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2019 Midterm2
(assignment) |
LITR 4340
 American Immigrant Literature Model Assignments |
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Virginia Deleon
A Complex Experience:
Immigrants, Minorities, and New World Immigrants
The discussion on immigrants, minorities, and
New World immigrants is not always an easy one. Discrimination, oppression, and
even slavery are all part of these narratives. When learning about such serious
matters, it is best to do so through literature and discourse. Reading works of
literature from the perspectives of immigrants and minorities can allow us a
window into their world. By the same token, actively participating in discussion
on the different narratives, backgrounds, and journeys can help further our
understanding of immigrant and minority experiences. One way to continue this
discourse is through interacting with fellow students’ works. The university
classroom is the ideal environment to learn from each other’s diverse
backgrounds and beliefs. The following will be an interactive analysis of Anne
Ngo’s Blurring the Boundaries, Jojo Hunter’s Stuck Somewhere In-Between, and
Ruth Brown’s A People in Between.
In Anne Ngo’s Blurring the Boundaries she
explores what it means to be a member of a society with blurred lines. In her
essay, Ngo makes the distinction “Understanding that immigrant and minority
narratives have similarities, the narratives of New World immigrants combine
both assimilation and resistance of the narratives respectively” (Course Site).
Ngo unpacks symbols of assimilation, such as owning house, and expands on this
concept using the complex experiences found in the literature of New World
immigrants. For instance, in her analysis of Judith Ortiz Cofer’s Silent
Dancing, Ngo elaborates on the duality the symbol of home comes with. In the
personal narrative, the speaker’s father immerses the family into assimilation,
while the mother tries to retain some of their Puerto Rican roots. According to
Ngo, “Their apartment was a ‘comfort’ to her mother, as she hears voices in
Spanish that surround their place and remind her of their home country (181).
For her mother, she is still able to be in touch with their Puerto Rican roots
by being in their apartment in Paterson. Therefore, her mother reflects the
minority narrative, as she still holds on to her Puerto Rican identity and does
not assimilate to the dominant American culture” (Course site). Ngo’s analysis
of Silent Dancing sheds light on both the assimilation and resistance that comes
with immigrating to the U.S. from New World nations.
Moreover, Jojo Hunter’s Stuck Somewhere
In-Between is her personal reflection about the multicultural experience. Hunter
begins her essay with the powerful statement, “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” (Course site). To complicate matters further, Hunter admits that she
also “cannot identify as white because my skin is not fair, but dark. I am brown
in color, yet I grew up, and only know, my white side of my DNA” (Course site).
Hunter’s testament reinforces the experience of many modern Americans. Although
belonging to a multicultural background can be a beautiful experience, often it
can be difficult for individuals to form a concise identity. In her essay,
Hunter chooses to explore the experiences of “mixed raced” ethnicities or
“biracial” and “multiracial” individuals. She conducts her research by looking
into news articles and poetry. For example, she looks into Jean Toomer’s
Portrait in Georgia, a poem where he retells his experience as “the son of a
biracial father and married a mixed race woman. The narrator in this poem
describes their features as dangerous: ‘Hair braided…coiled like a lyncher’s
rope’ and his slim body, white as the ash of black flesh after flame (Toomer)’”.
Her analysis of this poem heavy in meaning demonstrates the complex reality of
multiracial individuals.
Likewise, Ruth Brown’s A People in Between
takes a closer look at individuals who feel stuck in between two worlds. Brown
skillfully begins her analysis by stating that New World immigrants “are not
just a combination of previous groups, but a distinct people with a lush history
and culture” (Course site). She takes it one step further from the idea that New
World immigrants have characteristics from immigrant and minority narratives.
Brown claims that New World immigrants are their own “distinct” group with their
own qualities. She goes on to support this claim by analyzing three of her
classmates’ works and incorporating them into her own research. Brown begins by
taking a closer look into Amber Broone’s New World Immigrants, where she states
“[Broone] explains how historical experiences and the color code support
minority aspects, while voluntary travel and search for opportunity support
aspects of the immigrant story” (Course site). By pulling this information from
Broone, Brown establishes and understanding that New World immigrants do possess
several qualities from both narratives. On the other hand, Brown chooses to
highlight that “The location of their native countries combined with a
historical narrative leads New World immigrants to create their own unique
identity”. She furthers this by including Tracie Estrada’s own words “New World
Immigrants cannot be categorized neatly into columns”. All in all, Ruth Brown
pushes the limits of our understanding of New World immigrants by giving them
their own space in the history of America.
Overall, the research and perspectives presented in
Anne Ngo’s Blurring the Boundaries, Jojo Hunter’s
Stuck Somewhere In-Between, and Ruth Brown’s A People in Between provide
evidence of the significant role of immigrants, minorities, and New World
immigrants in the U.S. All three student authors not only provide their own
diverse experiences, but they also support their claims with research and the
course readings. As students, actively discussing and interacting with each
others’ ideas is an excellent way to expand our knowledge about the immigrant,
minority, and New World immigrant experience. As a minority myself, I appreciate
knowing that I am not alone and that my experiences are valid. Learning from one
another is certainly the best way to learn about diversity in America.
