Who's Irish is a story about an unnamed narrator who guides us through important events surrounding her and her more Americanized family. A nearly 70-year-old woman, she is asked to take care of her granddaughter Sophie. We can interpret from the story that the narrator was originally born in China but has been living long enough in the United States to become highly skilled at English, as well as to have built a successful restaurant with her husband, who is now deceased.
The story is told in a uniquely specific vernacular, that of the Chinese American who clearly learned English as a second language. We learn a great deal about her through her English, which is rendered magnificently by the author, Gish Jen. It's interesting to consider how different this story would be if it were told from the 3rd person perspective-- where we would view her from the outside-- rather than from the 1st person point of view, as it is, through which we see the events entirely through her subjective point of view.
There is, naturally, some discord between the narrator and her daughter, who appears to have been born in the United States. There is also discord between the narrator and the Shea family, since John, Natalie's husband, and John's brothers seems to take exception to some of the narrator's comments and actions. And the narrator has problems with much of the Shea family.
The story takes a critical turn when Sophie hides herself in a hole in the playground; the narrator is unable to extricate Sophie from the hole, and the narrator inadvertently bruises Sophie by poking a stick into the hole. Upon seeing the bruises, John and Natalie learn that the grandmother has spanked Sophie prior, and thus become very upset and angry, demanding the narrator find another place to live. The story ends with the narrator living with Bess Shea, who offers to take her in.
Questions for Discussion:
Respond to any or all of the following prompts. Remember, you are required to make at least four postings per week, but as I will be keeping track of each of your postings (don't forget, if you haven't already, to email me your real name and user name) your grade will only benefit by making more than the necessary postings. Please read the postings of others before you post-- you certainly don't want to repeat what others have said.
Please indicate when posting which number you are responding to. Or, if you are making a new thread (which I encourage), simply say "New Thread" and then proceed.
1) How would you describe the relationship between the narrator and the Shea family? How does the narrator view them?How do they view her?
2) What is the primary conflict of the story?
3) Do you think Natalie is justified at the end of the story when she kicks her mother out of the house? Should Natalie have acted differently?
4) What is the significance of the title, Who’s Irish?
5) What would you say is the point, or purpose of this short story?
As It Applies to Culture:
6) One of the major themes of this story seems to be that of American versus Chinese ways of raising a family. Discuss, from your own experience, how parent and child can encounter problems due to differences in cultural beliefs.
7) For immigrants, what is more important: to preserve aspects of your home culture, or to assimilate as much in possible into the new country?
1.The narrator and the Shea family are an odd mixture of two very different cultures bond together by the marriage of the narrator’s daughter, Natalie and one of the Shea boys, John. Initially, the narrator is very judgmental towards the Shea family. She generalizes them and sources every aspect of them back to their Irish heritage saying “Irish this, Irish that.” The Shea family views the narrator in the same way she views them, by ethnicity. Though they mean no harm, both parties show a little bit of prejudice towards one another.
ReplyDelete2.The primary conflict of the story is everyone is trying to adapt to different cultures while still attempting to balance and/or maintain their own.
3.I do not think Natalie is justified for kicking her mother out of the house. Though the circumstances were extreme (Sophie being bruised up) Natalie should have known that her mother meant no harm. Natalie should have gave her mother another chance rather than banishing her from the house and denying her of seeing her own grand-daughter.
"New Thread" #3 - Having kicked her own mother out of her house, it seems that Natalie did not felt justified. When Natalie seeks refuge from the daily woes of her life, what with a depressed husband and a troublesome daughter, her mother's new home is where it is, a place where she can seek comfort and vent to her mother.
ReplyDeleteIn Q7,in my point of view, as an immigrant, in order to live in the new country you need to assimilate to the new culture, but in the same way, it is important to remember your home culture which may help you to be a better person and give you a difference view because of that
ReplyDelete4.The significance of the title “Who’s Irish” is revealed at the end of the story. It is ironic how in the beginning the narrator generalized the Irish, but at the end of the story she shocks herself by considering herself an “honorary Irish.” This ties again with the conflict of the story regarding the culture issue. At the end the narrator finds herself somewhat breaking down her old cultural prejudice barrier and allowing herself to open up to other cultures.
ReplyDelete5.I would say the purpose of this story is to illustrate how people who are deeply rooted in their cultural backgrounds may still be able to open up and accept different cultural ideas.
2). the primary conflict of the story is the culture. As we know an unnamed narrator who is born in China, and has been living long time in the United State. But she also compare with Chinese culture and America culture. We can see a lot of words such as “in China”. Because of the old age, she has a traditional thinking; it’s hard to change her mind.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 3: As Dtwelve89 said, “Everyone is trying to adapt…. their Own.” I do not think they merely try to adapt the different cultures, but more important, conveying the reader that the misunderstanding of both ethnic cultures and racial stereotype complicated. Throughout the story, my perception of the conflict is the combinations of gaps in cultures, communications, ages and family relationships, which reflect a typical Asian family in contemporary American life.
ReplyDeleteNew Thread #5: The purpose of this story is trying to indicate the difference between cultures. It is very difficult for people who have different believe that agree with each other. It is very obvious the narrator doesn't like Shea family, all of the boy is on welfare and they don't work very hard like the Chinese. She doesn't like the babysitter, because she let Sophie act like a wild kid instead of act in Chinese "polite" way. She was being kicked out from the family because she can't get along with the American style. In her article, I feel a little bit of sorrow and bitter, becuase at the very end, she lived with Bess; However, in Chinese way, when people getting old, the son/daughter will live with them and take care of them (mentioned in the begining).But after all, she started to ge t used to live in Irish style which can be understand as she is trying to fit into the new environment. U.S is a melting pot, which means we need more understand than hate and dislike.
