Every person identifies themselves in a different way based on what they believe to be their most defining characteristics. For some, important aspects that contribute to overall identity include religious affiliation, sexual orientation, race, or ethnicity. Of these forms of identification, race and ethnicity are known to play a significant role in a person’s life and overall development. Having a positive cultural identification provides the basis for the development of self-confidence and a strong sense of belonging. Deeply rooted associations with a native culture, however, are not always easily obtained by all. Although most individuals can usually identify with one central race or ethnicity, those who are bridging more than one culture
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This issue is highly prevalent in the lives of those who are immigrants or children of immigrants. As newcomers to American society, they are placed in situations where self-identification can be an extremely complicated issue. In The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan explores the complex nature of cross-cultural identities amongst four Chinese immigrant mothers and their American-born daughters. The daughters in the novel face an especially unique struggle in trying to find their place in American society. As Chinese-Americans, they are too American to be considered completely Chinese, while also too Chinese to be considered fully American. They find themselves facing immense conflict with themselves and others as a result of not fitting clearly into either two …show more content…
Growing up with an American-born father and a Chinese mother, Lena acts as a translator for her parents. She never learns healthy communication, and mistakenly takes her mother’s frequent silence for a model of how a woman should act in marriage. As issues in Lena’s marriage become apparent to Ying-ying, feels guilt and regret. She wants to point out to Lena that passive behaviors will only lead her to be, “...unseen and not seeing, unheard and not hearing, unknown by others”, like she once was (Tan 80). In their encounters with American men, Lena and her mother have been controlled and taken advantage of. Although Ying-ying’s submissiveness is mostly due to her limited knowledge of English, Lena’s submissiveness stems from learning from her mother’s behavior. She takes her mother’s quiet and reserved nature to be a form of Chinese character and tries to apply it to her American way of life. In the process, however, she is only subjugated by her partner and forced to believe she is undeserving of respect and attention. Without even comprehending Chinese culture, Lena feels she must uphold certain aspects of it. Unfortunately, most ideas Lena has about her culture that stem from her mother wrongly influence her. She misunderstands her mother’s actions and unintentionally follows in her ways. Behavioral patterns of parents have often
This issue is highly prevalent in the lives of those who are immigrants or children of immigrants. As newcomers to American society, they are placed in situations where self-identification can be an extremely complicated issue. In The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan explores the complex nature of cross-cultural identities amongst four Chinese immigrant mothers and their American-born daughters. The daughters in the novel face an especially unique struggle in trying to find their place in American society. As Chinese-Americans, they are too American to be considered completely Chinese, while also too Chinese to be considered fully American. They find themselves facing immense conflict with themselves and others as a result of not fitting clearly into either two …show more content…
Growing up with an American-born father and a Chinese mother, Lena acts as a translator for her parents. She never learns healthy communication, and mistakenly takes her mother’s frequent silence for a model of how a woman should act in marriage. As issues in Lena’s marriage become apparent to Ying-ying, feels guilt and regret. She wants to point out to Lena that passive behaviors will only lead her to be, “...unseen and not seeing, unheard and not hearing, unknown by others”, like she once was (Tan 80). In their encounters with American men, Lena and her mother have been controlled and taken advantage of. Although Ying-ying’s submissiveness is mostly due to her limited knowledge of English, Lena’s submissiveness stems from learning from her mother’s behavior. She takes her mother’s quiet and reserved nature to be a form of Chinese character and tries to apply it to her American way of life. In the process, however, she is only subjugated by her partner and forced to believe she is undeserving of respect and attention. Without even comprehending Chinese culture, Lena feels she must uphold certain aspects of it. Unfortunately, most ideas Lena has about her culture that stem from her mother wrongly influence her. She misunderstands her mother’s actions and unintentionally follows in her ways. Behavioral patterns of parents have often