Bridget Brantley

Success and Disappointment in the Immigrant Narrative

In the “Triumph of Narrative: Storytelling in the Age of Mass Culture,” Robert Fulford describes the master narrative as “a dwelling place that encompasses our ideas about the history of our culture, its possibilities, and our own identity.  Like the master narrative, the immigrant narrative is a story about the history of the immigrants’ cultures, possibilities, and search for identity in America.  In Walt Whitman’s poem, “I Hear America Singing,” the voice of democracy is heard.  Whitman praises America for its treatment of immigrants.  He describes America as an industrious country filled with energetic, independent, and strong, hard-working men and women.  Whitman is joyful that laborers are working and singing at the same time.  But in his article, “Walt Whitman, Critic of America,” critic Merle Eugene Curti, writes in the Sewanee Review that certain critics of Main-Street Civilization charge Walt Whitman with painting a one-toned picture of America, a picture lacking in light and shade.  Not everyone who comes to America seeking freedom and opportunities is successful.  The immigrant narrative celebrates the differences between ethnic groups.  It also shares their stories of success as well as those of disappointment.  Some immigrant experiences parallel others while some experiences are unique.

One example of the immigrant narrative is Anzia Yezierska’s excerpt from “Bread Givers.” Immigrant, Max Goldstein, a first-generation immigrant shares his experience with Sara, a Russian-Jewish immigrant.  Like so many other immigrants who leave the Old World, Max has fled his country.  This is the dilemma of many immigrants who come to this country seeking fortune and freedom because of persecution and poverty in their country.  Max has come in search of “the American Dream.” As soon as he gets off of the ship, he immediately searches for an opportunity to make some money.  “At once, I saw that these men must be paid for their work.  So I pushed myself in among them and begged for a shovel. Immigrants take advantage of any economic opportunities which come their way.  Max quickly assimilates to his environment.  He does as the other men, and he finds a way to make some money. He says, “I felt the riches of all America in my hand.” For Max, the opportunity to work hard even if it means starting at the bottom is an opportunity. This is often presented in the immigrant narrative. 

In another immigrant narrative, “Soap and Water”, by Anzia Yezierska we see how immigrants many times will experience discrimination and lack of acceptance from the dominant culture. As a result, this hinders the immigrant’s progress in America. In this story, we learn about the dreams of a young immigrant woman and her hopes of a better future.  She comes to America in hopes of obtaining a diploma, so she can improve her position. An identifying factor of the immigrant narrative is to “take advantage of the educational opportunities America offers.” Unfortunately, those dreams are shattered when she meets a woman named Miss Whitehead, whose discriminatory attitude is symbolic of the dominant culture.  “I came against the solid wall of the well-fed, well-dressed world—the frigid whitewashed wall of cleanliness.”  In the dominant culture, the earlier immigrants of western and northern Europe associated themselves with whiteness, which was a symbol of cleanliness. Another symbol of the immigrant narrative is “soap.” Repeatedly, this young woman is told that “Soap and water are cheap” and “anyone can be clean.” For immigrants, clothing became an arena of highly charged and conflicting signification and a site of intense struggle.  Similar to “The Declaration of Independence, “which created barriers for foreigners; this immigrant woman is met with negative aspects of America, which prevent her from having a piece of the American Dream. In the immigrant story, there are those of the dominant culture, who refuse to pass others even though they meet all the qualifications.  The idea is to “raise the standards and keep the immigrant in an oppressive situation.”  This immigrant woman is discriminated against because she has “marked” differences, which will keep her from being able to assimilate with the dominant culture. Part of the fourth stage of the immigrant narrative is the “loss of ethnic identity “immigrants.”  “But to whom could I speak - the people in the laundry? They never understood me. They had a grudge against me because I left them when I tried to work myself up.”

In “The English Lesson” by Nicholasa Mohr, some immigrants come to America only to profit from the American Dream and take it back to their country. They have not interest in making America their home or assimilating to American culture. Diego Torres’ story parallels the immigrant narrative of many who are in this position. “I no give up my country, Santa Domingo, for nothing” he went on, “nothing in the world. OK, man?” (IA25). He tells his class bluntly that “my reasons to be here us to make money m man, and go back home buy my house and property” (IA25).  His circumstances like other migrants are the result of “political” conflict, which are circumstances beyond his control.  As a result, immigrants are left with no other choice than to migrate somewhere else to improve their position.  A lot of college students today have to come to the America to get an education, so they can return home to help family or their country. This process of moving back and forth is global labor. These individuals are transnational migrants.