ReplyDelete6.During my childhood in the foster system I spent time in many different homes with a set of rules from the state. Even though I didn’t quite like the fact that I couldn’t stay out past 9 at night, I believe my foster parents had a harder time especially those that had children of their own. In a lot of my homes even though I got along with my brothers and sisters when it came to being punished I knew my siblings envied me. The worst punishment I ever got was a month of being grounded while my sibling weren’t as lucky even when we committed the same crime. I’m not sure whether it was that my parents didn’t want to get in trouble with the state or because they knew my background. What I do know is that they didn’t like having to treat their children differently which sometimes caused a cultural discord. They were trying to raise their children with their cultural beliefs while at the same time raising me under the culture of the state.
ReplyDeleteFor our immigrant, there are different cultures between United State. As we all know American is advocate freedom country. If the child in China, 100% child are beat during grow up process. Chinese say “if we don’t beat the child, the child will not grow up”. On the other hand, in American, if we beat the child, we may go against the law. Because of the freedom, the child can do anything they want, like the unnamed narrator with her granddaughter Sophie. The child is not afraid with the parents; because of the parents they do not allow punishment with child by beat them.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 4: I am agree with dtwelve89, the narrator started to accept othere culture and other belief at the every end of the story. “Their (Irish)talk just stick”. finally narrator find something good in Irish style. Coming up with the idea "jonorary Irish", the narrator leave their culture behind, and allow herslef open up to other culture. The title is also kind of self-smocking to her intolerant racist side, because she said Irish this, Irish that before, and right now she become an Irish......She is trying to say don't divide people too much, and people should trying to understand each other
ReplyDelete2) the main conflict of the story is the cultural difference within the family, everyone in the story have their own piont of view in culture.
ReplyDelete7) speaking from my personal experience that For immigrants, it's more important to assimilate as much in possible into the new country, than to preserve aspects of your home culture. This does not mean to eliminated what's already existed, so you don't forget the oreginal while precessing the knowledge of the new culture. i've known many people whose tend to forget their own cultures after they're well excepted in a new country. it's true that when learning a new culture, it's better to forget what's already existed so it doesn't interept the new process. as long as people don't lose their identifies it's completely.
New Thread #5: I think the purpose of this short story tells us how the problems that arise from the clash between Asian and western culture; and people attempt to retain their aspects of Asian heritage while still accepting and adapting other cultures, and to continue pursuing their American dream. Moreover, it also indicates the gaps in communication between elders and young people, where they both need to understand, open mind and respect each other perspectives raising their offspring.
ReplyDeleteNew Thread #6: When I was young, I was as stubborn as a mule. My father used to offend by my vulgar languages, inappropriate behaviors, manners and so on. However, I was beaten sometime by my mother, but most of times by my father. I was extremely upset every time my father hit me and my family showed no pity on me. Therefore, my madness had led me to run away my home once. I did not know why I had the courage to do this, but probably just want to give some hard times for my father and make them in returning respect and love me; but it turned out getting another beat. Flashing back my childhood reminds me all the bruises on my legs and arms that my father hit me in order to learn from wrong to right. Although it might be an effective way to force a child act a certain way, it is definitely not a best way to teach a child who is naive; he/she may only remain a regretful childhood. So I am pro- the law of America, where the child can develop his/her own life style freely.
1.The narrator, coming from a very different culture, judges everything based on the culture she has adopted back in her home and obviously there are some miscommunications, sometimes, and hasty generalization in other times. So it is this cultural background which made the narrator complain about the Shea boys not looking for a job for she used to believe that the Irish people are like the Chinese people whom she believes are hard workers. This is one of the reasons that she believed the Chinese beats the Irish though it is a judgment based on a very poor assumption.
ReplyDeleteThere is not much about the views of the Shea family in general except for Bess who is a welcoming person in which she considered the narrator as a friend and has always defended when the boys ask when will the narrator go home by saying “She is a permanent resident, She is not going anywhere”.
1.John Shea is the narrator's son in-low. The narrator does not like Shea's family,she is contemptuous of John because he and his brothers are unemployed even though they are white and were born in the USA, and mostly because her own stereotype about them. She can not understand Shea family's behavior, especially her son in-low, John Shea. Same as her, Shea's family think the narrator is an old strange woman. Then do not know why she needs to make everything so "fierce."
ReplyDelete2.This story of primary conflicts complicated by cultural difference.
3.Actually, I’m Asian American, and I guess I can see how that may make it easier for me to relate to Jen’s story. I think Natalie sholud let her mom go. Her mother is a typical Chinese woman. Her mother can not adapt the different cultures, even though she is living in USA for a long time.
Because I didn't have my textbook, I cannot answer problem 1~5. However, I'm a Chinese American, I might share my experience with problem number 6. First, I'm an immigrant from Hong Kong, China and I live in the United State for almost 4 years. I had lived in Chinatown before and I saw many ABCs (America born Chinese), who were raised with their grandparents and not with their mother or father. Many of the old grandparents would be follow the traditional Chinese way to raise a kid and they had their own system and it mean they wouldn't try to change their mind to fit into the modern way. However, American used a different way to raise their kid. But what was the problem between American and Chinese culture? American would let their kids become more independent, but Chinese would put more attention to keep all the family members in a group, and they didn't like the group members did things separately. There is another thing between American and Chinese culture. Chinese are passive while they’re facing a problem, and they will choose to avoid and not to solve it. Therefore, when their grandchild doesn’t respect them. They wouldn’t try to teach their grandchild and they would just accept this situation. When their grandchild grows up, they will leave the whole family and never become a group member again. When their grandchild has their own kid, they’re no more Chinese, and they already accept all the American culture in their mind. As I know, some of my cousins don’t even know how to speak Chinese and they always reject to come to the family meeting. Additionally, when they have trouble with their own family or financial problem, they would come back and ask for help. They need their family only when they need help.
ReplyDeleteMany of you have made some very strong comments. Nice work.
ReplyDeleteraisinskl dovetailed well with another blogger on dtwelve89's response to prompt #3. Benson has also made some effective responses, particularly when addressing another of dtwelve89's postings regarding question #4.
Tee Kaey had a strong response for #1.
Try to dovetail-- meaning, refer to another posting-- when responding. It helps tie things together more meaningfully.
