Junot Diaz’s article serves up a criticism of the MFA creative writing program, and the perceived racism in this program. Diaz is an alumnus of the MFA program under Cornell University. However, he takes a swipe at the program, claiming that it is racially biased and “too white”. Despite having attended the program almost two decades earlier, Diaz posits that nothing has changed. He argues that the same absence of diversity in the faculty that was a feature of his days is replicated in the present day. Diaz cites examples of the racism and racial profiling evident in the present day while arguing that it is responsible for the death of people of color’s literary careers.
Through a reading of this text, the reader infers the meaning of racism and the detrimental effects it has on the people of color. Racism and racial profiling is existent in the society, despite the best efforts to claim otherwise and to regard it as a class issue. By reading this text, a reader obtains the true picture of racism, through Diaz’s experiences. These experiences affect minorities in that they cause them to feel marginalized, and like second-class citizens. Ultimately, this causes discontent among them, and they may feel frustrated to a point of abandoning their dreams. This is evident in the experience of Athena, who quits the MFA program when she grows weary of its whiteness. The reading of this text stimulates the reader’s interpretation by causing them to view Diaz as a victim of racial bias.
A failure to read this text means that one would not understand the author’s position properly. It would seem that the author is be merely complaining about the system, and its unfairness, and ignoring the fact that it gave him an opportunity to be what he is. However, upon reading it, one gains an experience, and a realization that Diaz is a victim. The reader realizes that through ignoring the occurrences that Diaz highlights, we entrench the problem of racial profiling even more.
Thus, the reading experience, in this case, is a confirmation of the reader’s projection. That is, the reader uses the data obtained from the article, which is the experiences enumerated by Diaz, to project him as a victim of racial profiling. The reader’s response is hence analogous to the theme since the theme is racial profiling, and the response obtained is how Diaz has become a victim of the profiling.
In Monique Truong’s essay, the author bitterly criticizes the racial profiling she has to undergo from almost every American citizen whom she meets. This profiling arises from her Vietnamese ancestry, a fact that almost all people she meets choose to highlight. Truong’s bitterness is evident in the way she describes how people typically initiate conversations with her. She takes particular exception to the fact that people are always asking her why she has never been back “home”. However, the only home she knows is the USA, having lived there for the majority of her life. Truong harbors no feelings for her country of origin, due to the vices she witnessed there, and which she considers unforgivable. Having adopted the American culture, she is no longer in touch with her Vietnamese side.
In this reading, the reader’s interaction with the text gives rise to an interpretational basis. From reading the text, the reader identifies the fear that Truong has that America is turning into another Vietnam. In as much as the main issue she seeks to address is racism and racial discrimination, some underlying political undertones are detectible. These political hints arise from her criticism of the war in Iraq, where she compares the decisions made to the flawed policies that led her to hate her home country so much. However, this is not completely explored and therefore, some indeterminacy arises. Hence, this may give rise to some flawed interpretation of the text as a political piece. As the reader progresses, however, it becomes evident that she seeks to address issues from a social, rather than political lens.
In as far as the reading experience is concerned, this text projects the image of a woman caught between two worlds. While she views herself as an American, some people will never see her as such. In their eyes, she is Vietnamese, and this tag stays with her like a tattoo. Even if she were willing to associate herself with Vietnam, she would still face rejection since the returning Vietnamese-Americans are branded “returning Viet Kieu”. Thus, the reading experience is of a child of two worlds, caught up in the rejection from both.
The reader’s response is analogous to this case since he becomes socially aware, just like the theme of the story, which is to raise social consciousness of this racial profiling. Through this response of sympathetic awareness of her plight, the reader gains social consciousness of her plight and is aware of racial profiling. The author’s identity theme appears to be a conflict in identity. Whereas she thinks she is American, the society does not recognize her as such, as evidenced in the train incident involving Truong and her sister.
Jose Antonio Vargas tells of his journey from the Philippines to the USA, as an undocumented immigrant. Vargas details his early life of innocence, with no realization that he had forged documents, and the life of deception forced on him after this discovery. Vargas describes how he had to live in constant fear of exposure until his decision to come out open about his status.
A reading of Vargas’ work has a profound impact on the reader since it allows the reader the ability to see the reader’s constant struggle firsthand. The reading gives first hand insight into the author’s fraudulent lifestyle, and his attempt to prove himself worthy of being called an American citizen. Vargas’ efforts are evident with his academic achievements providing robust evidence. The primary interpretation when we first learn of Vargas’ false documentation is a quickness to judge him as just another illegal immigrant straining the country’s resources. However, this perception changes as one reads the article, with the realization that not all undocumented immigrants are a liability.
The story speaks of the plight of the undocumented immigrants, who are branded enemies of the country, despite having a positive contribution. However, a judgmental reading experience, laced with personal bias and opinions, sometimes lead us to condemn all immigrants as liabilities. Vargas though sets out to debunk this myth, showing that they are just as integral to the economy as the “legal” citizens. The interpretation is analogous with the essay’s theme, which is the profiling of immigrant. Readers primarily see Vargas as an illegal, before later growing to appreciate him, which is consistent with the article’s theme.
Works Cited
Díaz, J. (2014, April 30). MFA vs. POC. The New Yorker.
Truong, M. (2003, August 18). Into Thin Air. TIME: TIME's Asian Journey | Vietnam, 162(7).
Vargas, J. A. (2011, June 22). My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant. The New York Times.