The story of “The Creation” which is in the Bible, presents many symbols and images, which are parallel to those found in the immigrant story.  First, the phrase “The heaven and the earth” could possibly represent the country of “America.” America like the beginning of time was “without form and void” until the European immigrants brought their culture. After this, America changed, and every other immigrant group had to assimilate to the European culture. God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over the earth.” This could be a representation of the Puritan views of the 1600s which represented “power” and “stability.” In “The Creation,” the term “light, represented “day,” and the term “dark” represented “night.” In America, the western civilization created its own value system of symbols for the words “light” and “dark.” In the immigrant narrative, these symbols have negative connotations or stigmas, which work against immigrants. Unfortunately, Americans created a color code, was used to determine whether or not immigrants were accepted into their value system. This “color code” is still a huge barrier in American Society today. “Be fruitful and multiply” is the hope of every immigrant who comes to America in search of the American dream.  They want to work hard, so they can reap the benefits of this land of opportunity.  In America, there is proof that first, second, and third generations of families can prosper.  

“The Constitution of the United States” states in its opening that its intentions are to “form a more perfect union,” and create “liberty” for “we the people” of the United States of America, yet it excludes immigrants from certain privileges of America. For example, a “natural born citizen” can only be elected as president of the United States.  Likewise, “The Declaration of Independence” narrative declares that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Yet, at the very beginning of the Declaration of Independence, the narrative makes it clear that their reason for the Declaration of Independence is to separate themselves. Exploitation and resistance were so much a part of both narratives. “Obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners and “refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.” These are patterns of the Immigrant narrative. African Americans and American Indians are not immigrants, but these two groups received extreme exploitation and discrimination by the dominant culture.

In his poem, “In the Elementary School Choir” by Gregory Djanikian, the speaker celebrates the immigrant narrative.  In stanza 6, line 1 he says, “But now it was “My country ‘tis of thee.” In the next line he continues, “And I sing it with all my heart.” Twice in the poem he speaks in a patriotic tone of voice about his feelings for America. Typical of the immigrant narrative, we see him assimilate to the dominant culture and there is a rediscovery or reassertion of ethnic identity.  He sings traditional songs of American culture such as “Meet Me in St. Louis” and “Zippidy-doo-dah, zippidy-ay.” At the same time, he rediscovers his ethnic identity by remembering images from his past culture. He thinks about “great uncles and grandfathers” in stanza 6, line 6.  In line 7 of stanza 6, he believes they would be “Stunned from their Turkish graves in the interior.” With the immigrant narrative, there is a feeling of guilt as one gradually assimilates to the dominant culture.

The immigrant narrative is a story about the “new man.” Crevecoeur poses the question in his letter, “What is an American?”  The immigrant leaves the Old World and journeys to the New World (the USA & modern culture. This is the “modern society” that Crevecoeur writes about in his letter.  The immigrant will become a “new man” because he must change and conform. He will “act upon new principals; he must “entertain new ideas” and “form new opinions.” The new immigrant must assimilate to new laws, a new mode of living, and a new social system. Immigrants will rank as citizens.  Part of assimilating to the dominant culture means he must lose his ethnic identity, so the immigrant leaves behind ancient prejudices and moves and receives new ones.   Their labor is founded on a basis of nature and self-interest. They receive ample rewards for their labor. Crevecoeur says, “They are a mixture of English, Scotch, Irish, French, Dutch, Germans, and Swedes.” The term, “the melting pot” is mixtures of races that have assimilated and become the new America. These are the changes characteristic of the new immigrant in America.

