Thank you all for your replies to the Week Two thought question! Many of you raised excellent points and responded well to each other. I also really liked some of the questions that you asked. Remember to proofread your posts carefully. Check for spelling and grammar. I noticed several posts with errors.
Now, onto this week’s question! After having read “The Good Immigrant Student” by Bich Minh Nguyen and “No Name Woman” by Maxine Hong Kingston, what are some common themes that you noticed in both essays? Cite any outside source information used. Would Kingston and Nguyen be in agreement in regards to the notions of assimilation and preservation? Explain. Lastly, which of these essays did you enjoy reading more? Why?
I’m anxious to read your thoughts!
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Both of the essays really made me think about how people in the old days lived their lives and went through such horrible times.
Personally, I relate more to Bich Minh Nguyen's story rather than Maxime Hong Kingston's, because I am experiencing how hard and difficult it is, to be a foreign student coming from a whole different world and having to learn a whole new language and culture.
But, I found "No Name Woman" more interesting and provoking to read, because what Kingston writes has stronger feeling and weight into it. I also can relate with this story because I came from a Chinese family. Her story focuses on a family's pride and dignity that is more important than anything else, which seems "a-bit-over-the-top" yet true in our lives.
Both women assimilate and preserve their lives as "American-Chinese" living in America, while they still consider themselves as their own nationality in a way towards their stories. Nguyen writes an inspiring story for students to overcome their fear towards school and friends, where as Kingston writes about her fear of her unrecognizable "aunt" that still haunts her throughout her live. Nguyen and Kingston are trying to find identity and recognition in their stories in a different way.
Both “The Good Immigrant Student” by Bich Minh Nguyen and “No Name Woman” by Maxine Hong Kingston have a shared theme of American-Chinese immigrations. Each author tells of their experiences and how old traditions and customs are changed and how they stay the same as they make their way through life in America. I think that they would agree with each other now as they are older (and not children, as they were in their essays), on the subject of assimilation to America and preservation of Chinese tradition. In their stories it appeared that neither really had a strong opinion on either views, only because it would be such an awkward place to be in life. I think they would now conclude that preservation of tradition is important because those traditions make a person and their family who they are, and at the same time modifying the way in which they live so that they can fit into American society.
Of the two essays, I most enjoyed reading “No Name Woman” because her story was quite strange. I think it’s always interesting reading something that kind of goes against the normalness of life.
I apologize, in my last blog I made the mistake of saying both authors were Chinese. After briefly paging through the two stories again, I caught my mistake that Bich Minh Nguyen was Vietnamese, not Chinese.
I think the biggest theme that both "The Good Imigrant Student" by Bich Minh Nguyen and "No Name Woman" by Maxine Hong Kingston share is the balance between assimilation and preservation, as Ashleyhove stated. They both come to America still holding onto stories and history from their birth countries and they both have to try to incorporate their old selves into their new lives in America. I most definately found "No Name Woman" by Kingston much more interesting. It really kept me reading because she changed it up very well by thinking of all the options of how her aunt could have gotten pregnant.
The strongest similarity to note between the two essays would be that of the authors explaining how they became Americanized and yet how they tried to preserve their own heritage and culture while in America. I enjoyed reading Bich’s story the most because I was able to relate to her more. I was able to relate in the sense that when I was in grade school I was always trying to be a good student and not draw attention to my self like Bich did. Although, I did not have the struggle of being an immigrant I can relate to Bich not wanting to be noticed. I also liked Kingston story it gave good background into another culture and helped me realize that people to do things differently in this world. The “No Name Woman” story was a bit confusing and actually a little scary to me. Do you feel you can better relate now to immigrants than you did before reading these stories? I know I now have a better understanding of what an immigrant goes through by coming to America after reading these stories.
"The Good Immigrant Student" by Bich Minh Nguyen and "No Name Woman" by Maxine Hong Kingston did hold some similarities. Bich focuses more on the point of assimilation and preservation throughout her entire essay, but Kingston does touch on it with how the story she was told holds up to life in America. I am sure that they both would have similar thoughts on what has to happen for an immigrant student to survive in our cruel society. And that would probably be to assimilate yourself all you can. They can try to hold onto their roots but even if they don’t try it always will be part of who they are. Just looking down at their skin would have to remind them of where they came from and why they tend to be treated differently. Despite the events that occurred in their lives because of they way they looked and the differences in the ways that they were raised.