Darius's posting about the Asian American experience is really interesting; let's try to get more examples and analysis posted about the difficulties of being an ABC (American Born Chinese) or an immigrant from China. Let's attempt to hear more about the immigrant experience, regardless of what country you're from. It's crucial for us to learn about the backgrounds of all of those around us-- where we come from, what we face in this great country.
raisinskl told an interesting anecdote about getting hit as a kid-- stories like that are great for helping ground the text in our own lives. More postings like that would be welcome.
xiao-li made a sensitive assertion regarding #7, claiming that it's important both to assimilate into the current culture and to remember and hold onto parts of your previous culture. I definitely want to hear more about that. What does mainstream America want? How easy is it to hold onto culture that isn't typically American? How important is it to teach your kids Mandarin or Cantonese? Or Amharic? Or Ibo? Or Spanish? Is it easier in some ways if you simply try to be as American as possible?
Also, try to upload a picture to identify yourself with; it really helps for us to place pictures with blog entries.
ReplyDelete7. I found that there are many Chinese in our class. I am one of them. I emigrated from Hong Kong, a very nice place. I prefer to assimilate as much in possible into the new country rather than acting as the previous me. Because flexible is a great characteristic of Hong Kong people. That means they accept changes in their lives. As Hong Kong had been westernized since it became a colony of British. Hong Kong people accept foreign cultures very well. Their minds are more open. Therefore, I prefer to assimilate into this place. In addition, I need to conform to the society. I have to understand how the systems at this place work. In order to do this, I have to let the natives feel comfortable with me. So, I have to assimilate into this place.
ReplyDeleteon #7, i am agree with what jon said. immigrants should assimilate as much in possible into the new country. Because people can be individual but can never be a loner. We live in a society that everybody helps and support each other. So it is a must that people should fit into the culture where they are. Like kok Ying said . she has to let the natives feel comfortable, like most of the immigrant will do.
ReplyDelete7)As one of the immigrants, it’s hard to tell which one is more is important. Sometimes, I found it’s hard for us to control about that. We both have Chinese cultural and American Cultural. Like my family, my family thought I should do that because I am Chinese. When my father or mother made mistakes, I cannot point it out. In Chinese cultural, all the elders are correct. We should follow what the elders say. If we point out their mistakes or we said some words not good for them, we may consider as a bad child. On the other sides, when we immigrate to another country, we met different people, we learned from each other and we followed from each other. At the same time, something we do in the United States is not accepted in the Chinese cultural. For example, in the United States, teachers and students can act as friends. Even the students can point out the mistakes the teachers were made. In China, students must keep quite to listen what the teacher said. If you have any questions, you cannot ask immediately; you can ask the teacher when the class was finished. Every people in the United States are equal. No matter you’re a boys or girls, whatever you’re tall or short, and whatever your income is higher or lower. In fact, for most immigrates, it’s hard for us to say which one is more important because we cannot forget what we have in China and we need to live in the new country.
ReplyDeleteI'm agree with what xiao-li said: "in order to live in the new country you need to assimilate to the new culture, but in the same way, it is important to remember your home culture". we as immigrants came to a new country to started a new life, we have to learn to adapt to the new culture. in today society, we have new technologies, new ideas, and new things everyday, so in order to keep up with other people, we have to have an open mind to learn new things and new culture. however, at the same time, we also have to keep our own individual native culture as well because that is who we area. also, i think we just need to learn to balance between American culture and our native culture.
ReplyDeleteMy grandma is a Chinese woman who immigrated to America from Vietnam. She's a legal citizen who learned just enough English to answer the phone. She believes that preserving the Chinese and Vietnamese within my family's culture is one of her top priorities. She believes that our minds, especially my younger relatives', are being polluted with the American culture and language. She doesn't approve of any English in her house; everytime I speak English in her precense, she scolds me, calling me a "gwai mui" or an American girl. My grandma, unlike Kok Ying, doesn't approve of getting accustumed to the American culture.
ReplyDelete3/ even though the narrator was wrong when she spanked her granddaughter, but i think Natalie should have acted a little differently than kick her mother out of the house. She should have talk to her mother first to understand the situation better before making her decision. The narrator did try to convince Sophie to come out, but Sophie did not listen. The narrator just did what she thought was right at the moment. Natalie should have given her mom another chance to talk to her mother instead of kick her out right away. Even though the narrator was wrong, she still Natalie' mother, and that is her duty to take care of her mom.
ReplyDelete6) For me I was born here and raised in America, while my parent were born in China they believe I should studied the tradition in old ways and learning the Chinese custom and language. But their cultural belief and growing up in America I was taught different thing that conflicted in my sense in of belief in following which was the right choice, this had me thinking why was it so important to them to passed the belief to me while I didn't understand it meaning in my life.
ReplyDeleteIn question 7: In my opinion, we should assimilate as much in possible into the new country.
ReplyDeleteEvery countries have their own customs and cultures, if we persist our own customs which are different with the local people, it will easier be dislike by them. Conversely, if we learn more about their cultures, respect their habits, and don't give them too much troubles, I believe our kindness will let us easier to join with them. Language is the most important thing that we have to learn. Whatever in make friends, find a job, see a doctor, or do something else, a same language will give us more convenience. I remembered that the first summer after I came to US, I went to see a doctor. The doctor told me I should go back to this room after I took a X-ray, however because of my limited English, I didn't understand clearly. Thus, I waited outside the X-ray room until the doctor came to find me, and she left me a word, "You don't know English, why you don't go with a translator." At last, the doctor's appointment took more 30 minutes than original time. Follow the new country's cultures is not only give you a convenience, but also give them less troubles. Just like a phrase-- Do in Rome as Rome does.
