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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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Heidi Kreeger
American
Immigrants and Minorities: On Their Backs We Rise
Immigrants and minorities in
America are often ostracized despite the fact that this nation was founded by
immigrant-settlers on the backs of minorities. While both groups endure many of
the same hardships, their stories differ greatly as well, mainly in relation to
how they or their ancestors came to be in this country. Immigrants made a
personal choice to come to America, whereas minorities had America forced upon
them. As such, assimilation or the resistance to it takes on many forms and is a
unique personal experience. But assimilated or not both immigrants and
minorities offer amazing benefits to this country.
A majority of people in the United
States can trace their family history back to an immigrant who came to this
country looking for a better life. Despite this, there has always also been a
parallel history of racism and fear mongering against one group or another
attempting to immigrate whether they be Irish, Italian, Japanese or Middle
Eastern. And being an immigrant outside the group of ‘current most hated’ does
not mean that your immigrant experience will be easy.
Stage three of the immigrant narrative after arrival is
shock, resistance, exploitation and discrimination. Most immigrants will
experience this stage and Anzia Yezierska described the experience in a story
entitled "Soap and Water". In it the main character has her diploma withheld
because the head instructor does not approve of her appearance, but her
appearance is shabby because she has to work such long hours to pay for school.
It is a classic example of a catch-22 that immigrants run into when in pursuit
of the American dream.
Minorities experience many of
the same struggles as immigrants and their narrative can travel a similar path.
What defines a minority is the absence of choice in their migration. The most
notable of these groups are African Americans who were forcibly brought here in
the slave trade, and American Indians who were displaced from their land as well
as killed from disease and violence. The most jarring and devastating case I
have read is from "The Narrative of Olaudah Equiano" in which he writes "my
sister and I were then separated, while we lay clasped in each other's arms. It
was in vain that we besought them not to part us; she was torn from me, and
immediately carried away, while I was left in a state of distraction not to be
described." This sorrow that Equiano describes is a multi-generational trauma
which many African Americans still feel the effects of today, particularly when
inquiries into genealogy are limited to just a few generation.
Mixed in with sadness at the experience is anger, and
American Indian Chrystos wrote a poem entitled "I Have Not Signed a Treaty With
the United States Government" in which she says "Everything the United States
does to everybody is bad / No this US is not a good idea We declare
you terminated / You’ve had your fun now go home we’re tired We
signed / no treaty WHAT are you still doing here". This perfectly
exemplifies the heartbreak and horror embedded in the history of these
minorities. For them the American dream was more of a nightmare thrust upon
them, and the oppression they deal with in modern times an extension thereof.
A group which straddles the line between immigrant and
minority are new world immigrants. These are individuals from the Americas and
while they do voluntarily make the choice to immigrate, like minorities they
often have a history of “involuntary contact and
exploitation by the USA and other First-World nations.” (White) Mexican
Americans often fall into this category because a large part of what is the
United States today used to be part of Mexico and many families did not cross a
border but rather had our border jump them. Reyna Grande’s story “The Distance
Between Us” does a great job of describing just how much Mexican and American
cultures are intertwined, especially in places like California which used to be
Mexico. There are many examples of American culture being viewed as superior,
specifically because of the father’s new Americanized wife and the money
available there but all the characters are still very much connected to Mexico.
In contrast “Like Mexicans” by Gary Soto emphasizes the similarities between
Mexicans and other immigrants like Asians because the Mexican main character’s
insecurities about marrying into an Asian family are diminished when he sees
they are not rich.
A large
number of new world immigrants come from Afro-Caribbean nations, and Paule
Marshall’s “To Da-Duh” is a heartbreaking picture of what immigration can look
like to those left behind. It is gut-wrenching to read Marshall describe her
grandmother losing the will to live after she loses her sense of pride and
patriotism. The immigration theme is apparent in every scene as Da-Duh compares
her home to America and just how different the culture is there than in the U.S.
What makes her story a minority narrative as well is the destruction inflicted
on the island in the end which takes Da-Duh’s life.