The story I liked most is unclear. I relate a little more with Bich because of my shyness and the fact I was trying to disappear myself in school. But I also appreciated Kingston’s because of the references to the past, and the mystery of if the story was real or a scare tactic. So I don’t know.
Reading both of the stories made me think more about the struggle that immigrants have to go through. I already new it would be hard to learn a different language and it would be hard to fit into a new culture. I always thought people moving to America should do it our way or no way. Reading these stories opened my mind about keeping their old culture in mind while trying to adapt to ours. These stories were both good in showing the transition, but I could relate to No Name Woman more, because if my mom didn't want me to do something she would try to scare me away from it. I'm sure I would do the same if I had a little girl. In both stories the women were debating what part of their cultures they wanted to keep alive, and what part of our culture they wanted to keep. I feel that this would be a very hard struggle. Both of these stories have givin me a better understanding of what they go through, and how confusing it really is.
Both of the essays had similar points when dealing with assimilation and preservation alike. Bich Mihn Nguyem's "The Good Immigrant Student" was more about the conflicts with holding on to her native background and problems she faced when trying to fit in. Maxine Hong Kingston's "No Name Woman" was more directed at whether her mother was trying to scare her or whether it was actually a true story that happened in her native land. I found Kingston's essay more interesting and a little scary to think about. I realize now how difficult it must be for foreign students, more than I had ever thought about before.
I believe both stories are completely different, but at the same time it means a lot, they both are from different countries but, maybe they have the same culture.It's also about a lot of dignity and they try to keep and preserve their own culture no matter what. "No Name Woman", she had a bad experiece whit getting pregnant and she must to hide it,because for her culture that is not acceptable and she just wanted to died. The other version is about the new language that she learned, and she was completely shy, quiet, obedient,she was very focus in get good grades and scores, and be one of the best in class, by proving herself how far she can go. I really like "The Good Immigrant Student", because it reminded me when I came to this country, and have to learn english as my second language and get involve with a new culture. I think also that each Immigrant have their own good and bad experience, but as Immigrant we have to get a deal with it.
Bich Minh Nguyen and Maxine Hong Kingston both explore the influence that social pressures have in the lives of individuals. In "The Good Immigrant Student," Nguyen gives concrete examples of how social expectations led her to become withdrawn and painfully shy. Kingston, on the other hand, explores this issue from a less personal standpoint in "No Name Woman." While relating the story of her aunt's suicide, she raises questions about the power society has over people. The social pressure that oppressed Kingston's aunt (accompanied also by guilt) drove her to take her own life.
Based upon their essays, I believe that Nguyen and Kingston would both agree on the difficulties of preserving culture in a foreign land. They would also both agree that there is immense pressure to assimilate into that same foreign culture. In their own ways, Kingston and Nguyen illustrate the fine balance between total assimilation and total preservation. They have both, in part, accepted American culture; yet they have also retained a great deal of their native heritage.
Like most of the other bloggers, I was more captivated by "No Name Woman"; however, I agree with drvannorsdel, who was rather disturbed by the essay. I think that Kingston wrote the essay with the intention of disturbing the readers. I also agree with drvannorsdel in that I now understand more about the struggles of immigrant life. And now for my question: how will we (non-immigrants) treat immigrants differently after reading this story? For those who are "immigrants," what would you like the rest of us to know that Nguyen and Kingston did not cover?
I found many similarities between Bich Minh Nguyen's "The Good Immigrant Student" and Maxine Hong Kingston's "No Name Woman." Both stories involve young girls from foreign countries now living in America. These two young ladies are trying to not only find themselves, but find the proper place to draw the line between their foreign heritage and their new American lifestyles.
I don't believe that Kingston and Nguyen would be in agreement regarding assimilation and preservation. Personally, I think that Kingston doesn't want to preserve her Chinese heritage as much as her mother wants her to. For example, she wrote the story about her forgotten aunt that she was never supposed to speak of. However, I think that Nguyen wants to preserve her Vietnamese culture. It seems to me as if she is trying to find ways to incorporate her Vietnamese heritage into her American lifestyle. Nguyen would speak English at school, but Vietnamese to her sister at home.
I enjoyed reading Maxine Hong Kingston's "No Name Woman." I think it had a very strong underlying meaning that brought up a lot of questions for the reader. It constantly made me think and want to dig deeper into the reading.
