Introduction
Asian Americans used the comic novels to tell their stories regarding the turbulent racist stereotypes that they had to undergo. The novelist developed narratives of some of the real-life experience of many young Asian Americans who were willing to do anything just to be recognized and appreciated by other Americans. This essay correlates racial discrimination with the desire of being American or Westernized.
Jin Wang
All that Jin Wang wishes to do is to fit in amongst his peers. When his household moves to a new area, Jin Wang suddenly becomes the only Asian American child in his new school. On his first day in school, the teacher mistakenly introduces him as a new student whose family moved in from China. Jin Wang corrects her by saying he is from San Francisco. Bullies and jocks torture him, and he hardly gets any friends. Then worst of all, Jin Wang develops a crush on an All-American girl, Amelia. Jin Wan gets fed up of being picked on and feeling different. Hence, he transforms himself to look more like the rest of the children just as the Chinese fable character the Monkey King (Pien, 6).
Jin Wang changes his appearance to one of an American Boy. He even gets a new name, Dave. The variations put pressure on his new friend Wei-Chen who was another Chinese student who joined the school. The transformation portrays Jin Wang’s struggle to blend in and become integrated into the American culture so that he could be just like the rest of the children in his school (Pien, 7). The aspect of feeling isolated and insecure regarding one’s differences and appearance occurs especially amongst minority cultures within a multicultural state. The dominant ethnicity or race controls most of the social systems. If they are intolerant of the persons’ who are different from them, they can make the minorities feel undermined or subordinate to the ways of their dominant culture. The experience of Jin Wang depicts the impacts of life choices, friendship, assimilation, self and cultural identities, and acceptance.
Simon Moore
Nancy and Simon Moore are two Korean-American students in college who have undergone discrimination due to their ethnicity. Nancy’s actual name is Hillary Chan. She acquired the name Nancy by stealing her former tenant’s identity and lover, Ben Leland. Her roommates forcefully torture her with the memories of her high school life where she had to belong to particular groups because of being Asian. For instance, Nancy’s co-curricular activities were limited to being a member of the ping-pong group. Nancy reveals her secret to her best friend Simon Moore concerning the fake identity and playing with the feelings of Ben Leland. Simon reprimands Nancy for toying with a vulnerable man. They later find out that Ben is from Simon’s hometown; hence, they decide to see him personally to explain the incident (Gardner, 143).
Simon jumps on the chance to go on the trip since he is trying to escape a young lady, Irene, who he had abandoned while they were young because she developed romantic feelings for him. Both Nancy and Simon encountered traumatic high school life due to segregation for being different from other students. Simon comes to realize that the only reason he was friends with the Irene was that she was blind (Gardner, 144). Therefore, she could not see him for what he really was, that is, different from her. The traumatic experiences change the two individuals’ lives, and they are forced to lock up secrets just so that they can fit in with those who are White. The issues with their identity burden their lives because they are not willing to accept themselves. The story provides the effects of masquerade, humiliation, cruelty, isolation which are shared experiences amongst many human beings.
Chris Iijima
Chris Iijima delivered his activism messages regarding the racial discrimination of the Asian Americans through acoustics and music. The songs narrated the experiences of the first lineage of Asian immigrants to formulate a shared historical depiction of the oppression of the society. He sought to connect the community to their cultural and traditional heritage so that they could resist marginalization, mobilize solidarity, and claim their historical presence in America. Chris emphasizes the need for people for live the way they want to before they die by not conforming to the wishes of other individuals. Chris’ young life was molded by the events that occurred in his childhood where most of the people from his community were imprisoned for being Asian Americans during the Second World War. His mother and father were strong activists who wanted considerable changes for the minorities in the U.S (Iijima, A Grain of Sand).
Chris did not turn into an American as such since he was deeply rooted in his ethnicity based on his desire to fight for his community’s rights and the songs he sang using traditional acoustic means. He may have been associated with being American due to his learning experience since he went to the university level and taught in several institutions. However, assimilation does not come out as such in Chris’ life. Chris used his songs and articles to champion for the rights of Asian Americans so that they could enjoy similar rights as the Whites. He longed for the end of racism, greed, and sexism. The integration of Asian Americans and the elimination of discrimination would stop the individuals in the community from feeling inferior or subordinate to the dominant White race (Iijima, A Grain of Sand).
Sumita
Sumita is a young girl aspiring to go to America. The excitement of moving to the country overwhelms her as well as the fear of going to another part of the world with a man she hardly knew. The story unfolds to portray her assimilation into the America culture. For instance, Somesh, her new partner, encourages her to drink because all the Americans drink. It seems right for them to drink so that they can feel like the Americans. Somesh creates a picture of the good life in the U.S. that leaves Sumita yearning to go there and see the wonders with her own eyes. She also desired to be with her partner and romance him just as Americans do without any care for anything in the world (Banerjee, 142).
Sumita slowly begins to become westernized starting from her clothes and her dreams for a better life just like a movie star. Every immigrant who steps into the U.S, enters with the hopes of attaining the American Dream. The phenomenon involves a life filled with glamor and lavish. The aspirations drive the individuals to great lengths to be just like the Americans. Following the death of Somesh, Sumita could think of nothing else but going to school and becoming a successful westernized Asian teacher (Banerjee, 147). She would fantasize about standing in front of a classroom wearing an American dress. Sumita believes that by acting and obtaining freedom, she would become an American a classic version of a melting pot because she is willing to let go of all her cultural values to be molded into a westernized individual.
Conclusion
Based on the above stories, human nature makes an individual develop the longing of fitting in a new society regardless of the extent or level of changes that he or she will have to undergo. Multiculturalism has assimilated some of the minority ethnicities under the dominant culture such that people end up losing their traditional values in the hopes of living the American Dream. Scholars such as Chris Iijima and the writers of the narratives emphasize that individuals must be willing to accept themselves to live without any regrets or burdens.
Works Cited
Banerjee, Chitra. Clothes. Arranged Marriage, n.d.
Gardner, Jared. Same Difference, n.d.
Iijima, Chris. A Grain of Sand: Music for the Struggle by Asians in America. Paredon Record, 1973.
Pien, Lark. American Born Chinese Concept Analysis. First Second, 2006.
