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[CCBC-Net] Immigrants and Immigration- China
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From: Hastings, Waller <hastingw>
Date: Wed, 16 May 2007 15:07:03 -0500
Well, before we let this thread go, I find myself puzzled by some of the criticism of *The Year of the Boar* and the *Yang the Youngest* series. They do seem to be using some stereotypes of immigrant Chinese. But....
We repeatedly discuss here the problem of people from outside a culture writing about that culture - but here we have people who appear NOT to be from within the culture of immigrant Chinese complaining about
"stereotypes" in books that were written by members of that culture - both Bette Bao Lord and Lensey Namioka were born in China and immigrated to this country as young people. Are we saying they are Uncle Toms?
(Aunt Tomasinas?) While they are intentionally mining this experience for humor (as indeed, writers like Beverly Cleary do the "mainstream" white experience), it seems to me they are reflecting elements of that experience (as, again, Cleary does for hers). This isn't Marjorie Flack writing *The Story of Ping* without ever visiting China.
I'm reminded here of my students' reaction when they read a play by Hanay Geiogamah, "Body Indian." Geiogamah is a Kiowa, and the play features Indians drinking. This made all of my students except one feel uncomfortable, because it perpetuated a common stereotype. (FWIW, it made me uncomfortable, too.) However, reading interviews with the playwright indicated he had written it as a satire for a Native American audience, which invariably responded as he desired - laughing hard until the drunken antics turned deadly serious, then silenced. The one student who did NOT feel uncomfortable? The only one in the class who comes from the Native American community (Lakota).
waller hastings northern state university aberdeen, sd 57401 hastingw at northern.edu
"I beseech you in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken." - Oliver Cromwell, to his enemies
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu] On Behalf Of Susan Kusel Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2007 2:52 PM To: ccbc-net at lists.education.wisc.edu Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] Immigrants and Immigration- China
Wow... I didn't mean to stir up controversy with my suggestions.
Let me put them into context (which I didn't do orignally because I didn't want to get too far off the topic of immigration.)
I've just spent the last three months researching and writing about Chinese American children's fiction... and have read at least 100 books on the subject; from 1950 to the present (as well as countless reviews, studies and articles).
In the context of my research paper I felt that the Yang books and the Year of the Boar were much better than what came before them. However, you are right, they are not completely free of prejudice (I've noticed all the issues mentioned)... and I think that there have been better books published in recent years, particularly since the year 2000.
I realized I stuck my neck out a little bit by mentioning books from the 1980's and 1990's (and 1970's with Dragonwings). I Hate English also has a few stereotyping issues I don't like. I was curious to see if these earlier titles still work and to get a reaction about them... and clearly I see that they don't.
I was not trying to suggest that these were the best books about Chinese Americans (I think there are better titles that I didn't mention because they weren't about immigration).
I will go back to lurking.
-Susan Kusel
Susan Kusel <susankusel at yahoo.com> wrote:
Hi everyone, Here are some of my favorite books that I haven't seen mentioned yet:
(all of these are books about immigrants from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.)
-In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord. One of my all time favorite books.
-Hannah is My Name by Belle Yang. A really good picture book on the subject of immigration and I think it's one of the few that's accessible to younger readers.
-I Hate English! by Ellen Levine. Applicable for any ESOL student.
-My Chinatown: One Year in Poems by Kam Mak. Beautiful, beautiful illustrations, and I love how the narrator's reactions change over the year.
-Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear by Lensey Namioka
-Yang the Third and Her Impossible Family by Lensey Namioka
-Yang the Second and Her Secret Admirers by Lensey Namioka
-Yang the Eldest and His Odd Jobs by Lensey Namioka I usually only see Young the Youngest and Yang the Third mentioned, but I think this whole series is excellent. It gives four different perspectives on what it's like for a child to immigrate.
-Coolies by Yin. A historical fiction picture book (for older readers) about two brothers who immigrate from China to the United States and work on the Transcontinental Railroad. Stunning pictures and a very powerful story.
-Dragonwings by Laurence Yep. A classic that shows a different side to immgration than we normally see.