I thought that one of the common themes between both essays was that they were both trying to figure out how to incorporate their life in America while at the same time keeping their native traditions and or culture. I think that they would both be in agreement about assimilation and preservation. They both in a way are trying to preserve their native culture and keep those traditions alive but yet still trying to fit in and become Americanized. I enjoyed reading “The Good Immigrant Student” more so than I did “No Name Woman”. I found that “The Good Immigrant Student” had more that I could relate to. I was one of the kids in school who liked to just kind of blend in and not be noticed. I was always, and still am, afraid to be called on by the teacher just the same that Bich was. In “No Name Woman”, there was nothing really in it that I felt I could relate to; therefore I did not enjoy reading it as much
Both essays had the same theme about being different and finding your own way in life. Bich Minh Nguyen was very much like me except I am American but I got teased a lot and I was always last to be picked for a game or something in class. Kingston writing was very interesting. There are so many ways to take the story that you kind of have to use your imagination a little bit. I believe that both authors go into assimilation and preservations while talking about what they had gone through in their childhood days. I enjoyed both works but I feel more close to Nguyen's story since that is kind of the way I grew up in school. I believe that we all get teased at some point. What really matters is how we learn from it. What did you get teased about in school? And how did you learn from it? Think about it!!!!!
Both essays were intriguing and interesting in how they depicted the lives of people from different cultures and how they adapted to rough times. In both, it has two women trying to find theirselves in a new culture while keeping to their heritage.
"No Name Woman" was more interesting to me as it told more of a story, but "The Good Immigrant Student" was easier to understand, despite the fact I haven't had to go through the same things as she did.
In both of the two essays the two women experienced cultural differences while becoming Amaricanized growing up. Kingston was born and raised in California., while Nguyen moved here frome Vietnam whan she was young. Neither of the authors mentioned if the havisited their place of heritage.(Bich,Vietnam and Nguyen, China)Coming from different times and places, I am not sure they would be in fullagreement in regards to the notions of assimilation and preservation. One things for sure they really honor the customs of their heritage. I enjoyed "No Name Woman" most because it has alot of mystery to it. It makes you really wonder if there is any truth to the story.
These essays had one obvious similarity and that was the conflicting cultures of the Americans and the Chinese people. I think they would be in agreement to the notions of assimilation and preservation because they both assimilate with being foriegn children in what seems to be a completely new world for them. As for assimilation I believe they would definetly agree because in both essays they try to preserve their own culture in a new country where there are no similarities what so ever.
I enjoyed "No Name Women" more than "The Good Immigrant Student" because it had more of an interesting story behind it. This essay also had more situations in it to keep the reader thinking about what actually happened and what the girl thought about her mother's story.
Through both essays that we read in class I saw one strong similarity, how your culture shapes who you are.
In Kingston's "No Name Woman", she struggles with the idea of the story she is told. Because her aunt is unspoken of, the story is never elaborated upon...no further details are ever given. Whenever Kingston's mother wanted to leave a moral impact upon her, she would tell such a story. I'm sure she never really knew whether it was fact or fiction, but it did influence her even into her career as a writer.
While Nguyen went through a different cultural struggle, it relates none the less. She had to struggle with assimilating. In todays world, a lot of people are not very accepting of other cultures. She was made fun of for being Asian and foreign.
In conclusion, both of these writers dealt with cultural identity. While Kingston never had the fear of disappearing like her aunt, Nguyen felt invisible all through school.
In both of these essays i realized that they do have some common themes. In both of them it seems like they have to be a different person depending where they are at. In Bich's story she has to speak English at school and for her friends, but at her home she has to speak Vietnamese. In Kingston's story she talks about how her mother doesn't want her to end up like her aunt, but she's has to play different roles to play at home and outside her house to. I think that Kingston and Nguyen would be in agreement in regards to the notions of assimilation and preservation because of how people treated them with cruelty.
"The Good Immigrant Student" by Bich Nguyen interested me more because even though she was a very good student the teachers still were very mean to her just because she was foreign. Other kids could behave so much worse and not get treated as badly as she did.
Both stories I thought are related. Both want their culture preserved but they both want to fit in also. Assimilation was difficult because they would have pressure to remember were they come from either by parents or even schools. And for the most part they wanted to fit in. In Nguyen case she wanted to go unnoticed because of her fear of being singled out. Kingston’s family secret may have been an only a story, not quite sure, to keep her form bring shame to her self and family. Nguyen makes assimilation more of her story than Kingston but I think they would agree that the idea of it is the same. I liked reading Nguyen’s story better. I like the history of a person what has happened to them and were they may go and become form their experience.
