РефератыИностранный языкJoJourneys Journey Essay Research Paper A Lifetime

Journeys Journey Essay Research Paper A Lifetime

Journeys Journey Essay, Research Paper


A Lifetime of Journeys Journey is an important theme found in Asian American


works. Although journey, by travel from one place to another is a common form of


journey, the journey through life in search of success is also an important


theme. In Asian American Literature, an anthology by Shawn Wong, who has been


recognized for his works ofpublished poetry, fiction, essays, and reviews there


are many references to journeys. Why does journey play such an important part of


the lives of Asian Americans? What kinds of journeys does the literature of


Asian Americans depict? What is the significance of journey in Asian American


pieces? Journey is important to Asian Americans, because like so many other


cultures, they too, are in search of a better way of life. The ?American


Dream?, is what everyone desires to achieve. The opportunity to make a good


living and the freedom that America claims to offer is enough to entice anyone.


?The Blossoming of Bongbong? in Asian American Literature, by Jessica


Hagedon, who is from the Philippines and came to the United States in 1962 and


has published work, is about a character named Antonio Gargazulio-Duarte who


makes his way to America in search of the ?American Dream?. Antonio, also


known as Bongbong, wanted to realize his dreams and felt that he would never


achieve them in Manila. ? Bongbong finally left Manila on a plane for San


Mobley-May 2 Francisco. He was deathly afraid? (Wong 203). Even though


Bongbong was fearful of what he might find in America, he was determined to go


after the opportunities he sought. Journeys take many forms in the writings,


plays, movies and art of Asian Americans. Journeys are taken from native


countries to America, from one place to another in America, and the life spent


trying to succeed or actually succeeding in their dreams. For instance, in Cathy


Song?s poem ? The Youngest Daughter? it says ? She knows I am not to be


trusted, even now planning my escape? (381). The child in this poem desires


escape from herself and her family, especially her mother. Then in the play


?The Music Lessons?, by Wakako Yamauchi, who is a second generation Japanese


American woman, she describes the suffering, hardships and the adapting that the


first generation and successive generations of women from Japan had endured in


the United States beginning in the early 1900s. Aki Sakata, who is a fifteen


year old female character in the play wants a better life for herself. She is


fearful she will endure the same type of hardship her mother was experiencing.


Aki tells her mother ? I know about them and I don?t want to stick around


and become the kind of woman you are? (445). Aki believes that a much older


man then herself would provide her opportunity to escape the hard work of


farming that her mother must do to provide for her and her two brothers. Another


form of journ

ey takes place in the movie Sister, Double Happiness, written and


directed by Mina Shun, when Jade who yearns to become an actress rebels against


her family?s morals and traditions. Her wishes to become an actress are


extremely Mobley-May 3 unacceptable by her father. Both her parents were


constantly trying to persuade her to explore something else. Jade struggles to


find her identity and to fit in. It was unacceptable in this family to move from


home before being married and if you did, as in Jade?s decision to do so, you


were disowned and denied a return home. Jade left her family to seek out her


dream and her father took her house key from her, so that she would not be able


to come home. Asian American?s Literature depicts many forms of journey and


they are similar to one another, yet they are individual journeys for


themselves. Journey is significant to Asian American literature, because of the


desire to succeed and fit in. This is something that I think everyone wants,


whether they are Asian, Hispanic, African American or of any other cultural


background. I know that I want to succeed and I want to fit in some where. Goals


are important and one must make a journey if they are to reach their goal. The


journey does not have to be a physical move from one place to another, it can be


a journey of the mind, but indeed a journey must be made. My step-grandmother,


who is from the Philippines made several journeys throughout her life and


continues to make journeys. She was educated in the Philippines where she


received her teaching degree. She came to the United States where she taught for


over thirty years at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California. It was


at this school that she received fulfillment in teaching Asian minorities. Her


teaching career ended shortly after a shooting that occurred on the play yard


where she was Mobley-May 4 scheduled to be on yard duty that day, but had


switched with another teacher. This act of violence, that was undisputedly


directed at Asians, was her sign that she would retire. It shook our whole


family up, that this could or would ever happen right here in our very own town.


She now travels the world seeing as many countries and places a year that she


can with her husband, who is Caucasian. The difference she made to the children


in that school took nearly a lifetime and I see the joy it has brought to her


life. Journeys take many forms and it is an important message conveyed in Asian


American literature, because it is something we all must endure to reach our


goals. I hope to make many journeys in my life down the road of success, just as


those of a minority background do. Journeys, however, are not always for the


best and they do not always turn out how they were planned, but it is the


journey which makes us stronger and enables us to learn from our mistakes. The


message of journey in the Asian American works.

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