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Sample Student final exam answers 2019
(2019 final exam assignment) Part 1: Essays: dominant culture overview |
LITR 4340
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Lauren Kruse
14 May 2019
America: The Great Stew Pot
My
initial understanding of the immigrant and minority narratives was rather
elementary, and I will admit to having previously conflated the two.
Immigrants, however, as noted for purposes of this course, are
individuals who come to America from other countries by their own choice,
among other characteristics. Minorities, on the other hand, are
individuals who have come to America not of their own will, such as the
African slaves; or as in the case of American Indian and Inuit peoples, they
were already inhabiting the land before it became America, thus having no choice
in the matter. Immigrants and minorities resemble each other, however, in that
they both experience discrimination and rejection at some point, on behalf of
the dominant culture. At a later
phase in these narratives, immigrants and minorities will again differ as they
approach the issue of assimilation. While the immigrant will assimilate to the
dominant culture and embody the values and ideals of the “American Dream,” the
minority will tend to reject assimilation and any influence of the dominant
culture.
As is often the case when dealing with the variables of human kind, however, the
narrative of the New World immigrant demonstrates that there are rarely any
absolutes when classifying people groups.
In the narratives of those who have emigrated from their New World
homelands, there is often a blurring between the lines of immigrant and
minority. The struggle between assimilation and acculturation, compounded with
the racial bias of darker skin-tones and language barriers, makes these
immigrants often find themselves in a new land, only to be grouped into the
existing labels of many minority groups—thus facing a potentially greater
struggle from the beginning. Lastly, it is helpful to understand the baseline
for comparison, with which the immigrant and minority narratives are compared;
the dominant culture. Understanding
the origin of this group, as well as some of the features and characteristics
allows a greater understanding of the difficulties faced by the immigrant and
minority, as well as a more complete image of American culture and society.
The immigrant narrative, as mentioned above, begins with choice. The initial
choice to leave the homeland (whether for adventure, career, or safety) is the
first phase of the narrative, intertwining with the following phase—the voyage
to America. Though a potentially difficult time of leaving behind family and
familiarity, for the immigrant, this is also an exciting time of promised hopes
and dreams. In the opening lines of
In the Land of the Free, Hom Hing’s words of promise to her son as they
arrive in San Francisco, tell of the immigrant’s hope upon entering American
borders - “See, Little One - the hills in the morning sun. There is thy happy
home for years to come. It is very
beautiful and thou wilt be very happy there,” (IV, p. 3).
Here the reader gets a glimpse of the hope of the immigrant upon arrival
from their home land.
A sharp contrast to Hom Hing’s hope and excitement upon arrival, is the story of
Olaudah Equiano. Equiano, a young boy captured and taken from his home in
Benin, and thrown into the slave trade, exemplifies the minority narrative in
that he does not choose to go to America. In fact, he is terrified and appalled
as he encounters the abuse and atrocities of slavery.
In The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano...The
African, Equiano’s telling of his arrival to Virginia is that he, “...had no
person to speak to that [he] could understand.” Far from the hopeful dreams of
the immigrant, Equiano spent his time in Virginia, “...constantly grieving and
pining, and wishing for death rather than anything else,” (Ch. 3, par. 2).
Equiano, the epitome of the minority narrative, had no choice in the
matter of his journey to America and was fiercely resistant to the idea.
Once immigrants arrive in America, and begin to settle in, their narratives
begin to show similarities to that of the minority narrative. During this third
stage, immigrants will typically experience forms of discrimination and
resistance from the dominant culture.
This resistance may be driven by racial and ethnic tensions or may be due
to cultural differences. Le Ly Hayslip writes of the discrimination she
experienced after emigrating from Vietnam during the Vietnam war in her memoir
Child of War, Woman of Peace. During a trip to the grocery store,
Hayslip encounters a young clerk who looked at her with a look of, “...hate and
fear and sorrow,” (IV, p. 110,111) Trying to think of why he might look at her
with eyes like “glowing embers,” Hayslip wrestles with her past in Vietnam and
the tensions of war and grief. Later, she struggles to gain the acceptance of
her husband’s family, only to face resistance at every turn.