A commonality between immigrants and minorities of all
varieties is their stories. The definition of an immigrant or even reading
through the stages of immigration does not come close to the impact of
Yezierska’s story. Knowing that minorities came to America against their will
does not penetrate your memory like Equiano’s narrative. Knowing people board
small boats to float to the U.S. in desperation does not affect you the same as
the young mother who throws her dead baby and herself into the ocean as in
“Children of the Sea”. Reading their stories humanizes them in a way that cannot
be done by any other means. Even to hear the author orate it herself would not
compare because it would take away the ability to truly don her internal
thoughts as your own and unfortunately people are generally unconcerned with
that which does not affect themselves.
After the shock and discrimination as described in these
stories passes (mostly), the fourth stage of the immigrant narrative is
assimilation to the dominant culture. Sometimes this occurs in part during the
second generation after immigration has occurred, but generally by the third
there is complete assimilation. The multiple generations involved can be seen in
the story "What Colour Would Your Like, Ma'am?" By J. Christine Moon. The main
character is a second generation immigrant who seems to be mostly assimilated
into the dominant culture but his parents are clearly not as assimilated. There
is an emphasis throughout the story that his parents and even extended family
work long hours every day so that he is free to focus on becoming a doctor, and
the assumption is that he will succeed and his children in turn will grow up
more affluent and will be completely assimilated. This is likely the most common
path to assimilation but of course is not the only path.
Although most immigrants
encourage it, assimilation can often be more difficult for minority Americans.
Patricia Smith describes her anger at seeing white women in the train that
"choke cities like snowstorms" in her poem "Blonde White Women". Within the
lines she conveys that growing up in a culture that has marginalized her and
encouraged her to seek the white ideal of beauty has led her to be both
suspicious of white people and confident in her own black beauty. Rather than
accept the idea that she must conform, Smith rebels with righteous anger.
"Gussuk" by Mei Mei Evans offers a window into the life
of an Inuit man named Robert who feels stifled in his remote and traditional
ancestral community but also feels isolated in the dominant culture and thus
returns home and starts a family only to ultimately die alone in a boat
"accident". This account is so powerful because it allows you connect to the
nuances of emotion involved with assimilation. There can be a great sense of
loss or anger at being made to feel dissatisfied with your identity.
An example of new world immigrants assimilating can be
seen in Junot Diaz’s short story “How to Date a Brown Girl”. The story is
comprised of a seemingly simple list of rules and expectations to follow in
America, as a new world immigrant, in order to succeed with different types of
girls. Though on its surface his narrator is a simple creature driven by sexual
needs, it is also an example of how immigrants assimilate by trial and error and
how little resistance there is to changing your entire personality in order to
fit in.
Some groups are typically quick
to assimilate and examples include immigrants which confusingly enough are
called "model minorities”. They are characterized by strong work ethic, solid
family bonds, a low profile and an emphasis on STEM careers, all of which lend
to their speedy assimilation. Examples include but are not limited to many Asian
groups as well as Greeks and Nigerians. However, just because these groups enjoy
some aspects of positive stereotypes does not mean they don't also experience
the negative aspects described in stage three of the immigrant narrative. They
may even be more at risk for exploitation because of their willingness to work
and fear of “rocking the boat”.
Additionally, there can be extremely negative
consequences to positive stereotyping. The expectation of over achievement can
(and has) lead to repercussions such as limited career options and availability
of those highly desired jobs. Far more serious are the increased rates of
suicide, particularly among Asian cultures, due to the constant and overwhelming
pressure to achieve at a high level. No group is free from struggle and it seems
all the more important than to continue sharing these stories.
What all immigrants and minorities have in common is the
fact that they/we have thrust this country into the greatness it enjoys today.
Slave/minority labor built our economy and our infrastructure. Immigrant
ancestors from every family toiled so their children could stand on their
shoulders, whose children in turn stood on theirs to destroy glass ceilings,
whose children pushed and innovated until they changed the world and we were
lucky enough to claim them as our own. Their stories must be shared so we never
forget where our greatness comes from. Our course website cites the Roman poet
Horace as saying "He gains everyone's approval who mixes the pleasant with the
useful". I find this particularly true of immigrant and minority literature
because it offers a way into someone else's mind, and the ability to humanize
hardship. Beyond that, a collection of American immigrant and minority stories
IS the story of our country and nothing is more sublime than this, our America.
