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Discrimination and persecution of the Japanese internment camps
Discrimination and persecution of the Japanese internment camps
Discrimination and persecution of the Japanese internment camps
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An important event in the book, Hotel on the Corner of the Bitter and Sweet, is when Henry’s father gives him an ultimatum, to choose between Keiko and his family, and without hesitation he chose Keiko. Before all of this, all Japanese in the U.S. were being persecuted because of their assumption to be apart of Pearl Harbor. Henry, on the other hand, was American- Chinese meaning he was born in the U.S. and having parents who are Chinese. But he was always mistaken for being Japanese even though he had a patch he wore every day saying he was American- Chinese. He went to an American school where he was the only American- Chinese until Keiko came along who was American- Japanese. They became the best of friends and worked together at the cafeteria-serving
Henry is from a long line of rich, white Americans who were always upstanding citizens in the community. His family was well respected in everything that they did. On the other hand, Chay’s family is a Cambodian refugee family who came to America in search of a better life. The Cambodians never were treated well, and they all lived in a separate town called Merton. Chay’s family owned a business, but wasn’t really rich. Chay went to school with Henry’s brother, Franklin, who seemed to get into a lot of fights with Chay. Franklin taught Henry how to fight off Cambodians who would look at their sister Louisa in a bad way or touched her. That is the thoughts that Henry grew up to think towards Chay and all other
Henry's relationship with his father was rough to say the least, but it did help shape him into the person he was . The two of them never really saw eye to eye. His father, who grew up in China, had very strong opinions about opinions against the Japanese. When Henry told him about his Japanese friend Keiko, he did not
Soon after Papa’s arrest, Mama relocated the family to the Japanese immigrant ghetto on Terminal Island. For Mama this was a comfort in the company of other Japanese but for Jeanne it was a frightening experience. It was the first time she had lived around other people of Japanese heritage and this fear was also reinforced by the threat that her father would sell her to the “Chinaman” if she behaved badly. In this ghetto Jeanne and he ten year old brother were teased and harassed by the other children in their classes because they could not speak Japanese and were already in the second grade. Jeanne and Kiyo had to avoid the other children’s jeers. After living there for two mo...
Henry’s father, a strict, war-obsessed man essentially dictates Henry’s life, distancing the two as Henry continues to oppose his father’s views. Because of his father’s controlling ways, there is little love to be lost between the father and son. This animosity between them can be seen when Henry is about to leave his apartment to retrieve the family photos of his Japanese friend Keiko. His father tells him that should Henry leave to help Keiko, he “[is] no longer part of this family” (Ford 185).
The obstacles Ichiro faced in searching for his lost identity reveal a discrepancy of American values, such as freedom and equality, which are deeply rooted in a segregated society. Through the negativity of many of the Japanese-American veterans and the differences among Ichiro’s entire family, he has literally gone from having a duel-heritage to no identity at all. Since he has no desire to be Japanese and feels unworthy to be American, he sees himself as nothing. His hatred of himself not only hinders the possibilities before him, but it also paints a whole new picture of America. Instead of a nation that is united and fights for freedom and equality, America is divided by racism and strips away the freedom of those they find inferior.
Chang-Rae Lee’s Native Speaker expresses prominent themes of language and racial identity. Chang-Rae Lee focuses on the struggles that Asian Americans have to face and endure in American society. He illustrates and shows readers throughout the novel of what it really means to be native of America; that true nativity of a person does not simply entail the fact that they are from a certain place, but rather, the fluency of a language verifies one’s defense of where they are native. What is meant by possessing nativity of America would be one’s citizenship and legality of the country. Native Speaker suggests that if one looks different or has the slightest indication that one should have an accent, they will be viewed not as a native of America, but instead as an alien, outsider, and the like. Therefore, Asian Americans and other immigrants feel the need to mask their true identity and imitate the native language as an attempt to fit into the mold that makes up what people would define how a native of America is like. Throughout the novel, Henry Park attempts to mask his Korean accent in hopes to blend in as an American native. Chang-Rae Lee suggests that a person who appears to have an accent is automatically marked as someone who is not native to America. Language directly reveals where a person is native of and people can immediately identify one as an alien, immigrant, or simply, one who is not American. Asian Americans as well as other immigrants feel the need to try and hide their cultural identity in order to be deemed as a native of America in the eyes of others. Since one’s language gives away the place where one is native to, immigrants feel the need to attempt to mask their accents in hopes that they sound fluent ...
“When you love someone, you 've gotta trust them. There 's no other way. You 've got to give them the key to everything that 's yours. Otherwise, what 's the point? And for a while, I believed, that 's the kind of love I had” (Casino). Casino centers on Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein, a gambler of legendary skill who is sent by the mob in the early 1970s to Las Vegas to manage its newly acquired Tangiers Hotel and Casino. Ace is an outsider among outsiders: a dispassionate, calculating, almost pitifully tender civilian among thugs. He’s a Jewish bookie sent by the mob to manage a Vegas casino and embezzle cash for the crime bosses back home. Even when he dons a flamboyant suit and runs patrol around the felt tables of his amoral arena, he looks unsatisfied.