These two stories broght up some very interesting points. I think the main point was trying to find there self in a completly differnet world then the orginal. I have had many experiences were i have had to try to fit in. I can see were they are comeing from. The strugles were great and tedious but i made it through.
Both "The Good Immigrant" and "No Name Woman" deal with assimilation and preservation of a person's culture. In "The Good Immigran Student" Bich is trying to assimiuate as best she can: getting good grades, winning the spelling bee. But instead of fitting in she is still excluded from ever recieving the stuffed lion because of her race and appearance. In "No Name Woman" the mother is trying preserve teh daughter's knowledge of her culture by telling her story; whether it's real or not, about her dead/forgotten aunt.
Both essays point out some very important points about a person's individual culture and how everyone has to figure out how to fit in to their surrondings. I think that the essay that affected me the most has to be "The Good Immigrant Student" because I myself plan on becoming a teacher and this essay gave me, yet another, insight of how hard it is for some students and I hope I can someday be Mrs. King and make everyone feel accepted and equal.
After reading the two stories i think I liked No Name Women better. I thought the story Maxine's mother told her was very interesting and I had never heard of anything like that before. Another thing that caught my attention is that Maxine never found out wheather or not it was actually true. I didn't quite understand The Good Immigrant Student as well as No Name Women most likely becase It never caught my attention like it should have.
In both readings I believe that it was extremely hard to be accepted into the United States. But I still believe more now since 9/11 that its hard to be accepeted because of all the problems and terrorists. I enjoyed reading "No Name Woman" more because it hard a more grabbing topic. It was a little harder to read but it kept my attention a little more then "The Good Immigrant Student".
There were lots of common themes found between the two stories, some of these similarities where on the surface and others where found between the lines. Both authors are from Asian descent growing up in America, the authors also dealing with more universal principles such as individuality and self. They also talk about the ideas of similar and different cultures.
As far as their views on assimilation and preservation I feel both would hold similar ideas. Having been though the process of growing up a foreigner in America they would have experienced like pressures. I do feel that Bich Minh Nguyen dealt more with assimilation and Maxin Hong Kingston speaks more to the idea of preservation. But both gave very great accounts of there past.
Which story did I like better? Well, I enjoyed “No Name Women” over “The Good Immigrant Student.” I thought that it had a more pathos driven story line. That is what attracted me to Kingstons’ story.
In both stories the women were from a different culture tring to make it fit into the American culture. I found "No Name Woman" to be a bit more difficult to read as interresting as it was. I think that each story had aspects that one could relate to. As cpsari said I feel I may beable to relate to Nguyens story. When I was younger my skin was darker and the Native American stood more so I, don't know, that may of been the reason I felt singled out in school to get picked on, or maybe the fact that my family was not the more well-to-do folks in town. I also can understand wanting to hold on to something I know little about.
In both of the stories The Good Immigrant Student and No Name Woman they both share some common themes. One theme they share is how both people are outcasts and are trying to make it. I believe that Kingston and Nguyen would be at an agreement with preservation because they both seem to be the quiet type. I enjoyed reading The Good Immigrant Student just because to me seemed more realistic and wasnt so hard to follow. It also kind of makes you wonder how life was back then and you get to see a little taste of it if you werent white
The common theme that I see in "The Good Immigrant Student" by Bich Minh Nguyen and "No name woman" by Maxine Hong Kingston, is the powerful control your culture and heritage have over your life. Also, I think they both express the difficulty in being different from those around you. Not only can immigrants identify with these stories, but also people from strict religious backgrounds or someone with a handicap. How do you be true to yourself and still become all the things your family or society expect of you? How do you change the stereotype society instantly places on you?
I can only suppose that Kingston and Nguyen have similar notions of assimilation and preservation. They have probably shared many similar experiences, and as you get older, not only does your place in this world become more important, so does the matter of what got you there.
I enjoyed Kingston's essay more because it was more mysterious and allowed me to use my imagination.
Some of the similarities I noticed in these two stories was how Kingston and Nguyen each had problems in dealing with situations in their life and their heritage. For Nguyen it was more trying to get along with the teachers and children in her school. Trying to get recognition from people that just seemed unattainable by her. For Kingston it was trying to sort out fact from fiction in a terrifying childhood story her mother told her.
In terms of assimilation I think both writers did it very well. Nguyen tried very hard to become a good Chinese-American student. Even when people in her life talked her down and treated her as an outsider she never gave up and kept pushing herself for that recognition. Kingston also tried to deal with being a Chinese-American and find things out about a dark past.
