
For
credibility, I will use scholarly articles for my research. I predict the
articles will cover a specific population from different countries, but if I
need to narrow down to a specific group or country then I can. As for prior
knowledge, I know collectivism is the value of group benefits over individual
benefits, while individualism values oneself over a group. Additionally, as I
have said before, it changes the priorities of one’s values and ultimately
shapes how one sees themselves and the world.