The immigrant narrative is a story that informs us about our lives.  Men and women have come to America searching for the American Dream.  Many have found it in riches and land.  Others have found the American Dream in freedom of speech and the right to be his or her own individual.  The immigrant narrative does share some stories of hardship, though.  Some never obtain the American Dream because of barriers and resistance from the dominant culture. The narrative does allow us to see the events which unfold in the lives of people. These are fictional as well as the non-fictional stories that help all immigrants as well as ethnic groups learn about our heritage.  We can all learn a lot about the immigrant narrative because it is filled with hope, which is something we all need in times of struggle. Hope is also what allows us to move forward in search of our dream.

The Minority Narrative in a Dominant Society

There are certain words and phrases which have a positive association with the immigrant narrative.  Some are “The American Dream,” “rags to riches,”  “individualism,” “self-expression,” “freedom of speech,”  “liberty,” and “the pursuit of happiness.” These are the expressions which lure immigrants to America.  They come freely and willingly in search of this magical land, which promises them so many wonderful opportunities.  American Immigrant Literature “promotes tolerance” and “celebrates difference.” In the first stage of the immigrant narrative, migrants leave the Old World to escape setbacks, and trials in their country.  In the second stage of the immigrant narrative, they journey to the New World.  This is America, a “land flowing with milk and honey.” They can gain ultimate success.  These stories are filled with ideals of turning “rags to riches.”

The minority narrative, unfortunately, does not often have such positive words in its text. There are some words that carry negative connotations when they are associated with the minority narrative.  Some are “oppression,” “discrimination,”  “resistance,” and “exploitation.”  Instead of stories of “The American Dream,” the minority narrative is filled with stories of “The American Nightmare” most of the time.  The minority narrative is a story that deals with two groups of people.  They are African Americans and American Indians.  Unlike the immigrant narrative, which illustrates how American immigrants arrive freely and voluntarily in America, the minority narrative is a story of deception involving African Americans and American Indians.  First, African Americans were brought to this country by force, and when they arrived, they were used as slaves.  They were forced to give up their identity.  The American Indians were the first people on the American continent, but they also had to assimilate to the European culture and to disobey meant oppression and death for them. 

In “the Narrative of Olaudah Equiano,” we see how Objective 3, the theme of assimilation or resistance, is illustrated in the minority narrative.  In order to fit into the dominant culture, the minority immigrant had to give up his identity.  As soon as Equiano is taken from the ship, he is given a new name, which is Gustavus.  He assimilates by learning how to read, handle money, and trade.  Only after he does these things is he able to buy his freedom.  The theme of assimilation is also true in “the Narrative of Frederick Douglas.”  In order to gain his freedom, Douglas had to “absorb the values and conform to a system he knew little about.” 

In his article, Intermarriage and Assimilation” by Sam Roberts, he makes note that Black men are “marrying women of other races.” This is a kind of assimilation of the minority culture to the dominant culture.  Not all minority women are comfortable with this fact.  This leaves little chance of black women finding a potential mate to marry.  In Patricia Smith’s poem, “Blonde White Woman,” the speaker expresses the frustration and hatred she feels brought about by the rejection or hostility of the dominant culture.   In the poem, the speaker describes how she as a little girl “rubs a carnation pink Crayola across her skin until she breaks the skin.”  She desires to be white.  The “color code” is one theme of the minority narrative.  Western civilization has transferred the values of “light” and “darkness” to be with light and dark complexions.  As in this women’s case, she chooses to resist assimilation for cultural purposes.  As she becomes an adult, she develops her sense of identity and individuality.  She accepts who she is and comes into her own identity.  The woman in the poem flips through Ebony magazine “marveling at the bargain basement prices for reams of straightened hair and bleaches for the skin.”  The minority culture may feel pressure to assimilate only because it realizes this is the only way to get ahead in America.  The dominant culture is “selectively absorbent of other races” only if these conditions exist. 

The immigrants who voluntarily come to America know they are expected to assimilate to the American culture.  In fact, they have no problem with assimilation.  They come to this country because they have heard America is a land of opportunities.  In Sui Sin Far’s, “In the Land of the Free” the mother, Lae Choo already believes in the promises she has heard about.  She says to her child, “Yes, my olive bud; there is where thy father is making a fortune for thee” (IA3).  She has great trust in America even before the fortune has been made.  In the “English Lesson” by Nicholasa Mohr, we see how the American teacher, Mrs. Hamma promotes the idea of the dominant culture that all immigrants who come to America get a fair chance.  “This is after all, a democracy, and we have a democratic class, fairness for all!”  Unfortunately, even for the immigrant narrative story can turn into a terrifying experience.  In the story, “In the Land of the Free” Lae Choo and her husband Hom Hing have their baby taken away from them because they do not have papers for the child when they arrive in America.  This immigrant couple does not have a problem with assimilation, but they still experience shock, resistance, and exploitation.  They do not get their child back until ten month later.  By this time, the child had conformed to the dominant culture. 

