Who Will Light Incense When Mother’s Gone? “Who Will Light Incense When Mother’s Gone?” is a creative non-fiction essay written by Andrew Lam. Lam was born in Vietnam in 1964 and immigrated to America with his family during the Vietnam war to avoid the violence surrounding the war (CITE). Immigrating to America shaped Lam’s identity in all aspects of his life including his writing (CITE). Written in 2003, Lam’s essay encompasses the themes of rebellion/conformity and identity in respect to old and new cultural ways. The essay opens with the author attending a birthday celebration of his then 70 year-old mother. He describes her as, “[…] a vivacious woman – her hair is still mostly black, there is still a girlish twang in her laughter, and her eyes twinkle at the telling of a joke […] (Lam). Soon after the celebration is mostly over, Lam’s mother questions her sister-in-law, “Who will light incense to the dead when
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Americans do define others by their career choice. For instance, if you are a doctor, that equates that person to being a member of the upper class or elite with boundless opportunities available to them. On the other hand, if a person works at McDonald’s flipping hamburgers for a living, he or she is considered a member of the lower class and is usually defined as the working poor with very few opportunities for them to pursue. Race is another factor that contributes to the identity of Americans. Take for instance when a person describes a friend and they start off by using that person’s race before their name, it is usually done habitually, and not in a demeaning manner, and stems from the way that person was raised. Based on this essay, Vietnamese identity is guided by family and cherished traditions, whereas in America, identity is identified by status and the color of your
Americans do define others by their career choice. For instance, if you are a doctor, that equates that person to being a member of the upper class or elite with boundless opportunities available to them. On the other hand, if a person works at McDonald’s flipping hamburgers for a living, he or she is considered a member of the lower class and is usually defined as the working poor with very few opportunities for them to pursue. Race is another factor that contributes to the identity of Americans. Take for instance when a person describes a friend and they start off by using that person’s race before their name, it is usually done habitually, and not in a demeaning manner, and stems from the way that person was raised. Based on this essay, Vietnamese identity is guided by family and cherished traditions, whereas in America, identity is identified by status and the color of your