Kristin Goehri 06/22/10

Between these two authors’ accounts, I noticed that both learned at a young age that they were regarded as different. Both girls were visually inspected by the dominant race, which led to discomfort and resulted in both women feeling the need to hide. In both excerpts, the girls eventually take pride in their background. Despite cruel words and actions from peers, both girls stick by their nationality and refuse to be stereotyped.

On the other hand, one of the key differences I noted was in the type of violence the two girls experienced. Both experienced emotional and mental violence, but only the Chinese girl described physical violence. Additionally, the first girl was assimilated into white culture against her will, while the other girl was born into white culture. The Indian girl wanted to assimilate into white culture, while the other girl seemed to be confused with her cultural identity. Furthermore, the Indian girl received no support from her mother, but the Asian girl was highly supported by her mother.

Taking a more general view, I think that it is extremely easy for children to pick up on societal clues, such as prejudices and racism. Additionally, there seems to be this fascination with members of an unfamiliar culture. The Americans were so interested in learning about the lifestyles of these people, but completely resistant to accepting these people as equals.

I think the differences in the story stem from the difference in family structure. The Indian girl was turning against her background when she assimilated into white culture. The Asian girl was half Asian and half white, which this seemed to make her assimilation easier. Her family was not as offended and she didn’t look as ethnic.
Overall, I think that outsiders experience many of the same feelings of fear, confusion, and longing for acceptance. However, differences occur based on culture and family background. Everyone’s experiences are going to be different even though they all share universal reactions to prejudice and the act of assimilation.