The article, “The Great Migration” tells how African Americans fought in World War I for America.  Many minorities thought the USA would acknowledge their contributions and efforts.  The federal government denied black soldiers the right to participate in the victory march down Paris's Champs-Elysees boulevard--even though black troops from European colonies marched. When the minority culture makes a valiant effort to assimilate and it is discriminated on by the dominant culture, minorities will remain distinct and create their own separate communities.  In the early 1900s African American leader, Marcus Garvey urged blacks to be proud of their cultural heritage and learn to do things for themselves.  Garvey started an organization called the Universal Negro Improvement Association. He wanted African Americans to know that they could also be entrepreneurs.  The UNIA operated grocery stores, laundries, restaurants, printing plants, clothing factories, and a steamship line. In order to resist assimilation, many minority groups feel they must create an identity separate from the mainstream.

How can the USA say that it “celebrates difference?”  How can this country say that it is truly a “melting pot” and be proud if it intentionally keeps those who are part of this mixture of races in an oppressive position?  In Chiltra Divakaruni’s “Silver Pavements Golden Roof” the color code is evident and working in the lives of these American immigrants who have come to America and tried to integrate into the dominant culture.  Unfortunately, they experience discrimination.  Bikram’s aunt associates Bikram’s beauty with her “fair skin.” She and her husband already provide evidence that color is an issue in America.  “The Americans hate us,” her uncle says to her. “They’re always putting us down because we’re dark-skinned foreigners” (IA75).  This story reminds me so much of the African Americans who migrated to the North during the period of the Great Migration.  They also went looking for better opportunities, but they encountered much opposition.  Their “marked identity” and cultural differences created a sense of “otherness” in terms of their reception by those who were living in the cities before the migration.  How do American immigrants and American minority groups deal with this ever-present problem- the color code?  

African immigrants sometimes measure themselves against African Americans because they have mixed feelings about African Americans.  African immigrants may have different cultures, but the fact remains that African immigrants and African Americans have the same beginning, which is Africa.  Unfortunately, America has turned the word “minority” into something negative.  In America the term minority often is linked to someone of lesser value.  African and Native Americans have even been identified as “problem minorities.”  Blacks in America don’t want to work like immigrants, some believe.  The different origins may form a different social contract for minorities than the immigrant contract “of work hard and get ahead.” Many of these notions have been formed by the dominant culture, which sees any group that resist assimilating to their culture as a threat.  The television is one medium which has not always been fair in portraying African and Native Americans as smart, intelligent, and hardworking people. The African Americans’ decision to remain in distinct communities has also created, to a certain extent, a problem with assimilation within the African American community.

One of the New York Times articles read in class stated that African Americans rank at the bottom in comparison to every other immigrant group that has come to America.  Have African Americans become too complacent in society?  Do they not want to work hard and get ahead?  In some instances, this may be true.  But, the majority of African Americans in this country are hardworking people who make a contribution to society.  However, the “color code” keeps some Black Americans from associating with one another.  There does exists in the Black community a dislike for “light skin” African Americans.  The “lighter” the person’s complexion, the more he or she is viewed as white.  This attitude does not help the Black community.  It’s sort of like the crab syndrome.  Every time one crab attempts to make it to the top of the barrel, another one pulls it back into the barrel, so no one gets ahead. How can we help one another with that attitude?  African Americans can maintain their ethnic identity, but they must work together.  We can all learn a lesson from “The English Lesson” by Nicholasa Mohr.  In the story, Mrs. Hamma makes an effort to help her immigrant class improve “their conditions” in America.  This is a common theme in the minority and immigrant narrative.  This is a common view that should be held by all Americans.