Ethnic Studies Review
Orginal Publication Date
2007
Journal Title
Ethnic Studies Review
Volume
30
Issue
esr/vol30/iss1
First Page
125
Last Page
134
Abstract
In The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, Maxine Hong Kingston tells the story of her immigrant family and their efforts to rise above their working-class status in America, which optimistic Chinese regard as the Golden Mountain. The Hongs' experience is not unlike that of other immigrants who come to America to escape hardship in their homeland and hope to live the American Dream. The road to American success has numerous obstacles, and immigrants encounter many conflicts on their journey. One conflict relates to their cultural identities. Gloria Anzaldúa uses the word "borderland" to refer to the meeting of two cultures, and she defines the borderland as a "place of contradictions. Hatred, anger and exploitation are the prominent features of this landscape" (n.p.). While Anzaldua's discussion focuses on the borderland encountered by Mexican Americans, she believes that many share this painful experience:
Rights
Copyright ©ESR, The National Association for Ethnic Studies, 2007
Comments
Contributions from applied research and literature: understanding the challenges of community, social and cultural formations