“I redoubled my efforts to impress Leatha and Erma in the only way I
knew,” shew writes, “by working harder and longer than anyone, but this tactic
only widened the gap between us,” (IV, p. 114).
From house-cleaning and child-rearing, to preparing meals, no matter how
hard she tried to assimilate Hayslip’s efforts did not seem to be recognized or
accepted.
Similarly, minorities often face discrimination or resistance from the dominant
culture, such as in the case of Equiano. As an African slave, Equiano is bought
and sold as if he were horse-flesh, only ever intended to serve his purpose as a
slave; to work for others, for free, with little more than the basic necessities
for living. Patricia Smith, an African American, writes in her poem
Blonde White Women, of an encounter
with a school-teacher as a young girl.
After embracing her teacher in a hug, Smith recalls, “But when she pried
/ Me away, her cool blue eyes shining with / righteousness and too much to touch
/ I saw how much she wanted to wash,” (Lines 42-45). This brief interaction
impacts the young Smith profoundly, as she feels the rejection from this symbol
of the dominant culture, her teacher and idol.
After a time of rejection, the immigrant will then turn to assimilation, as a
means of procuring the “American Dream,”- success. Buying into a social
contract of sorts, immigrants conclude that to succeed as an American, one must
act like an American. Simply put, follow their rules and you too can win the
game. One recurring point of
assimilation is that of the American standards for cleanliness and smell (or
lack thereof). In Sandals in the Snow, Onyii Ihedigbo recalls, “When I
was seven or eight years old, kids used to whisper and say that I and my
brothers smelled.” The Ihedigbos go on to incorporate the use of deodorant and
shampoo (instead of just bar soap) as a means of assimilation.
As a long-term result of that encounter, Onyii reveals her current
sensitivity to smell, “I instantly want odors eliminated as soon as I smell
them,” (IV, p. 167). Furthermore, the journey of assimilation witnessed through
Gish Jen’s In the American Society, invites readers to watch as the Chang
family, having emigrated from China, navigate the ups and downs of assimilation.
Ralph Chang, the patriarch of the family, proudly proclaims, “Those Americans
always saying it...Smart guys thinking in advance,” as he takes over the pancake
house as a way to afford sending his daughters to college (IA, p. 159). The
rest of the family also embrace elements of American society, as the daughters
dress and talk like Americans and Mrs. Chang develops opinions and ideas about
“herself and about America, and about what was what in general,” (IA, p. 159).
These two families demonstrate some of the cultural shifts, both within the
family and through their interactions with others, that immigrants will employ
as a means of successful assimilation.
In contrast to the immigrant, minorities will typically resist assimilation as a
means of protesting the dominant culture. The most forceful example of this
resistance can be found in Chrystos’ poem, I Have Not Signed a Treaty With
the United States Government. The opening line, the poem’s title, offers
clear resistance to the dominant culture. Through the statement, “Therefore, we
declare the United States a crazy person / nightmare lousy food ugly clothes bad
meat / nobody we know…” the reader can feel the disdain and resentment towards
the dominant culture’s influence from this American Indian’s perspective (Lines
5-7). In the final lines of Blonde White Women, Patricia Smith comes to
the realization that she no longer wants to look like the “blonde white women”
that she sees, embracing her image as an African American, “I pulse, steady my
eyes, / shake the snow from my short black hair, / and suddenly I am surrounded
by snarling madonnas / demanding that I explain / my treachery,” (Lines 57-61).
The final phase of the immigrant story can be evidenced several generations
later, as there is typically a rediscovery of one’s ethnic identity. This may
come through mere curiosity or a desire to maintain a connection to cultural
roots; through learning the native language, observing cultural holidays, or
even food types. This final stage
of their narrative demonstrates the luxury of the immigrant, as they have the
option and ability to return to their roots.