2. There are at least two cases of conflict mainly between the mother (narrator) and Natalie. The first conflict is what I have mentioned as an answer in question number one about the narrator’s generalization in which Sophie disagreed heavily; but, the main conflict lies in interpreting Sophie’s behavior and the measures taken on behalf of the narrator to educate Sophie. The interpretation of the narrator to Sophie’s behavior is completely different where the narrator defines it as wild when Sophie takes off her clothes. The spanking to educate to make Sophie act in different way was not only unacceptable by Natalie and John but also became the reason to Natalie search a house for her mother so that she can be by herself.
ReplyDeleteThis story remined me about my life and how society has on up doors to multiculture and diversity. Still we have to be singled out or put into a specific enthinicty grouping. Now that I am in my thirties I have a problem with knowing what is the the name of my ethnicity. If I say im African American. People from Africa tell me no I'm not, and have I been to the country? I reply no. so they say your not. I have came up with a new justifible name for me Black American.
ReplyDelete3. Natalie is not justified in kicking out her mother from their house. Natalie knows why her mother were spanking or what ever she was doing was doing to Sophie. It is because she wanted her granddaughter to be a person of a good behavior. Natalie could have tried to educate Sophie in a manner she knows best in a way her mother would not be angry by Sophie's behavior, or else Natalie could have hired a babysitter in the first place and would have avoided the whole problem and her mother would n't have had much to worry about Sophie's attitude.
ReplyDelete4. The significance of the title "Who is Irish?" is based on the answer gave by Bess to her boys when they were asking when the narrator go home. Bess's answer was that the narrator would not go anywhere for she is a permanent resident. This answer triggered a question on the narrator's mind whether she is becoming an Irish or not. This is when she asked to Bess saying Me! Who is Irish?
ReplyDelete4)The significance of the title, “Who’s Irish” is implied an elder grandmother who is very upset and disliked of her daughter married an Irish man(John) and the child’s behavior (Sophie) of her daughter with the none-traditional approach. At the end of the story, Jen finds solace in conversation with her positive view in Irish, and considers herself an “honorary Irish.”
ReplyDelete7)I think for immigrants, they have to assimilate as much in possible into the new country while retaining some of their home culture, because these might help immigrants to see things more clearly and open-mind to a new culture in a long run. Watching back my high school year, as an immigrant to the U.S, I initially did not speak English, and my schoolmates thought I was a deaf-mute person. Later on, I worked hard to overcome linguistic and cultural barriers in order to excel academically. I become actively engaged in new culture with a new language. My persistence allowed me to swiftly adapt to new culture, and I transferred to mainstream English class in high school two year after I came to the state.
Even though I am not Chinese, I can definitely relate to Darius Chan’s blog-response. From my mother’s side of my family, my sister and I were the only ones who were raised in Ethiopia. All my cousins grew up in different parts of the world. As a result, most of my cousins have lost their culture and some even their language. On the other hand, even though I was raised in Ethiopia, I still saw conflict between my parents and grandparents in terms of their views and understanding of raising children due to the fact that there was a cultural difference between them. For example, once my parents went out of the country for business and left me with my grandparents. While staying with my grandparents they realized that I was left handed. What I didn’t know then was that eating with your left hand was considered a big sin in their culture. When they saw me eating, they told me that I was going to be punished if they ever saw me again using my left hand to eat. Until my parents returned, I had to use my right hand for doing everything. I even had to re-learn how to write like a five year old even though I was eleven at the time. When my parents returned, my father got really upset with my grandparents when he found out the situation. My hand writing suddenly became really bad. After that he told me to use whichever hand I find comfortable to write with. There were always small conflicts like this that arose between my parents and grandparents even though they all came from the same culture. On the other hand, there were even bigger conflicts between my grandparents and other relatives who occasionally visited Ethiopia. These conflicts were mainly based on the differences between views and understanding of the ways of raising children. All my uncles and aunts thought that modern way of raising children was more effective than the traditional way in which they themselves were raised. As a result, usually all their visits used to end up with arguments. On the other hand, when some of my cousins became rebellious, their parents would send them to my grandparents in order to straighten them out even though they were arguing before about the ideas of raising children. In conclusion, I think we should always follow and preserve our culture; meanwhile, we should be aware of the modern world and be able to be open and liberal to changes.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI hope my response to the first question does not dovetail anyone’s response too similarly.
ReplyDeleteThere is clearly some dissonance between the narrator and the Shea family. There isn’t necessarily miscommunication between the two parties, but rather a clash. The narrator is conflicted by Natalie and John’s treatment of Sophie because it appears to be liberal and somewhat unrestrained as opposed to her treatment in China.
The narrator tends to be somewhat ethnocentric, where she would often juxtapose America and China, specifically when she stated “I always thought Irish people are like Chinese people, work so hard on the railroad, but now I know why the Chinese beat the Irish.” She implies that the Chinese are more diligent than the Irish, but she makes no attempt to explain her argument. Additionally, this statement is generalized from her experience with the Shea family, because as far as the reader knows, she has had no other communication from other Irish people. However, this can be stemmed from her experience in China where her life may have been influenced by a more nationalistic environment. As such, she is extremely reluctant to bend her beliefs and is passively hostile to her daughter’s opposing ideals.
Since John has made no direct intervention, this “clash” is primarily between Natalie and the narrator. Natalie perceives her mother as an ignorant individual because she [her mother] uses underhanded tactics rather than reasoning in an attempt to solve a problem. This was depicted by Sophie’s persistent refusal to cooperate with the narrator that eventually led her to being spanked. Eventually, it escalates to the degree where Natalie would rather hire a babysitter that she cannot afford than to have her daughter remain in the care of her mother. Despite the fact that she shows respect for her mother, she clearly does not want her daughter to be raised with her mother’s beliefs whether it be she herself was not content with her mother’s treatment of her, or she wants her daughter to adopt more civilized beliefs so she would mature into a better person in the future and would treat others fairly.
More solid responses from everyone; particularly impressive are those by kal and Dev[PM], as they are quite thorough in both their examples and analysis. Use those as templates for "A" responses.
