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10:002 or 10:003 Unit ~ A Sense of the "Other": Perspectives
on America's Ethnic Diversity and the Challenge of Multiculturalism
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Formal Assignments
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George M. Frederickson, "Models of American Ethnic Relations: A Historical Perspective" (pp. 599-610) to be read in conjunction with: Richard Rodriguez, "The Achievement of Desire" (pp.194-206) The readings above can be used to teach the significance of warrant in rhetorical analysis by exploring the "us vs. them" binary from a different perspective. These readings address the question of whether or not giving up one's ethnic ties is a necessary condition of "becoming American". Frederickson's essay offers a foundation for this discussion, offering four ways of thinking about relationships between the U.S.' racial and ethnic groups. The works of Rodriguez and Liu are personal accounts of how a Chicano and second-generation Chinese-American struggle with reconciling their ethnic heritage with their American identities. In each case, the issue of assimilation is linked to the drive for education and upward mobility that comes at the expense of their ethnic ties. George's essay, however, offers the idea of "recombinant cultures" as an alternative to assimilation to explain what happens when groups of different backrgrounds meet. In her view, the process of becoming American is not one of acculturation, but an act of mutual exchange. I've used these readings as a second choice in the essay assignment asking students to examine some of the assumptions made by Rodriguez, Liu, and George. For example one of my reservations about Rodriguez' essay is that he often pits his struggle between his Mexican ancestry and his American identity as a zero-sum battle. Given George's analysis, is this conceptualization necessary? Liu's work on the other hand offers a very specious argument of how the term assimilation is changing from an idea of giving up one's ethnic heritage to something that is reflective of one's ancestry as well a sense of being American. While this assertion becomes a mantra in his essay, his account suggests he has given up much more than he has retained. While George's piece is insightful, her assertion that the concept of race is already "behind" some younger Americans might be a little overly optimistic. While the author does pay significant attention to interethnic conflict, it is depicted as part of the natural process that leads to intercultural understanding. However, one has to keep in mind that the high degree of ethnic diversity in southern California on which these observations are based might be problematic when talking about the U.S. as a whole. In addition to offering an alternative to the essay assignment, these readings suggest different ways of reading the "us vs. them" cartoon that serves as the lynch pin for this unit. However, I do suggest that if you do want to incorporate these readings into the unit you plan class sessions accordingly. |