Susan Kusel
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Wed 16 May 2007 03:07:03 PM CDT
Date: Wed, 16 May 2007 15:07:03 -0500
Well, before we let this thread go, I find myself puzzled by some of the criticism of *The Year of the Boar* and the *Yang the Youngest* series. They do seem to be using some stereotypes of immigrant Chinese. But....
We repeatedly discuss here the problem of people from outside a culture writing about that culture - but here we have people who appear NOT to be from within the culture of immigrant Chinese complaining about
"stereotypes" in books that were written by members of that culture - both Bette Bao Lord and Lensey Namioka were born in China and immigrated to this country as young people. Are we saying they are Uncle Toms?
(Aunt Tomasinas?) While they are intentionally mining this experience for humor (as indeed, writers like Beverly Cleary do the "mainstream" white experience), it seems to me they are reflecting elements of that experience (as, again, Cleary does for hers). This isn't Marjorie Flack writing *The Story of Ping* without ever visiting China.
I'm reminded here of my students' reaction when they read a play by Hanay Geiogamah, "Body Indian." Geiogamah is a Kiowa, and the play features Indians drinking. This made all of my students except one feel uncomfortable, because it perpetuated a common stereotype. (FWIW, it made me uncomfortable, too.) However, reading interviews with the playwright indicated he had written it as a satire for a Native American audience, which invariably responded as he desired - laughing hard until the drunken antics turned deadly serious, then silenced. The one student who did NOT feel uncomfortable? The only one in the class who comes from the Native American community (Lakota).
waller hastings northern state university aberdeen, sd 57401 hastingw at northern.edu
"I beseech you in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken." - Oliver Cromwell, to his enemies
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu] On Behalf Of Susan Kusel Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2007 2:52 PM To: ccbc-net at lists.education.wisc.edu Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] Immigrants and Immigration- China
Wow... I didn't mean to stir up controversy with my suggestions.
Let me put them into context (which I didn't do orignally because I didn't want to get too far off the topic of immigration.)
I've just spent the last three months researching and writing about Chinese American children's fiction... and have read at least 100 books on the subject; from 1950 to the present (as well as countless reviews, studies and articles).
In the context of my research paper I felt that the Yang books and the Year of the Boar were much better than what came before them. However, you are right, they are not completely free of prejudice (I've noticed all the issues mentioned)... and I think that there have been better books published in recent years, particularly since the year 2000.
I realized I stuck my neck out a little bit by mentioning books from the 1980's and 1990's (and 1970's with Dragonwings). I Hate English also has a few stereotyping issues I don't like. I was curious to see if these earlier titles still work and to get a reaction about them... and clearly I see that they don't.
I was not trying to suggest that these were the best books about Chinese Americans (I think there are better titles that I didn't mention because they weren't about immigration).
I will go back to lurking.
-Susan Kusel
Susan Kusel <susankusel at yahoo.com> wrote:
Hi everyone, Here are some of my favorite books that I haven't seen mentioned yet:
(all of these are books about immigrants from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.)
-In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord. One of my all time favorite books.
-Hannah is My Name by Belle Yang. A really good picture book on the subject of immigration and I think it's one of the few that's accessible to younger readers.
-I Hate English! by Ellen Levine. Applicable for any ESOL student.
-My Chinatown: One Year in Poems by Kam Mak. Beautiful, beautiful illustrations, and I love how the narrator's reactions change over the year.
-Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear by Lensey Namioka
-Yang the Third and Her Impossible Family by Lensey Namioka
-Yang the Second and Her Secret Admirers by Lensey Namioka
-Yang the Eldest and His Odd Jobs by Lensey Namioka I usually only see Young the Youngest and Yang the Third mentioned, but I think this whole series is excellent. It gives four different perspectives on what it's like for a child to immigrate.
-Coolies by Yin. A historical fiction picture book (for older readers) about two brothers who immigrate from China to the United States and work on the Transcontinental Railroad. Stunning pictures and a very powerful story.
-Dragonwings by Laurence Yep. A classic that shows a different side to immgration than we normally see.
Susan Kusel
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Wed 16 May 2007 03:07:03 PM CDT
