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2019 Midterm2
(assignment) Sample Midterm2 Answers Part 1: Essays on Immigrants, Minorities, and New World Immigrants |
LITR 4340
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Virginia Deleon
4-9-19
Part 1:
Essay- The Great American Mosaic
Although immigration might seem like a hot
current event, the concept of immigration is nothing new for the U.S. In fact,
the great nation of America was founded by immigrants. From the very first
pilgrim settlers in 1620, who came to the new world escaping religious
persecution—to
the families escaping drug violence in Latin America in 2019—immigrants
have always been at the heart of this nation. Whether it be for religious
freedom, economic opportunity, or simply to have a better life, people from all
over the world have sought after the American dream. The minority narrative,
however, differs greatly from the immigrant identity. Minorities, like African
Americans, did not choose to come to America. They were brought here against
their will or simply ended up on U.S. soil for various reasons. Similarly, New
World immigrants are an interesting combination of both the immigrant and
minority identity. Often, New World immigrants come to America voluntarily;
however, they may come from nations with a past of involuntary contact or
oppression from the U.S. or other countries. By taking a closer look into the
literature of immigrants, minorities, and New World immigrants, one can better
understand how they make up the vibrant mosaic that is America.
Often, immigrants are forced to leave their
homelands due to violence and oppression. In Le Ly Hayslip’s compelling
testimony Child of War, Woman of Peace we read a first-hand account from the
experience of a Vietnamese immigrant during times of war. Hayslip was born to a
working class family consisting of peasants and farmers. When the conflicts
between North and South Vietnam began to rise, Hayslip was forced to become
involved. In the years following, her young life would become permanently
stained by the tragedies of war. As she herself states in the memoir, “Before
youth has left, old age has come” (IV 113). Here, Hayslip comments on the fact
that immigrants are often forced to grow up faster than others. Although she
eventually immigrates safely to America in order to start a new life—the
scars of her past take some time to disappear.
Sandals in the Snow, Rose Ihedigbo’s powerful
memoir, tells a similar tale about immigrants fleeing to the U.S. for freedom
and safety. After having experienced the perils of the Nigerian Civil War during
the 60’s and 70’s, Ihedigbo’s family moves to the U.S. for educational
opportunities. Here, they start a new life despite the struggles of assimilation
and discrimination from their white peers. As stated in the memoir, “As
Africans, the Ihedigbo children were used to being different” (IV 163). The
Ihedigbos were proud of their Nigerian roots. They had a deep respect for their
elders, a strong work ethic, and a love of sports. Yet, no matter how hard they
tried, they understood they did not quite “fit in” (IV 163). Assimilation was
difficult for the Ihedigbos, and it can be difficult for many other immigrants
as well.
In Christine Moon Ko’s What Color Would You
Like, Ma’am? we see the struggles of the young son of Asian immigrants who is
torn between assimilating to the U.S. and the desire to please his traditional
family. In the short story, Thien waits eagerly for the summer to come so that
he can spend time with his friends and “play basketball and Play Station games
for months while he had the chance” (Course Site). Unfortunately, his family has
other plans for him. His mother expects him to willingly assist at the family
nail salon. Thien’s identity is divided between wanting to be like the rest of
his American teenage friends, yet also pleasing his traditional Asian family in
the form of a model minority. This of course, is a common issue for many
immigrants, especially the children of immigrants.
Furthermore, many immigrants can become the
targets of unfair abuse by the police and corrupt lawyers. In Sui Sin Far In the
Land of the Free, Lae Choo and Hom Hing are faced with the horrible task of
leaving their small child with customs upon entering the U.S. The officers
explain to the distressed parents that they “cannot allow the boy to go ashore”
because “there is nothing” in the papers that demonstrated that the child
belonged to them (IA 4). If this had been an American family returning from a
vacation, their child would have never been taken from them in such a callous
manner. Although policies are put in place to regulate all visitors, immigrants
from other countries are definitely bigger targets to these unfair laws.
In comparison to the immigrant narrative, the
history of minorities in the U.S. is far more complex. Although many immigrants
are considered minorities, not all minorities are considered immigrants. In the
case of most African Americans, for instance, they did not immigrate here
voluntarily but were rather brought here and forced into slavery. In Olaudah
Equiano’s tragic memoir The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah
Equiano, we learn about his violent kidnapping from his village in Africa and
the horrors he experienced while on the slave ship. Equiano goes on to describe
the terrors he witnessed, “I looked round the ship too and saw a...multitude of
black people of every description chained together, everyone of their
countenances expressing dejection and sorrow… (Course Site)”. These horrors are
beyond any nightmare one can experience. When discussing immigrants and
minorities, it is crucial that one understands this important distinction:
minorities were forced into the U.S.
Although they are complicated narratives, when discussing immigrants and
minorities it might be easier to differentiate the two once given background
knowledge. When it comes to New World immigrants, however, their history is
significantly more complex. Having qualities from both the immigrant and the
minority narrative, New World immigrants are amongst the strongest and most
diverse peoples. Because many of them voluntarily come to America, they are
considered immigrants. Nonetheless, New World immigrants often have a long and
winding history of unwanted contact and exploitation from more powerful nations
such as the U.S., making their experience more complicated. Coming from nations
such as Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Haiti—many
New World immigrants come from a Native, or Afro-Caribbean descent. This means
that at some point in their history they were forced to come to these nations
through some violent act such as the slave trade. New World immigrants come from
a turbulent and painful background. Unfortunately, the current state of affairs
in nations like Cuba and Haiti are the reason why many New World immigrants
continue risking their lives coming to America. This historical context is
critical when reading the literature of New World immigrants.
