In Becoming American, the Hang Sou , Herr, and Cha clans underwent tremendous turmoil in leaving Thailand and coming to America. They knew that there was no future for their families in Thailand and escaped the hardship and turmoil to take on the risk of reestablishing their family. They also had to overcome numerous barriers to begin the process of moving to America which lead to many difficult emotions and feelings that the family had to go through. When the family first left to America on the bus, they were essentially leaving behind a way of life that they had known forever, to enter the unknown. Families just wanted to touch and be with the other clan members because they didn’t know when or if they would see them again. I believe the …show more content…
No longer were they living in a cramped house with one room and dirt floors, but now had running water and modern appliances. I couldn’t imagine how a mother would feel trying to cook on a new foreign gas stove versus just using an open flame like back in her native land. Additionally, grocery shopping was new and foreign as was the American currency which made it extremely difficult to cook and provide food for the family. This was a completely new culture and way of life. Not speaking the native language in a country is always an issue because it makes it very difficult to interact with those around you and contribute to society. No employer wants to hire a person who can’t speak English, which made it extremely difficult to find a job even though many of them wanted to work. The families tried to take English as a second language classes, but the documentary stated it would be a few years until they were proficient enough to contribute to society. The difficulty to interact with others must have been frustrating, as it is a key part of fitting in the American culture. In America, they would have to find a new way of life, and get accustomed to Urban America. Each of these factors must have been on the minds of the family, and would have contributed to the sense of fear and wariness these people must have had in their new life in
While both Chaukamnoetkanok and his grandparents’ experiences were very similar, Chaukamnoetkanok points out that there are two main differences. First, the motivation for their immigration was drastically different. Chaukamnoetkanok states “Ar-kong migrated from China mainly for economic reasons. My parents’ main objective for migrating was the education of their children” (Foner 338). His parents left behind everything they had in Thailand and started a new life from the ground up in the United States for the sake of their children. His grandparents, on the other hand, could not provide their own children with a decent education
At the end of The Latehomecomer, Yang concludes with the promise she had made to her grandmother: “I told her we will not become the birds or the bees. We will become Hmong, and we will build a strong home that we will never leave and can always return to. We will not be lost and looking our whole lives through.” (Yang, 263) Throughout this story, her grandmother was the bond that held the whole family together through all the ordeals. She was the source of pride of being a Hmong, and the courage to find her
With the perception of a bright and new beginning they willingly forced themselves to forget about the “colors of the Beijing sky” and “what they no longer could bear hope for” (Chang 33, 29). Sacrificing their past life, they wanted to give their son Charles a life of fulfillment and opportunity in the land of dreams, America. Their Chinese culture and traditions were neglected in the corner of their basement and the American lifestyle was rapidly immersing the Hwangs family. With the pressure to learn and comprehend this new American culture, the relationship between father and son slowly became disconnected. Ming’s demand to forget his past and the pressure to absorb new cultural ways, took a toll on the relationship between him and his son causing it to drift and become almost non-
...ool to receive an education. However, being new in America, they were apt to make many mistakes, which in some cases proved deadly. In all, their experiences helped them to develop knowledge of their new homeland. They also helped them to make better decisions and better the future for their family.
As I grew older, between the transition of a child to a teenager, I learned more about my family, its culture and background, and even some back story about how they came to the United States to the first place. Back at home, my parents are certainly not home for long and everyday we weren't
Reading through this story reveals satisfaction as pertains to justification of the theme of reunion and family for the Asian-American culture. The role of flashback cannot be disputed as it helps in building the story to reach the climax at the end, which sums up the story. In this regard it is worth concluding that this story allows us to see the importance of family and being reunited with your roots.
The United States and its people take great pride in knowing that the U.S. is the greatest nation in the world. That is why it’s our duty to father the rest of the world when conflicts arise. American culture and ideals are also thought to take precedents over all other cultures and ideals. In the book, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall down, written by Anne Fadiman, there are many great examples of how American culture is imposed on the people residing with in its enclosed boundaries. The U.S. going to war in Vietnam is also a great example of how the U.S. tried to impose American values on the “less fortunate.” Through understanding America’s so called “duty” in Vietnam one can interpret the intervention of American idealism in the life of a Hmong family.