In my personal opinion I enjoyed "No Name Woman" because it had more action and more feeling. The story also had many different paths and possibilities that you could follow and think about.
These 2 essays deal with the effects of discrimination and intolerance.
In Bich Minh Nguyen's essay, she was singled out because of her skin, whereas in Maxine Hong Kingstons essay the aunt is an outcast because of a suspected infidelity resulting in an unwanted pregnancy. Both essays show that intolerance is not confined to race.
Have these stories given you more insight toward hatred to foreigners and their struggles? I know they have for me. Before reading these stories I didn't realize how difficult it really is to be an immigrant.
I enjoyed reading "No Name Women" because it made me question whether this aunt was real or just an elaborate hoax generated by the mother.
The similarities between the two essays end at the fact that they are both about foreign girls searching their cultural heritage in American culture. I really feel, that while Bich Mihn Nquyen is exploring where the cultural lines are being blurred between assimilation and preservation, Kingston seemed more like she was trying to crossove completely. Because she wrote the story that her mother had sworn her not to tell, I feel that Kingston is trying to break free of that culture and just move on to the future; her future. I enjoyed "No Name Woman" more because of that. While Nguyen makes a valid point in wanting to keep who she is, Kingston Knows who she is and wants to move forward with that and not look back any longer. I know that this may some radical thinking on my part, as I have read the posts before mine. I just like to look at things from a different angle and see how it plays out. Just a little food for though I guess...
Both Bich Minh Nguyen and Maxime Hong Kingston both show a large amount of inner tumoial. However it is in "No Name Woman" that I felt less of a sense of self; more confusion. There seemed more of an honest and childlike chaos in "The Good Immigrant Student." Where as in the Kingston's story, I felt so much more confusion and questioning; having to work through both fact and fiction. Although I did enjoy this story more, they were still both very eye-opening and enjoyable to read. The insight I have gained make me wonder if I have ever made anyone feel so left and out and confliced.
I think both essays were able to show the difficulty of immigration. Nguyen and Kingston tried as much as they could to preserve their culture after their immigration. Immigration is something that I can't comprehend at their level, but I think it is good to hear how difficult it is for people so that we can be a more hospitable country to immigrants. I enjoyed reading "No Name Woman" more, because there was drama throughout the story that kept me glued to it. I appreciated her style of writing in the sense that I couldn't tell if Kingston's Aunt ever existed or not. Kingston left ideas out in the open for the reader to grasp and cling to. It was up to the reader to decide what the truth was.
Both stories, “The Good Immigrant” and “No Name Women” were similar stories in a sense that they were both trying to adapt to American culture, but still hold on to their common cultures. I personally thought it was hard to jump in to either one of the stories and relate to them. Truly! I have grown up in America, I have never had to deal with the culture issues that they had to. I think that if I had to choose my favorite essay it would be “No Name Woman” due to the fact that it is very mind provoking! After we discussed the essay in class, I really began to pull the essay apart. I kept asking myself questions about the essay and yet I wonder… if the story was true or just made up by Kingston’s mother?
Both stories, “The Good Immigrant” and “No Name Women” were similar stories in a sense that they were both trying to adapt to American culture, but still hold on to their common cultures. I personally thought it was hard to jump in to either one of the stories and relate to them. Truly! I have grown up in America, I have never had to deal with the culture issues that they had to. I think that if I had to choose my favorite essay it would be “No Name Woman” due to the fact that it is very mind provoking! After we discussed the essay in class, I really began to pull the essay apart. I kept asking myself questions about the essay and yet I wonder… if the story was true or just made up by Kingston’s mother?
Some of the common themes of both "The Good Immigrant Student" and "No Name Woman" were that both were trying to find their identity and a place to "fit" in. I found that the story "The Good Immigrant Student" was a little easier to follow and so, I enjoyed reading it a little more. But, I also enjoyed reading the "No Name Woman" because of the story that she was told because I have been told some horrifing stories about different things but nothing to that extreme.
I feel that both essays made me think and realize how people lived their lives, and how they never realy had a day without something horrible happening. I mean not everything was bad, but they lived a hard life back then.
I found "The Good Immigrant Student" easier to read than "No Name Woman", due to the fact that i felt htat "The Good Immigrant Student was just an easier ready for me to follow. But, if I had to choose one that was more interesting i would have gone with "No Name Women", there is just so much going on in that story!
I feel that both of the women do both assimilate and preserve. They either want things to go this way, or they want them to go other. Holding on to something means a lot to them, but sometimes they need a change.
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