ReplyDelete#5) In general, people from the same part of the world prefer their own kind because they have similar cultural beliefs. In the story, we saw how three different cultures interact with one another under one roof. (Chinese grandmother, Irish grandmother, and American daughter, son-in-law and child). The narrator (Chinese grandmother) thinks Chinese culture is superior to Irish and American culture because she believes that Chinese are strong, hard working and well mannered than other people that are from different country. These believe lead the narrator to be prejudice to others who do not share the same cultural beliefs as hers. We also saw throughout the story good communication between the narrator and Bess Shea. The point of the story is that the more people communicate with each other they realize how much similar values they share and they become less prejudice to one another.
ReplyDeleteResponding to Dev[PM]: I was a little surprised by your comment about what Natalia think about her mother. You said “she herself was not content with her mother’s treatment of her.” So, if Natalia know how “ignorant individual” her mother is, then why did she let her take care of Sophie?
ReplyDeleteThis woman is a very strong sixty-eight years old who give up her relaxing time to help her daughter. She looked after her granddaughter in the way she thinks is right to help Sophie became well mannered child. As much as Sophie is the victim the narrator is the victim as well. I believe John and Natalia are taking advantage of the old lady and whatever the outcome was they are to blame. John sites at home all day and goes to gym to feel like a man while an old leady takes care of his responsibility. Shame on him!
5. The point of this short story is all about a culture that we try to impose on others and the conflicts arise afterwards when we emigrate from our country to another. The story therefore teaches us to be fully integrated to customs and the culture of the country and the people we have to do with in our daily lives. On the other hand it tries to explain to the people who grew up here to investigate what the immigrant is trying to say when he/she imposes customs and culture from where he/she has come that for sure there is always something to learn.
ReplyDeleteQuestion about #5)I think the purpose of this short story is that author tried to point out the cultures between different people. On the other hand, it’s hard to say which cultural we need to follow since American is made up by immigrants. Furthermore, I think the author hoped the readers can understand how to accept other people.
ReplyDeleteIn this story, the author used three different kinds of families to show the different. In the story, the author as a tradition grandmother used the tradition Chinese thinking way to think people. It’s hard for her to understand what her granddaughter Sophie’s thinking. Like when she went to the park with Sophie. The grandmother cannot do anything to the Sophie because she cannot beat the Sophie or take her to home without crying. However, if they’re in China, the situation is totally different. I remember when I was a child, I quite did the same thing as Sophie, didn’t want to go home. However, my grandmother would come to beat me. I was quite afraid about that. In the United States, we cannot beat the child; otherwise, you may against the rule. In China, if you beat your child, no body care you because you’re not follow what your elders said, that’s why you need to beat.
Let’s go back to see what’s Natalie said to her mother when they found Sophie. “You’re crazy.” That’s what she said to her mother. I don’t know is it allowed for American people to say that to their mothers. In my cultural, we cannot say that. If we say that to our parents, we may consider as a bad child. We need to respect our parents even though they did wrong. The author used these sample examples to compares the different between those cultures.
Finally, the author understood that she needed to accept different cultural. On the last paragraph, she understood she shouldn’t say Irish this, Irish because we lived in the country where with different kinds of people.
6. This question is really good. I have answered this question so many times when I wanted to blame my father. The story goes like this. My father was born in a very small village called Mirrara (south of Eritrea) and has lived there till he reached the age of 20. The life in villages like Mirrara is monotonous and loopy for at least one season you do the same thing every day. So my father’s job was to help his father cultivate the land they had because my grandfather was a farmer. But, my father’s desire was to learn and change the type of life he was living; therefore he had to fulfill his father’s desire which is helping him first, and then fulfill his desire. As a solution he used to wake up as early as 2:00 am and cultivate the land helped by the light of moon and go to school to nearest city which was 10 kilometers (around 6.2 miles) on foot.
ReplyDeleteMy mother was born in Asmara (the capital city of Eritrea) and she comes from a wealthy family, had everything she wanted, went to school very near to where she was living had nothing to complain about.
To make the story short, my father and my mother met at the university and married later after one or two years and have five children now in which the eldest is me. What I want to reflect is what my father was imposing on us based on how he was raised and how my mother was against him based on how she was raised. The things I remember start when I was maybe eight or nine years old, when my father was waking me up 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning, take me outside our house, and make me study in cold weather, so that what I study goes straight to my mind. For my mother this was totally wrong where my mother always preferred to make me study after I come back from school. The other thing I remember is how my father always insisted that we have to take shower with cold water for he believed it makes us healthy and strong. By the way he still takes shower with cold water and he is a very healthy man though I am not sure whether it is due to the cold water or not.
I could have written so many things with regard to the cultural taboos we adopt while we grow up like what Kal has said in one of his posts (about the belief of our elders that eating with our left hand is sin or forbidden) but, that would be abusing the whole blog for oneself only.
3/ The way that Natalie treating her mother is wrong, it true that the narrator was wrong for spanked the child. On the second though, it not totally the narrator fault, she just try to do some things that she thinks is best for Sophie. Even though she was wrong, but Natalie shouldn’t have acted that way with her mother. Kicking her mother out of the house right away is totally wrong; she could have considered more of her mother feeling. Talk to the narrator, and understand the situation first before kicking her mother out.
ReplyDelete7. The most important thing is to have the ability to identify and discard cultures which would lead to a miserable life and embrace those can make your life easier in both sides of the culture. Therefore, to stack to your home culture at all would be wrong for it would be the same as the narrator’s life and to assimilate to the new culture at all would be to abandon the culture that has grown up with you. So, the most important thing is to have the ability on keeping the balance so that you would enjoy life.
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ReplyDelete1)The relationship between the narrator and the Shea family is bad. Neither of them can accept the culture and behavior each one they have. The narrator doesn’t like Shea’s family, because they have Irish root, and four sons in this family are not working; also, mostly because of her own stereotype about them. She doesn’t understand these people’s “strange” behavior that she cannot imagine.
ReplyDelete2)The primary conflict of the story is the differences that both of them don't accept about two culture. They are willing to trying to adapt the new culture, but at the same time they really maintain their owns. This leads the conflict.