Minorities, however, often do not possess the luxury of that option.
In the story Elethia, the
dominant culture’s resistance to the assimilation of the Black minorities in
evidenced in the fact that Blacks were not allowed to dine in the restaurant;
though they were permitted to work there (IA, p. 307).
Even though the minority group was attempting to assimilate to the
dominant culture in some way, they faced continued resistance and were
considered mere objects for work and entertainment
While the distinct differences between the immigrant and minority narratives are
present and identifiable, there are no concretes when dealing with the variables
of humankind. When presented with
the narratives of New World immigrants, I discovered that there is yet another
layer of complexity and blurring between the immigrant and minority narratives.
With the New World immigrants coming from Central and South America, as
well as Cuba, and the many islands of the Caribbean, the mere proximity of their
homeland and history of US involvement alone, complicates the matter.
Unlike the European and Asian immigrants of the 1800s, immigrants from Barbados
(for example) come to America having experienced life as a minority in the eyes
of the dominant culture before they even set foot on American soil. The
grandmother in To Da-Duh, In Memoriam,
though she lives in Barbados and has never traveled to America exhibits evidence
of the discrimination from the dominant culture as she “like[s] her
grandchildren to be “white,” that is, fair-skinned,” (IA, p. 369). Later, the
writer confirms her grandmother’s notion that white is superior, as she tells
her Da-Duh that, “The white people have even better,” better appliances, homes,
and the like (IA, p. 374). Her
Da-Duh is further shocked at hearing that her young, black granddaughter has
been “Beating up white people,” an unimaginable act in her own childhood (IA, p.
374).
The discrimination faced by New World immigrants also extends to those from
Latin American countries, as discussed in
Silent Dancing, causing some to seek assimilation at all possible
opportunities. Judith Ortiz Cofer
writes of immigrating to New York as a Puerto Rican and the resistance faced in
the midst of an influx of Latino immigrants.
While her father’s fair skin would have allowed him to pass as European,
she notes that she, her mother and siblings, had dark hair and olive complexion
– making it harder for them to assimilate.
This story further illustrates the immigrant’s desire to assimilate, and
the minority’s rejection of the dominant culture through the differing actions
of Cofer’s father and mother. While
her father made every effort to assimilate his family, so as to ease their
transition into American life, her mother seems to try at every moment to remain
immersed in the Puerto Rican culture. Similarly, in Pat Mora’s poem
Immigrants, she begins with the
immigrant parent’s desire to immerse their children in the dominant culture -
to, “wrap their babies in the American flag, / feed them mashed hot dogs and
apple pie…” (Lines 1,2). Yet once the child is asleep, the parents return to
speaking in their native tongue, uncertain of what the future holds for their
children. This internal tension and uncertainty of identity is witnessed through
many stories of New World immigrants.
The ability to embrace the ancestral culture, much like that of the final stage
of the immigrant narrative, combined with the tendency to feel pressured to
assimilate, is beautifully approached in Martin Espada’s poem
Coca-Cola and Coco Frio.
Telling of a little “fat boy,” who thirsts for a taste of his Puerto
Rican culture, wandering “from table to table / with his mouth open,” as he
seeks a taste of Coco Frio (Lines 4,5).
Yet each time he approaches a taste of the old world he is steered back
to the dominant culture, Coca-Cola.
Once he manages to drink from the chilled coconut, filling his belly with the
culture he so desires, he is forever changed by the experience; now torn between
the familiarity of the dominant culture and the richness of Puerto Rico, his
motherland and her rich culture.
This poem exemplifies the seeking of balance between assimilation and
acculturation found within the New World immigrant narratives.
The immigrant and minority narratives, each with their own unique qualities,
both have one thing in common. They
must interact with the dominant culture in some way.
The history of how America’s dominant culture was established is complex,
at times frustrating and disappointing and fascinating.
Though it has been established as a distinct marker, noting the
difference between immigrants, minorities and “true Americans,” members of the
dominant culture were also once weary travelers in search of a better life.