Morishima, James, K. "The Evacuation: Impact on the Family." Asian- Americans Psychological Perspectives. Ed. Stanley Sue, Ph.D., Nathaniel N. Wagner, Ph.D. California: Science and Behavior Books, Inc., 1973. 13- 19.
Nguyen was still staying in Vietnam, his yearning for a stable, comfortable and peaceful life in the United States was reflected by his longing for delicious food in the United States. Because he is one of the victims of the Vietnam War, which “took away more than two million lives, in which many of them were civilians, three million were wounded, and hundreds of thousands of children were left orphans.” (Rohn 1) Also, the Vietnamese society was totally in turmoil since the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Numerous Vietnamese had become refugees and lots of them were trying to escape from Vietnam to the United States. According to statistic, “Since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, the Vietnamese immigrant population in the United States has risen significantly, increasing from about 231,000 in 1980 to nearly 1.3 million in 2012, making it the sixth largest foreign-born population in the United States.” (Rkasnuam and Batalova 1) Mr. Nguyen was also one of those Vietnamese who could no longer endure living in Vietnam. Therefore, when Mr. Nguyen’s cousin Eddies sent a photo of his American life to him, he expressed his aspiration of moving to the United States by describing how the Peking duck, steamed fish, fried rice with shrimp aroused his appetite. Mr. Nguyen and his family imagine a picture that they are still staying with each other and are tasting the foods happily. (Lam 83) Standing in Mr. Nguyen’s shoes, food implied his American dream and his attitude towards food reflected his expectation of living in the United
Being an American is more than just living in America, or being born in this country. Many people talk about being American’s and they aren't even in this country. Being an American is a way of life that people adapt into by seeing how we act. People all over the world eat the same things that we eat, so that can't really be a way of being an American. To me, being an American is embracing our ways of life, not fighting for the other guys, and loving our anthem and the flag.
“You are in America, speak English.” As a young child hearing these words, it did not only confuse me but it also made me question my belonging in a foreign country. As a child I struggled with my self-image; Not being Hispanic enough because of my physical appearance and not being welcomed enough in the community I have tried so hard to integrate myself with. Being an immigrant with immigrant parents forces you to view life differently. It drives you to work harder or to change the status quo for the preconceived notion someone else created on a mass of people. Coming to America filled me with anxiety, excitement, and even an unexpected wave of fear.
First, if the media allowed for Americans to see more international news, I believe that the world would be different. America would appreciate that other countries make us a great country. When looking at Figure.3, I thought it would be great to know that America owes foreigners about $4.5 trillion in debt. This would let Americans know that we are not making this nation a better place by ourselves. This would probably make Americans get off their butts and try to build something that is American, rather than always buying from foreign and making them work for our needs.
Descending from minority-driven ancestries, it’s hard to truly call myself an American, ethnically at least. Scratch that. I’m going to dispel the notion that being an American is a way of describing someone. No one is truly American, not even natural born citizens. We are all descendants of either Natives, Africans, Asians, or Europeans, and even those ethnic groups were derived from even earlier ancestors. The point is: the suggestion that an American identity exists, is a myth. Granted, people who live within the borders of the United States do share certain customs that are unique to them, but for the most part, what we identify as American would be better labeled as Nativasiofrindiapean. The foods we eat, the music we drown
After the fall of the Saigon in 1975, Heidi’s mother- Mrs. Mai Thi Kim decided to send her to America as fearing for her uncertain future in Vietnam. Twenty two years later years, Heidi eventually found her Vietnamese mother. However, as she was raised in the States, Heidi is now "101%" American and has little knowledge of her Vietnamese heritage. Undoubtedly, this reality reveals potentials for cultural collision.
American Culture, two different words that have different meaning. When put together this word can say so much about one country. American culture is what make America great, but for many people that don't live in the United States may have different interpretation for it. For those that do live in the U.S. they would say American Culture stand for democracy, freedom, religion, sports, and entertainment.