Edwidge Danticat’s “Children of the Sea” tells the tragic story of two young
lovers from Haiti. As their nation is terrorized by the military, a politically
involved young man is forced to flee Haiti by boat along with other unwanted
members of his society. Unfortunately, the young woman is forced to stay behind
where her father “will probably marry her off” as the young man suggests
(Danticat 98). The story unfolds through the letters both lovers write each
other, but regrettably, never get to send. Danticat’s tragedy makes evident the
violent discrimination the Haitians experience at the hands of the military. Any
individual who attempted to fight back, such as the young lover, would be
executed—or
worse. As the young woman writes in her letter, “if only i could kill. if i knew
some good wanga magic, i would wipe them off the face of the earth. a group of
students got shot in front of fort dimanche today” (100). The militarized regime
that occupied Haiti allowed no freedom or rights, forcing many Haitians to
gamble their lives on a perilous journey by boat to the U.S.
If New World immigrants, like Haitians escaping oppression in their nation,
actually make it to the U.S.—a
whole new set of challenges await them. Assimilation to the dominant culture,
discrimination due to color code, and identity struggles are all part of the New
World immigrant experience. In
the seemingly comical “How to date a browngirl, blackgirl, whitegirl, or halfie”
by Junot Diaz, he gives a second-person explanation of how to get dates with
girls of different races. Although it comes off as whimsical, the short story
actually sheds light on a sad reality many New World immigrants must face:
having to shapeshift in order to be accepted. Being a New World immigrant means
you must play a different role depending on the situation. As Diaz describes,
“If the girl’s from the Terrace stack the boxes of [government cheese] behind
the milk. If she’s from Park or Society Hill hide the cheese in the
cabinet...take down any embarrassing photos of your family in the campo...hide
any pictures of yourself with an Afro” (276). The idea behind his advice is that
if the love interest is from the “Terrace” she is probably a minority like him,
but if she is from “Park or Society Hill” she is most likely white, or a part of
the dominant culture. It is clear from his step by step directions that more
drastic changes must be made to his home and himself in order to be liked by the
white girl. In order to be accepted, he must assimilate to the dominant culture,
even if it means just “hiding the cheese”.
One of the most complicated nation relationships is certainly between the U.S.
and Mexico. Their history is long and complex, including war and land disputes.
Because of this past, many Mexican-Americans now carry the weight of history on
their shoulders. Torn between two worlds, these New World immigrants fit both
the immigrant and minority narrative. One of the most influential
Mexican-American authors, Sandra Cisneros, writes about these issues in order to
share her peoples narrative. The short story titled “Barbie-Q” touches on the
duality of assimilating while at the same time standing out from the dominant
culture. Or rather, never quite fitting in. In the text, two young girls long to
own barbie dolls like the ones girls from the dominant culture have. Although
they own a few barbie dolls, they do not have many accessories or even a Ken
doll for that matter. Fortunately, a fire strikes the local toy store giving the
girls a lucky break: “Everybody today selling toys all of them damaged with
water and smelling of smoke” (253). It is only when the toys are damaged and
sold at a flea market that these two young girls are able to “fit in” with the
dominant culture. They are not allowed otherwise. Cisneros’ “Barbie-Q” suggests
that minorities are only allowed glimpses into the dominant culture, never fully
accepted.
Further, Reyna Grande’s “The Distance Between Us” is the compelling memoir about
her childhood and illegally crossing the border into the U.S. from Mexico. As a
New World immigrant, Grande experienced much adversity in her life. Coming to
America was both by choice and by force. After her father returns from “el otro
lado” or “the other side”, young Reyna and her siblings are faced with the most
difficult decision of their lives: stay in the poverty of Mexico, the only home
they have ever known or embark on the difficult journey to the U.S. in search
for a better life. Although some members of the dominant culture believe that
people from Mexico are lined up at the U.S. doors waiting for a chance to get in—this
is not the case. Grande’s memoir elaborates on the reality of how truly
difficult it is making the decision to leave your home behind. Having finally
crossed the border, Grande recalls “Two thousand miles was the distance between
us and Mami. Between me and the place I had been born. Between me and my
childhood, however painful it had been” (104). Grande proposes that the decision
to leave your home is never easy, no matter how troubling your homeland may be.
In
recent years—immigrants, minorities, and New World immigrants seem to be on
every news channel and article title. With border security a hot issue, and
racial tensions rising, it almost makes you question the era we live in.
Interestingly enough, immigrants and minorities have always been a part of the
U.S. The nation was founded by immigrants, the fields of land worked on by
enslaved minorities, and the dominant culture has continuously evolved with the
last century. Yet, the same issues from fifty years ago continue to rise again
and again. It is evident that a lack of empathy plagues our nation. The ability
understand others’ experiences can only come through openly wanting to learn
from each other. By reading immigrant, minority, and New World immigrant
literature, we can better understand their perspectives and the obstacles they
face in the American society.