3)I don't agree with Natalie's behavior. She asked for her mother's help to take care of her children,but ironically forced to move her out because of her improper behavior during she raises her granddaughter. Even though her behavior is improper,Natalie should understand the difference about her mother's culture, and take a good communication with her mother,so that they can understand each other better and better. Her kicking out behavior will lead more and more misunderstanding between themselves.
***7) Who is Irish?
ReplyDeleteThis is very hard and individual question. Everyones answer would and should sound differently. In my opinion it depends on how the two cultures differ. For example, when I was 19 years old, I decideed to explore world outside of the Czech borders. The Czech Republic is the home country of me. So, literary I found myseld from day to day in the neighbouring country, Germany. Of course, it was obvious for me to assimilate with my new "home" as much as I could. My intention was not to stand out but to see and feel how it is to live in a country where I wasn not born. So assimilation seemed to be the best way to head. Soon I picked up the language and slowly I got used the life style as well. Now I know, it was not difficult that much, because the two cultures do not differ dramaticaly from each other. The same experience was with Austria, another neighbouring country of the Czech Republic.
Aproximately two years later, in 2003, someone mentioned (I do not remember who that was) that living in the USA is like flying to Mars, meaning totally diferent living experience, and is very difficult to get used to this kind of life style. I could not understand what was ment with that. I thaught myself, what is so difficult on understanding that, for example, someone puts your grosseries in the bags for you ( in the Czech Republic, you have to buy bags and place all products in them on your own)? Nevertheless, in order to discover the difference, I packed my suitcase said good byes to all of my family members (which was VERY hard)and again, thaught about the "unpossible" fitting in the US culture, with a little difference, this time on the board of BOEING taking me over the seas to the fifteen hours distant country, the USA. Here I am five years later. (continues)
Although I was able to learn English language on the communicative level rather fast, as of today, I am still trying to fit in the community. Every day I seem to be closer and closer but in reality it is not so. The main problem is that I cannot find any common theme with people who were growing up here. Languages? The wrong way, why to study languages if the USA is the patriotic country of the whole world? Anyway, then family? Another detour for the orientation on career. It is understandable, in order to have a decent living (it is high here) one better puts all the energy into the neverending work environment and the only way how to find out about important aspects of childhood is that I would have to address some of the nannies at the local parks. Selfishly, I am lucky there are countless numbers of them. The opposite applies to the children, but I cannot go any deeper in this matter for being a mother on my own now, it would break my heart. Another theme I was trying to succeed with was traveling. Some people are really educated about non US countries, however the biggest number of them replied to my notice that I come from Prague "I know I have been to Russia before" which now I leave without a comment. I often ask myself why do I get such results and experiecne here? I do not blame anyone because I realize, that the main problem (forgive me the expression) is not addressed to the individual but to the system the USA is set up. Lack of geography at shools, lack of languages, lack of the maternity leave support, lack of the TIME and so on, gives a different point of view on the life itself and surely reflects general values as well. I trully think that I respect all these differences and take them simply as a result of a different culture, different customs. I no longer grive for knowing why instead of, I take is as a fact. Moreover, I am returning to the country where the customs make more sense to me, where the living standards may seem to be lower, but where the moral values are in place, according to my individual feelings. To sum up, we belong where we feel like being able to assimilate with the rules of the society and where we do not feel hurt and depressed about being "Permanent resident. Not going anywhere," Gish Jen, "Who is Irish," The Bedford Anthologyof World Literature, p. 1396.
ReplyDeleteIdon't have my textbook yet, so i will comment on what on what I have read from this article, I believe that the daughter who is the mixture of a Chinese and Irish background.It seems to me that the narrator have an intimate relationship with the Shea family.The narrator must have some judgment base on what he/she view from the acts of the family.I understand that the primary conflict could be the argument on how the grandmother raising Sophie.Different cultures will have different perspective on raising a kid, especially in Chinese culture.I am
ReplyDeleteChinese,I was born and raise from Macao, I have immigrant to this country since I was 15.I understand when an elderly hit a kid doesn't mean that she meant to hurt her feelings, in fact, the grandmother was
upset in her own too. Because when I was little , my mother will hit me if i behave badly,but for what she did to me, i will remember to behave well next time because i remember the pain that i suffer and i would
not want this to happen next time.I do think the American way of raising a child could keep the child more independent compare to the
Chinese culture.But I personally don't admire the American way of raising a child, I think the kids in America have too much freedom,
that's why there is so much drugs and gun problems in school, and for what I have been observed during these years, I think the American kids didn't pay enough respect to their parents because i think their
parents spoil them too much and they kind of take it for granted.It's a fortune to grown up in America because this country has a lot of others don't.
The purpose of this article is to show to the audience that what different family backgrounds will have different judgment when they were raising the same child.
For an immigrant, I would say to assimilate as much as possible to the new country because I will never grown if I do not adapt to the new culture, I will always stay in the old world if I don't step in to the new country.There were times that I will be confused for who I am, am I too Americanize already or I am not Chinese enough to be around with friends,but I pretty much enjoy the lifestyle in this country.
Conclusion:
ReplyDeleteThere are so many reasons which makes a person emigrate to another place such as war, political view, religion, famine, education and sometimes escaping from own culture would lead to displacement. As reasons to emigrate are all these and others, the reason to which people emigrate to America is one and that is to live a good life. But, even though we have chosen to leave behind our home country, we find it very hard to abandon our identity, for culture, language and custom are part of our identity. For example, what do you think will happen when we assimilate fully with American culture? The answer is something you might not imagine. We are considered as lost people to our parents, relatives, friends and everyone we had to do in our past life. So, even though it is good to assimilate to the American culture, to be in conflict with my parents, relatives and friends is something I don't prefer. I hope you have got my point.
2) What is the primary conflict of the story?