Jin Wang, the main character in American Born Chinese transforms in order to deal with stereotypes and prejudice. After moving from Chinatown San Francisco to a new school, Jin realizes he is the only Asian other than Suzy Nakamura (31). Jin immediately faces racial stereotypes and slurs, such as “Chinese people eat dogs”, and arranged marriages (31). Even the teachers have preconceived ideas about Jin’s heritage. His third grade teacher Mrs. Greeder has little understanding of the pronunciation of Jin’s name and from where he moved, thinking he came “all the way from China” (30). In order to integrate in his new environment, he assimilates himself into American culture, transformed into a “regular” American. After stereotyped for eating dog, Jin is seen eating without chopsticks, part of his Asian tradition, and begins to eat “normal” American cuisine, such as sandwiches (37). When Wei Chen arrives, Jin tells him “(he’s) in America” and to “speak English” (37). Even though Jin is fully capable of communicating with Wei-Chen, he decides to abandon his previous culture. Jin chooses to fully transform into an American. He tries to completely dispose of his Asian identity and develop a new one. In order to do this he develops the n...
“Women have been taught that, for us, the earth is flat, and that if we venture out, we will fall off the edge,” verbalizes Andrea Dworkin. Gender-roles have been ingrained in the every-day life of people all around the world since the beginnings of civilization. Both One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Hamlet portray typical female stereotypes in different time periods. Due to the representation of women in literature like Hamlet by William Shakespeare and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kessey, and pop-culture, evidence of classic gender-based stereotypes in a consistently patriarchal world are still blatantly obvious in today’s societies.
Japanese immigration created the same apprehension and intolerance in the mind of the Americans as was in the case of Chinese migration to the U.S at the turn of the 19th century. They developed a fear of being overwhelmed by a people having distinct ethnicity, skin color and language that made them “inassimilable.” Hence they wanted the government to restrict Asian migration. Japan’s military victories over Russia and China reinforced this feeling that the Western world was facing what came to be known as “yellow peril”. This was reflected in the media, movies and in literature and journalism.4 Anti-Oriental public opinion gave way to several declarations and laws to restrict Japanese prosperity on American land. Despite the prejudice and ineligibility to obtain citizenship the ...
...a of what his life would have been had he been born and raised by an American Family. This shows that he has been trying to run away from the shadow of his own Culture in an effort to gain acceptance in the American Culture. However, his unruly behavior might have resulted due to the lack of support from his family especially his father. His father’s determination of trying to keep him bounded to the Korean tradition and values might have what actually pushed Henry away. For example, when Henry decides to take an American girl to the Spring Dance, his father justifies her interest in her son due his financial background. He says to Henry, “You real dummy, Henry. Don’t you know? You just free dance ticket. She just using you” (Pg. 74). This illustrates that Henry has been struggling to gain his father’s respect and approval in him but was never able to achieve that.
Progression and the Structure of The Blue Hotel In his essay, Robert F. Gleckner discusses progression, as it is related to the structure of "The Blue Hotel." He follows the progression of power and control in the story, as it shifts to different characters. Gleckner also follows the progression of the storm outside and how it symbolizes a natural force that will always be more powerful than human control. In the beginning of "The Blue Hotel," Scully has the power, as he "practically makes [his three guests] prisoners. They are "conducted" into the Blue Hotel.
Everyone has expectations to uphold and often it can feel overwhelming to comply with them all. When one chooses not to comply to the expectations set by oneself or from others, it can be seen as an act of rebellion, foolish-thinking, or a failure to see what the future holds. Similarly, expectations that are too elevated towards others can result in a harsh confrontation with reality. In the novel, The Other Side of the Bridge, by Mary Lawson, the author develops the idea that one bearing too many expectations of others and of oneself can lead to developing distress and feelings of betrayal if the expectations are not met. The theme of expectations is developed using the character Ian, through the social expectations he encounters, familial
In essence, he was shunned” (Hongo 4) by the white people who could not believe that he would attack their superior American ways. According to writers such as Frank Chin and the rest of the “Aiiieeeee!” group, the Americans have dictated Asian culture and created a perception as “nice and quiet” (Chin 1972, 18), “mama’s boys and crybabies” without “a man in all [the] males.” (Chin 1972, 24). This has become the belief of the preceding generations of Asian Americans and therefore manifested these stereotypes. Those authors who contest these “American made” stereotypes are said to betray the American culture and white power around them, and to be “rocking the boat” in a seemingly decent living situation.
...me Americans has been realized. Wong is multicultural and not Chinese. However, when she examines back to her childhood, she feels miserable. Her unhappiness is significant because this feeling shows us her present concept on her initial heritage. She can understand why her mother took them to the Chinese school at this issue. She could be an American and still having Chinese heritage. There are many All-Americans but she likes to be someone who is multicultural, and she had numerous possibilities to hold her Chinese culture. The reason for her unhappiness is that she missed these possibilities. She thought that maintaining more than one backgrounds is interesting. Through being an All-American Girl and departing her Chinese culture, she came to realise the importance of her original heritage and the factual significance of being multicultural.