Study Term

Cultural Assimilation and Social Isolation

Courtney, Anthony, Punit, Amanda, and India

last week

Indian-American experiences
(Jared, Catherine, Torrin, Javier)

Exam 4 Review

1) Change
2) Security

Discussion Question: Week Thirteen Reading

In Wildwood by Junot Diaz we see how Lola changes from trying to be a model daughter for her mother to a "punk" due to her mother constant complaints. Do you think where Lola lives have any cultural influence to why she chose to be rebellious? That Lola's change was because she was in America, where examples of "punk" attitudes exist among her peers and the media? If the family had lived in Santo Domingo do you think Lola would have continued being the model daughter instead of becoming punk if the culture was to listen to her mother?

Claire, Eugene, Reem, Theodora

11/21/11

The family looked Indian but dressed as foreigners did, the children in stiff, brightly colored clothing and caps with translucent visors (pages 43-44).
How does Lahiri illustrates the cultural gap between Indians and Indians Americans?
(Jared, Catherine, Torrin, Javier)

Journal Entry for Monday Nov 21st

Compare and contrast the sense of community characterized within the stories; specifically the traditions of community from stories set in India Vs. the stories set in the United States. How do cultural traditions, like Halloween or Indian Temples, effect the stories characters sense of identity? How far ( if at all) do you think these traditions or sense of community and cultural identity blend the cultural barrier? If you believe they do, in what methods does Lahiri choose to communicate this? Finally, do you think that Lahiri wanted to develop the idea of what binds the sense of community and cultural assimilation or rather what disrupts it? Can you find any textual evidence to support your opinion?

Courtney, Punit, Anthony, Amanda, and India

Discussion Question: Week Twelve Reading

In Yezierska's "America and I" and Eaton's "In the Land of the Free" we see how immigrants dislike America because of the hardships that the characters face upon coming to America. How is Panna in "A Wife's Story" by Mukherjee view of America different than the characters in the other two stories? Does she seem to be facing any hardships? What are some things that makes her like (or dislike) American life?

Claire, Eugene, Reem, Theodora