ReplyDeletea.GISH JEN thinks that a man should have a permanent job. This is true in Chinese culture. If a man doesn't have a job when he grows up and no longer a child, it is some kink of shame. I really feel that way. After I immigrated to America from China, I didn’t have a permanent job. I really don’t feel comfortable, especially when my relatives asked me when I could finish my education and find a permanent job.
b.Shea families think no one should punish a child as an America custom, even though this is the child’s grandparents. When GISH JEN wants to change her granddaughter bad habit—naked in public--by punishing her, the parents of the child feel angry.
I think all of the conflicts are culture issues. We can solve it by making more communication and try to understand each other.
Wayne
6) One of the major themes of this story seems to be that of American versus Chinese ways of raising a family. Discuss, from your own experience, how parent and child can encounter problems due to differences in cultural beliefs.
ReplyDeleteBeing born on American soil, my views would often conflict with my parent’s strict traditional Chinese views. They had a different way of teaching my brother and I while we were growing up. I grew up with an open mind, very liberal, I believe and my parents saw it as a threat to my success in the future so they kept a close watch on my life and my academics. Their views were so strict that I literally had no room to breathe. My views and belief were crush with resistance thus causing much stress and pressure. What troubled me more was that they’ve already paved out my future for me, and gave me no choice and control over my own life. I yearned to be free, yet every time I tried to fly they pulled me back down. I held it in through my life until it overwhelmed me and as a result I ran away from home for months in my high school years. However, as time progressed things began to become better, as my parents slowly start adapting and compromising with my beliefs.
I'd like to respond Darius about ABCs' issue. My seven-year-old twin cousins were born in America, so they are so called ABCs. They have some Chinese traditions, such as they expect Chinese New year, lucky money, like Chinese cloths, and they speak Chinese primarily at home. But after they go to elementary school, they adopt more America culture, like they will argue with their parents when they think they are right, and when they talk to each other they speak in English. Also, as this story, they live with their grandmother, but unlike Sophie, they respect their grandma. ABCs are the ones who are raised in a Chinese family and grow up in America community, so they would be affected by both sides of cultures. In the case of my twin cousin, they get the benefits of them—bilingual, understand two kind of culture well.
ReplyDelete7) For immigrants, what is more important: to preserve aspects of your home culture, or to assimilate as much in possible into the new country?
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in boarding school in China, I see it as more important to assimilate as much as possible into the new country, because we need to constantly change sometimes to better ourselves. Darwin’s theory of “survival of the fittest” not only applies to animals evolving but also the human mind itself. We need to constantly adapt and change accordingly to our surroundings in order to survive. If we stubbornly preserve the aspects of our home culture, how is it we’ll ever be able to learn? We’ll always be blinded and less acceptance of the culture around us if we don’t try to change with the new country. Changing allows us to live a lot easier, if we always go against the flow than how is it we will ever live peacefully?
Response to Q2. I agree with Dtwelve89's response to this question. The primary conflict of the story is the clash between the two immigrant cultures that have settled in America. Both parties, the narrator and the Shea family, seem to believe that their individual cultural beliefs are what would work best for any conflicts that may arise. The other conflicts that take place, such as, the narrator vs. the daughter, the narrator vs. the granddaughter, and the narrator vs. the Shea men are all derived from each individual’s pride and confidence in their cultural beliefs.
ReplyDelete6. My aunt's family is an example of different cultural background. She ia a traditional Chinese lady and her husband is an ABC who can't speak in Chinese. Everytime, we went out for meal with my grandparents. Sally, my cousin, who is 10, always pulls a long face. Because she doesn't like Chinese food at all. She keeps complaining to her parents. However, it doesn't work very well. Unfortunately, she will be shouted by her mum. On the other hand, her dad will tell her that they will have what she want tomorrow. He gave her a lot of relief. I think it is so typical what they did. As the westerners won't hesitate to show their loves and cares directly. However, the traditional Chinese will be overcautions.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Q3:
ReplyDeleteDeciding what is justifiable or not depends on how you look at the scenario. From the narrator’s point of view, her behavior and opinions give her the results she is looking for and are not considered “wrong” based off of her cultural upbringing. From Natalie’s point of view it seems as though the outcome you receive from the child is not as important as the way the adult achieves the outcome from the child according the her cultural upbringing. Both characters are correct according to their own beliefs. Being that the narrator and her daughter were unable to reach a common ground, I feel that necessary that the narrator was removed from the home and placed in an environment that she could adapt to.
7) In my opinion, for immigrants, assimilate as much possible into the new country is more important than preserve their own aspects of home culture. Since we immigrate to a new country, it means that we start a new life that is different from before. We need to adapt the new life and begin to know about a different culture. We can preserve our own culture and preserve the new one at the same time, but if we only focus on our own culture, we will have difficulty making a living in the new country.
ReplyDelete1.The relationship between the narrator and the Shea family is incompatible. At the beginning, the narrator often says Irish this, Irish that because she considers that Irish are not like Chinese people. The narrator cannot understand John not only has no job, and he also cannot take care of Sophie and her wife because of the only reason--he is a man. It obviously cannot be an excuse for a man to loss his responsibility, especially for a Chinese man. Furthermore, the narrator cannot accept the reason from Bess-- her Shea family that four sons are out of work, even they get disability pay. “Raising four boys with no father is no picnic.” How about the narrator, she even stays the same situation as Bess, after her husband die, she promises her husband to bring Natalie well, and she does. So, because the narrator carries her traditional Chinese viewpoint to judge the Shea family, she may still be able to understand the difference of racial. The Shea family also thinks this Chinese old woman is nosy; her behaviors are the complete opposite side of theirs.
ReplyDelete2. I think the primary conflict is the different culture. As we read the whole story, all the conflicts that happened are because of the culture collides. We can see there is a big different among Chinese, American, Asian—American, and Irish culture, so it made the narrator (traditional Chinese) and his daughter(Asian—American) Natalie, his Irish husband—John, and her granddaughter—Sophie cannot live together; finally, they live in their own lifestyle.
