Amy Sidle 

Essay 1

Immigrant Narratives: A Powerful Tale of New Beginnings

            Narratives are powerful; personal anecdotes are influential, sentimental, and informative, much like reading reality instead of watching reality television. In his book The Triumph of Narrative: Storytelling in the Age of Mass Culture, Robert Fulford states that “narrative…has the power to mimic the unfolding of reality. Narrative is selective, and may be untrue, but it can produce the feeling of events occurring in time; it seems to be rooted in reality.” Immigrant narratives are vulnerable glimpses into the lives of those freshly new to America, showing their heartache and confusion, their excitement and delight for their immigrant experiences. Whether autobiographical or not, a narrative is one of raw emotion, allowing the audience to truly grasp the severity of the immigrant tale.

            In the immigrant narrative, some of the most vulnerable moments we are not privy to, for they have already passed, those reasons or events that took place back home that sparked the final decision to leave. In “The English Lesson”, Stephan Paczkowski explains to his English language class that “a political situation in Poland” forced “all Jewish people” by request of the government “to leave Poland” (27). Both he and his wife were professors at the University of Warsaw, but despite their being educated professionals, they were forced from their home, their country because of their belief system – possibly the most archaic cause for immigration. While his reason for leaving Poland alone is heartbreaking, his story seems exceptionally cruel when he states he now works “in large hospital as position of porter in maintenance department” (27). His education from Poland has been voided; he is compelled to start anew, from scratch, in America. The stereotypical American Dream describes the want to start anew, not usually because of force or need (obj. 1).

            If referencing Obj. 2c’s stages of immigrant narrative, Stephan Paczkowski would certainly fall in Stage 3, where he has passed the shock and resistance of the new world and is feeling the exploitation and discrimination of his immigrant status (i.e. having a once educated professor scrub toilets). As the immigrant narrative evolves naturally (or often with some resistance) one would begin to assimilate to America and its culture. In “Thank God for the Jews”, Fatima has become a bit lax in her meat preparation practices. Instead of purchasing traditional halal meat from the market, she merely says “the kalmia while washing the meat” and feels the “little ritual” make her “pious and wise beyond her years” (231). Fatima’s assimilation to American customs has caused this side-step in her tradition and even mentions that she feels she does not read the Quran enough anymore. Her solid Stage 4 immigrant narrative is beginning to slink into Stage 5, a partial rediscovery of ethnic identity.

            As immigrants often search for overlapping customs or comforts from their old world into their new world, so do Americans reflect on the foundations that made us immigrants too. The Declaration of Independence recites that “all men are created equal” and have “certain unalienable rights”, which (most famously) include “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. The Founding Fathers recognized nearly three hundred years ago the tribulations that would bring those to this great country and wanted to welcome those individuals to a country that would not only meet their needs but surpass their every desire. And thus began the sentiment behind the American Dream (quite arguably Stage 0 of the Immigrant Narrative).

            It is this notion of the American Dream that breaks families apart, hoping to build a better life in America before the entire family can benefit from the hard-work. (Obj. 2g) In Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s prose poem “Restroom,” for the past eight years the woman and her husband have been separated as he establishes a business in America; now, she must join her husband in America though it means leaving their young daughter behind with relatives. This sacrifice shows the lengths that families will go for the mere minute possibility of achieving their “piece of the pie”.

            Immigrant narratives are over-flowing with opportunity and willingness. Their eagerness to achieve and mutual respect for their homeland and new-land provide them with endless possibilities to grasp whatever it is that they seek. Though their initial reasons for entering the country might differ, they all hope to achieve the same outcome – success, no matter how one might define it.

Essay 2

Minority vs. Immigrant Narratives: Differing Approaches to Similar Situations

            Hundreds of people enter this country willingly every day, fully aware they will face trials and tribulations in order to create the life they want; however, there are people that did not ask to come here, who were keen to stay in their home country but forced to come to America, work and given nothing in compensation. Their story differs from the standard immigrant narrative.

