Ethnic-American Identity

There are different types of people in the world that people may know. Sometimes we may see two different sides of people. One, a person can be a leader, an innovator, or a role model to set an example of how to be independent. Another way we can see is how a person or anyone may control their lives. Sometimes people force others to be something that they are not really meant to be. Amy Tan went through a phase where her mother wanted her to be something than herself, but showed her mom that she does not have to be a certain way to be successful. Amy wrote a short story called “Two Kinds” and explains what happens in her life and how her mom wanted to be a child of prodigy. People can be creative and become successful in their own ways if they

put hard work into it.
Jing-Mei, who comes from a Chinese background but grown in America, explores the issues of ethnic identity, the paradoxical nature of ethnic-American identity, hyphenated identity, biracial identity and cultural identity in her works (Ayan 61).

Jing starts off her story by saying “My mother believed you could be anything you wanted to be in America. You could open a restaurant. You could work for the government and get good retirement. You could buy a house with almost no money down. You could become rich. You could become instantly famous. Of course, you can be a prodigy, too,”(Tan Paragraph 1). This quote is stating that if one can put their mind to anything that they believe in, they will become successful and rich in time. A prodigy is a person, endowed with exceptional qualities or abilities. Her mother thought Amy would be the next Shirley Temple because her and her mother would watch old movies on TV as if they were going to help Jing later on in life (Tan paragraph 2). Jing-Mei was using her imagination to see what kind of prodigy child she could be. She thought to herself that she could be a ballerina, Christ child, or being Cinderella. Jing felt that being a prodigy was a waste of time. She said “If you don’t hurry up and get me out of here, I’m disappearing for good,” it warned. “And then you’ll always be nothing” (Tan paragraph 3). It seems Jing is feeling disappointed in herself and wants to prove to her mother that she can be better and become the child of

prodigy her mother hope for. The mother also reads countless “stories about remarkable children” in the magazines she brings home from people whose houses she cleans. The mother’s vague ambitions for her daughter take shape one night when they are both watching the Ed Sullivan Show (269).
Jing mother seem interested in music.

Jing and her mother saw a Chinese girl that was about nine years old that was playing the piano in a little white dress. The mom was impressed with the Chinese girl performance; she hired a piano teacher, Mr. Chong, to teach Jing how to play the piano (289). A fierce struggle ensues between the mother’s desire to make her daughter into a prodigy (more to satisfy her own ego), and the daughter’s resistance to her mother’s efforts to make her into someone she is (289). Jing felt like her mother was trying to punish her and make her life miserable. Jing had argue with her mother because she felt her mother did not appreciate her, did not accept her for who she is, and Jing was frustrated (Tan paragraph 4). Mr. Chong was a very old man who retired from teaching piano. Mr. Chong and Jing would have altercations about how he teaches to Jing. It had seems Mr. Chong wanted Jing to be perfect as possible no matter the outcome. Mr. Chong and her mother have talked about signing her up for a recital. She lies about her practice time and does only what she has to do during her lessons. Subsequently, her mother has no idea how poor and undisciplined a musician she is. At her piano recital, her awful, unpracticed playing embarrasses herself as well as her mother (289). Jing felt ashamed that she did awful in her piano performance and she can see her mother feeling disappointed. Jing had thought she was done with the piano lessons but her mother said

other wise. Jing had enough of her mother and finally took a stand to her. Her mother and her argue. Back and forth as they yelled, Jing said something that made her mother stunned. Her mother said “Only two kinds of daughters," she shouted in Chinese. "Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind! Only one kind of daughter can live in this house. Obedient daughter!" Then Jing said “Then I wish I weren't your daughter, I wish you weren't my mother,"(Tan paragraph 10). Her mother was furious and did not know what to say to Jing. Her mother had her arms wrapped and left the room.
Jing felt like a failure. She felt like she had failed again and again, and every time she thought she could do better, she ended up failing again. She goes on feeling as if she could not she can do anything at all. Ever since she had that argument with her mother, she felt her mother was still angry with her and did not want anything from her daughter. A few years had gone by, her mother had offered to give her the piano for her birthday. It was a sign of forgiveness, having to bury the past and let it all go. She asked her mother if she would miss the piano and she said no. Her mom had said something too her that made her in aw. Her mother said, “You have natural talent. You could be a genius if you want to." "No, I couldn't." "You just not trying," my mother said. And she was neither angry nor sad. She said it as if announcing a fact that could never be disproved. "Take it," she said (Tan Paragraph 10). At first, Jing did not take the piano. She would look into her parents living room to feel proud and felt like she had accomplish something for her parents. Jing mother had died a few months later. She did not understand what her mother did to push her so hard in life, but she had realized that it her mother was showing love, motivation, and become a better person than she was. Jing mother wanted to have the best for her daughter, but later realizes that she has to grow up on her own and become a independent strong women.
There is a lot of symbolism in this story. When critics discuss these themes in the novel they most often analyze the generational tension inherent within the mother-daughter relationships of four immigrant Chinese mothers and their American-born daughters living in San Francisco. Many critics who analyze or summarize the novel suggest that the four San Francisco mother-daughter relationships illustrate themes of family misunderstandings, lone Hens, and personal ambivalence. However, critics overlook the relationships the novel represents between the earnest generation of Chinese mothers and their China daughters and how these earher relationships influence the family tensions and loneliness that all four San Francisco mother- daughter pairs (Wood 82). The mothers and daughters who live together share a cultural bond contiguous with geographical land- scopes that transcends the potential generational divide in motile daughter relationships (Woods 83). The theme of this story is to show a sacrifice, the love a mother would do for her daughter. A mother love for their daughter is like a bond that cannot be broken. Jing mother shows her love through out the whole story and wanting the best for her daughter no matter the circumstances.
Individuals should have the courage to believe in themselves and also have faith. If one can put there mind to anything that they can believe in, the possible outcome can happen. Amy showed a good example of standing up too ones belief and become a prodigy child on their own. Amy showed that in life, one has to make the decision that they would want to be in life and also have a certain goal they would like to achieve.