Much like the many immigrants to have landed on the American shores, the
Pilgrims traveled from England and Holland in search of freedom and the hope of
a better life. Motivated by the
desire for religious freedom, the Pilgrims left England for the more
religiously-free Holland, where they remained for twelve years.
Upon the discovery that their children were beginning to assimilate to
the Dutch culture, the Pilgrims chose to sail for the New World, a place “being
devoid of all civil inhabitants, where there are only savage and brutish men
which range up and down, little otherwise than the wild beasts of the same,” as
told in Of Plymouth Plantation (ch.
4, par. 7). Though immigrants to a new land, the Pilgrims had no intentions of
assimilating to the currently established culture, instead planning on pursuing
their own wishes for establishing a society.
Along with their firearms and Protestant (specifically, Puritan)
religious beliefs, the Pilgrims brought their beliefs of hard work and working
for the common good. The value of
these principles can still be seen in modern-day American culture, especially in
times of tragedy (such as after a natural disaster), when communities gather
together and help one another.
While the dominant culture has never been one to assimilate, rather having
others assimilate to them, Crevecour writes in his letter
What is An American?
he writes of “a modern society [that] offers itself to his contemplation,
different from what he had hitherto seen,” (3.2). One where the people “are
mixture of English, Scotch, Irish, French, Dutch, Germans, and Swedes. From this
promiscuous breed, that race now called Americans have arisen,” (3.4).
Here we catch a glimpse of the origin of the concept of America’s
“Melting Pot” metaphor, and the idea that the many different cultures blend
together to become one. However, as
Crevecour journeys to the southern states, he is faced with an entirely
different way of life. As he
describes his horror at witnessing the practice of slavery and the chasm that
exists between rich and poor, black and white. Here, the dominant cultures dark
past of discrimination and abuse of minorities is all too evident.
While the history of the dominant culture’s oppression of minorities can be
predominantly focused on its connection to skin color (and is fairly done so),
the history of the Scots-Irish is also worth mentioning as a piece of the
dominant culture, and also a recipient of resistance from the dominant culture.
Having emigrated from the British Isles, the Scots-Irish cam to America
as a rough group of peoples, ready and able to fight and carry out manual labor
for the more elite populations.
This group often characterized as red-neck, evangelical, angry white men, though
a very visible part of the dominant culture of todays America, also exhibits
characteristics found among many minorities.
J. D. Vance writes in Hillbilly
Elegy, the low standards of education, limited social mobility, strong ties
to tradition and the family, and the epidemic of drug use found among many
members of the poorer Scots-Irish.
Writing from his personal experiences, Vance recalls that he himself nearly
“gave in to the deep anger and resentment harbored by everyone around me,” (p.
2). This bitterness towards the
surrounding cultures, closely mirrors the resistance that many minorities harbor
towards the dominant culture. However, the Scots-Irish possess something that
will always place them in the category of the dominant culture, no matter their
differences – their physical resemblance to some of the most elite among the
dominant culture.
Learning to recognize and appreciate the differences between the immigrant and
minority narratives and identifying some of the features of the dominant
culture, has been an intriguing opportunity for me, and one which I am looking
forward to continuing. I am learning to recognize that there are no absolutes
in any classification, with elements of the immigrant, minority and dominant
culture bleeding into one another, creating gray areas and offering surprising
discoveries. I have found the
additional complexities of the New World Immigrant’s narrative to not only
further complicate the classification of immigrant and minority, but also to
demonstrate the richness of each individual’s story. Many of the stories I
encountered in this course, demonstrated that immigrants might face rejection at
one moment, yet in the next they are assimilating, only to experience rejection
at the following turn. Likewise, minorities struggle with the experience of
discrimination, assimilation and rejecting assimilation throughout their life.
Also, exploring the lasting influence of the dominant culture, who were
once immigrants themselves, and noticing areas where the dominant culture has
shifted, is a reminder that society and its people are not static – continuing
to evolve, steeped in the richness of the immigrant, minority and dominant
culture.
