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LITR 5731 Seminar in Multicultural Literature: American Immigrant: model assignments 2012
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sample final exam answer
Carrie C. Scott
(Topic 2c)
Bucking
the Dominant Culture: The Elitism of “Other”
White? Check. Anglo-Saxon? Somewhere in there. Protestant? Check. Male?
Oops. As John Scalzi would say, for the most part, I’m “playing in easy mode.”
So why don’t I identify with the dominant culture?
Why do I consistently catch myself identifying the dominant culture as
“they” instead of “we?” I do
realize that whether I choose to identify with the dominant culture or not, it
is just that, a choice (which is not available to everyone.)
During this course I have examined my preconceptions and attitudes about
the dominant culture, theorized as to why it is such a difficult topic, and
wondered what the benefits and consequences might be of lumping it with other
ethnic groups.
The Dominant culture seems, to me, a myth. The majority of American
citizens are not white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant males. That may have been the
case two hundred years ago, but certainly not today. I rather like Antonio
Gramsci’s theory of Cultural Hegemony as explanation for this. “The ruling class
superimposes its values (economic, political, religious, etc.) on the lower
classes, thereby getting the latter to buy into the status quo against their
better interests” (Pangburn n.p).
The three “P”s of Dominant Culture are Power Privilege, and Possessions.
The immigrant narrative seems to hone in the desire for possessions (or the
means to acquire them) and the immigrants’ absolute lack of power and privilege.
For the most part, possessions (or the money to acquire them) are either
non-existent or fleeting in the immigrant narrative. In
Romero’s Shirt, the shirt is a
tangible symbol of wealth (and assimilation) attained and lost. In
In the Land of the Free, Lae Choo
begins the story speaking of the riches the child’s father is gathering, but in
reality gives up her jewelry and possessions just to be able to reunite her
family. She is powerless.
Immigrant narrative also features those who have no desire to assimilate
to the dominant culture. In In the
American Society, Mr. Chang has no desire to be a part of the dominant
culture. Callie and Mona’s mother states, “Your father doesn’t believe in
joining the American Society” (Jen 159). In
Gussuk, concepts belonging to the
dominant culture are eschewed (some anyway) and spoken of negatively. Showing
the similarity in regard to assimilation, between minority and immigrant
narrative, “Blonde White Women,” features a woman no longer willing to attempt
to conform to the dominant culture’s (literally) unattainable aesthetic
standard. One of the basic responses to being marginalized by some aspect or
member of the dominant culture is to rebel against it.
The Dominant Culture is a difficult topic to navigate for students. This
might be because on some level, as intellectuals and graduate students, we have
already identified with the “other.”
It may be due to something as fundamental as I.Q. or society’s persistent
insistence that “no one needs THAT much education,” or it could be any number of
more personal traits that we feel set us apart from “the norm.”
Then, you place these intellectuals into a scenario where they are keenly
aware of the amount of money they are spending to be in classes. Add on the
knowledge that not everyone who wants to pursue a higher degree has the means
and or access. We have privilege, and
means, and if knowledge equals power, who are we starting to sound like?
I think that students find it difficult to talk about the Dominant
Culture because we are afraid of identifying with/ being identified by other’s
as part of the dominant culture.
I think as a society we really are moving toward a value-shift in regards
to multiculturalism. If the White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant contingent becomes
just another culture, don’t really see any harm there. It would actually be a
sign of actual multiculturalism. It would denote an equality of cultural
backgrounds and equalize competing cultural narratives.
http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/05/15/straight-white-male-the-lowest-difficulty-setting-there-is/