            The minority narrative does not begin with a spark of want or necessity for immigration. Their story does not begin with foreseen good-byes or scheduled voyages but usually with unnecessary sacrifice and being torn from their homeland. In Olaudah Equiano’s slave narrative, he recalls his capture: “I and my dear sister were left to mind the house, two men and a woman got over our walls and in a moment seized us both, and, without giving us time to cry out, or make resistance, they stopped our mouths, and ran off with us…” His immigration was not wanted; he did not have the hope of a better life at the other end, but one of treachery and abuse. (Obj. 3a)

            Due to their harsh treatments (both past and some present) many minority cultures resist assimilating in to the dominant culture. They tend to group themselves together forming their own cities within cities (like Harlem, for instance, sometimes seen with immigrant narratives like Chinatown or Little Italy). However, unlike immigrant narratives, minorities will live in those hubs all their lives or will return to them if leaving is necessary. In “The Lesson”, Miss Moore returned to her old neighborhood after being absent for some time. Though it was obvious that Miss Moore wasn’t quite the same status as most of the neighborhood clientele (wearing fancy clothes and taking the kids to FAO Schwartz), her college degree made her feel obligated to return to the neighborhood to take over the children’s education (145-147). Minority narratives often keep groups close-knit or reliant up one another; however, nuclear family ties aren’t necessarily seen as boundaries for exclusion. Groups can be formed by location (neighborhood), similar situations (slaves or us-vs.-them mentality) or merely a broad family tree.

            While Miss Moore left her neighborhood to pursue a college degree, many minorities do not realize that there is more beyond their understood boundaries. Though many immigrant narratives often chase the American Dream (no matter the tangibility), minority narratives often believe such opportunities are illusive to them or if the opportunities are there, they don’t know how to seize them. Again, Miss Moore seized an opportunity (though looked upon as rare in a minority narrative) to earn a college degree, but instead of going on and doing bigger and better things with that degree, she chose to return to her old neighborhood to share the wealth of knowledge she learned, knowing that many of the residents would never get beyond the neighborhood. (Obj. 3b & 3c) A real life example is LeBron James. He grew up in a rough part of Akron, Ohio and instead of taking his basketball millions to a luxury neighborhood nearer to Cleveland, he chose to build a mansion in his old neighborhood despite the many whispers that it was a bad idea. He has established a couple community reach-out programs in the neighborhood. This narrative is all too familiar with minorities – they want to share their wealth and knowledge to benefit the entire community; however, immigrant narratives usually gain individual wealth (or for their immediate family) only.

            Even within minority groups – immigrants included – there is a differing between stories, a feeling of sorts that segregates minorities even further from immigrants. In “Silver Pavements, Golden Roofs” when Jayanti is called the N-word by the local boys, she says, “the word arcs through the empty street like a rock, an impossible word which belongs to another place and time” (80). Jayanti, though only newly arrived in America, knows that word is not associated with her being Indian but by the dark color of her skin and quickly wishes to correct the boys that she is not like the people that word describes. (Obj. 3f) Furthermore, immigrant narratives wish to assimilate to the dominant culture, often citing awkward or unpleasant incidents when their native customs differed from those around them. Upon seeing her Aunt and Uncle at the airport, Jayanti touches “their feet like a good Indian girl should, though [she is] somewhat embarrassed…[as] everyone in the airport is watching us,” and her Aunt responds by kissing Jayanti “on both cheeks, but a little hesitantly” for “she hasn’t done something like this in a long time” (72). Though immigrants tend to keep some tradition (but over generations it seems to get lost), they truly feel a need to assimilate to American customs, hoping to fit in or merely not be singled out as different. However, though minority narratives would recognize the dissimilarity between their customs and the dominant culture’s, they would not immediate assume assimilation would be the answer; in fact, they might even repel or resist assimilation. (Obj 3c)

            I don’t believe that either narrative is exclusive or is ever final, for they are constantly changing and creating new appendixes to ancient stories as time and society evolves. It is with hope that no matter one’s narrative he will feel comfortable and content in whatever place he decides to call home.