3. Natalie is wrong to kicks her mother out of the house, but I thinks she knows she make a wrong decision, but she has no choice as she said. She doesn’t want to get divorced, so she accepts John’s request. She feels hard to combine the two different cultures, three different generations together, so her choice is only let her mother go, though she love her mother. We can understand as a wife and mother, “family” may be more important than something, especially she is an ABC. And as Natalie’s role in that mix- culture family, she is difficult to do anything to change that inflexible situation, since she is a daughter, wife, and mother form different culture, sometimes I think she also in a struggle emotion.
ReplyDelete1.The relationship between the narrator and the Shea family is familly in law. The narrator's daughter, Natalie is the wife of John, a boy of Shea familly. The narrator have the different culture with the Shea familly. The narrator was judgemental to the Shea familly, not trying to understand and accept their culture. The Shea familly also views the narrator in the same way.
ReplyDelete2.The primary conflict of the story was the cultural difference between the narrator and Shea familly, and between the narrator and her daughter, Natalie. The narrator had Chinese culture because she was mostly grown up in China and the Shea familly had American culture. Natalie had American culture rather than chinese culture although she was grown by chienes parents in America.
3.I do not think Natalie can not be justified for kicking her mother out of the house. Although her daughter, Sophie got a accident, she should know and believe that that was not only her mother's fault and her mother did not have any evil intention toward her doughter, Sophie. She had to understand her mother's aspect and would find the better way to solve the conflict between her mother and her.
7. I think for immigrants it is more important to assimilate as much in possible into the new country. Immigration means that the immigrants decide to live in the new contry and move their life into the new contry. Therefore they have to assimilate into the new country preferentially. However they also have to respect the aspects of your home culture because it is also important to keep their roots.
7. This is the question always come up on my mind when I just come to the U.S. As a 23 Chinese immigrant, like many other contemporary classmates here, not only mostly knowledge we learn is from our mainland, but also the standard of moral, and the sense of worth, which are already affect us for a long time and deeply, and it is not easy to change. However, as we decide to pack our luggages and move out foot to America, should we already accept one idea— we will start a new life in this new land, if not, why we come here? So, I think we should keep our own culture, at the same time, adopt more different culture. I still remembered my philosophical teacher told me in China, the world is like a game; everything has its rule, if we don’t want to fall behind or even fail, we should learn; it can help us play better the game; if you were lucky, you would win. Yes! It is absolutely right.
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ReplyDelete1. The relationship between the narrator and the shea family is not so harmonious. The narrator view them as very lazy and not doing anything useful. The Shea family think the Narrator is too fierce.
ReplyDelete2.The primary conflict in the story is the different ways they educate the granddaughter.Natalie and Shea's family don't allow the narrator to spank Sophie.
3.In my opinion, Natalie and the Shea family are wrong. They totally don't know what is good family education, how important family education is. Like the narrator, I was borned and grow up in china. I can understant what she worry about. We respect the older people, we won't do that to our 70 years old mother. However, Natalie was borned in the U.S..She has different background, culture. On her side, I will say she was not doing wrong.
4.I think the title just highlights the main object of the story. It is talking about the conflict between two countries' culture.
5.First, the story shows the differences between the American culture and Chinese culture. Second, the narrator want to show us the weak parts and the problems in American familes' education.
7.In my opinion, I don't think it is good idea to only preserve our own culture or learn the new culture blindfold. There is no exactlly right or wrong way. I believe the more importmant thing is finding out the better one. Of course, preserving our own home culture is very important. It helps us to indentify ourselves.At the same time, learning the good thing of the new culture can help ue to improve ourselves.
7) For immigrants, what is more important: to preserve aspects of your home culture, or to assimilate as much in possible into the new country?
ReplyDeleteThrough my personal experience as well as what I have learned from others, one of the key things that give you strength as an immigrant is culture. I have a different experience from recent youth and older folks who have immigrated from places like Mexico since I was born here and already lived here for several years. My family and I moved to Mexico for four years of my early teenage years and moved back to the US to fully grow up as an adult in the last 9 years. As a young teen I felt I had to assimilate to the street culture of Oakland in order to feel accepted and make friends. However, for my folks they always felt the need to live the same way they did in Mexico by speaking Spanish only at home, eating traditional Mexican food, watching tv channels in Spanish, etc. As I started maturing I realized how much I needed to understand who I was, my history, why was I here. So the journey to recover the culture that was lost even to my parents had begun as I became aware that my family roots dug deep into Indigenous peoples of Mexico. Ever since I strive to keep my culture as a Chicano as I way to understand my identity in US society.
In regards to the story "Whos Irish"
ReplyDeleteI do believe that it was wrong to just throw the grandmother out without first discussing the issue with each other. Communication is one of the first things that seem to go away as children grow up and become more independent, especially amongst children with parents who grew up so differently such as in another country. I believe that the first thing to be done was to break down the communication barrier in efforts to try to understand each other.
Question number 7, For immigrants, what is more important: to preserve aspects of your home culture, or to assimilate as much in possible into the new country? I will choose to keep my original home culture without any mixing with others culture. First, I want to keep my mind clear. Some of my friends, they're really enjoy in the American culture, but I cannot because I'm who I am. I am someone who from Hong Kong, China. I have many experience and memories in my home country. Why I need to assimilate to a new culture because I come here? If I assimilate, what is the meaning? It means I give up all my identities from my past. In my point of view, we should keep our own culture and not mix the culture together. Yes, it might create a better culture all the people. However, it will destroy the original culture meanings. Nowadays, I think some of the Chinese don't even know why will we have Chinese New Year and they only know we have Chinese New Year and we can get our red pocket and we might have holiday, if you are living in China. However, this is not the main points for Chinese New Year. The main point is we have to visit our relatives and say greeting to them. Additionally, we visit each other because we want to keep the relationship. During the visiting, we will know each other more and we can feel what is the family love. Culture is important to all of us, and it is our identity. Why don't we study more about our culture and understand more the meanings of our culture?
ReplyDeleteIf you could sum up this story in on word, what would it be???
ReplyDelete