One Out Of Three Analysis

Chapters 4,5, and 6 of One Out of Three, written by Annelise Orleck, Min Zhou, and Pyong Gap Min discuss Soviet Jewish, Chinese, and Korean immigrants. These chapters were more narrative based than the first three chapters of One Out of Three and did a better job of including statistics without overwhelming the reader with data. I really liked that academics who specialize in each of the three immigrant groups wrote these three chapters. I found Min’s note about this own immigration experience at the end of chapter 6 particularly compelling. However, I think that some topics, such as the experiences of Bukharan immigrants in Queens, were glazed over and simplified. Additionally, the topics each author discussed varied greatly and were reflective of the most important elements of each group’s culture and experience. I agree with this method but it does present difficulties when …show more content…
I think it is important to realize that our cultural idea of the “poor immigrant” is less reflective of immigrants themselves (or of the human capitol many of them bring, or their previous structural location), but rather displays the harsh conditions many people meet when they get here. The stereotype is less reflective of them and more reflective of American society.

Lastly, I found the comparisons between Koreatown and Chinatown to be very interesting. In the text Koreatown was portrayed as a symbolic rather than an economic capitol of Korean life in the city. Min also discussed Koreatown’s role in the diffusion of Korean culture to non-Koreans. In contrast, Chinatown was portrayed as extremely economically and socially important, even as new communities of Chinese immigrants form in Flushing and Sunset Park. I wonder why the function of these two ethnic enclaves has diverged in this