Im a banana and proud of it
The immigration of various individuals in northern America has been associated with numerous challenges. This aspect has been associated with numerous incidences which transformed the lives of those who developed their lies in the land of opportunities. Such incidences are perceived to cause numerous transformations in the lives of immigrants and which are normally portrayed in the numerous tales developed by some of the individuals who find the courage and inspirations to tell the stories. In most cases, such stories express the challenges the immigrants face when living in a land maintaining different cultural aspects from those in their homeland. This essay will examine the arguments of Wayson Choy on the challenges immigrant children face in North America based on his narrative "I'm a Banana and Proud of It."
One of the challenges that immigrant children face is racial discrimination (Daniel, 2015). This aspect is based on the fact immigrants physically different from the indigenous people. The term "Banana" is used to describe the physical appearance of the Chinese. This aspect portrays the existence of color differences and which form the basis of racial discrimination (Ling, 2018). In the first paragraph, Choy claims that he does not mind when he is called a banana meaning that he is yellow in the outside. He also uses other metaphoric expressions used to describe people of color such as "apples" for native Indians and "Oreo cookies" for the blacks (Gavin et al, 2013).
In addition, immigrants are perceived to face assimilation challenges. This means that children of immigrants in North America find it hard to be absorbed in the culture of society despite the fact that they are raised in that culture (Daniel, 2015). This aspect is portrayed in Choy's life when he describes himself as white from inside and yellow in the outside. He argues that despite being raised in a different culture and practicing it, he still finds himself different when I observe himself in the mirror (Gavin et al, 2013). Also the way the immigrants sacrificed their lives in war for their new countries yet it did not make them be fully accepted in the new society. This shows how being assimilated in a different culture is hard.
Also, Choy argues that being raised in a different culture may lead to the erosion of the native culture. This aspect is based on the fact that individuals tend to copy the new culture so that they can fit in the new society at the expense of their traditions (Ling, 2018). According to Choy, their parents encouraged them to learn the ways in the new land so that they can survive in it. This aspect made them have less interest in Chinese traditions. This shows the aspect of cultural erosion by the children of immigrant parents as they did not practice their native traditions. It is due to this fact that Choy started reading his village histories after the death of his parents so as to know his roots (Gavin et al, 2013).
In conclusion, Choy addresses the different challenges that immigrant children face in North America. This aspect is based on a personal perspective and therefore, it provides firsthand information regarding the case. Such aspects involve racial stereotyping of individuals from different racial backgrounds which lead to some aspects of discrimination. Also, the difficulty of assimilation in American society is also considered a challenge due to the physical appearance of people from different racial backgrounds such as the Chinese. In addition, the struggle to incorporate the American culture is associated with the erosion of native cultural values among the immigrants. This is due to the push by their parents to learn the American culture so as to survive in the land at the expense of their cultural values.
References
Daniel, D. (2015). Shaping immigrant and ethnic heritage in North America: ethnic organizations and the documentary heritage. IdeAs. Idées d'Amériques, (6).
Gavin, F., Buchanan, D., Troyka, L., Hesse, D., Dornan, E., & Dees, R. et al. (2013). Effective reading and writing for COMM 170 and beyond. New York: Pearson Learning Solutions.
LING, L. (2018). Facing up to a mixed identity. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/facts-and-arguments/facing-up-to-a-mixed-%09identity/article4497753/
