How Are the Themes Coming of Age and Immigrant Experience Presented in “Fiesta, 1980” and “Rules of the Game”?

I still wanted him to love me, something that never seemed strange or contradictory until years later, when he was out of our lives” but that seems like too much to ask. His father does not only treat him like crap at home but in public too. At the party, Papi humiliates Yunior in front of everyone when he tells him “If you eat anything, I am going to beat you. ¿Entiendes? I nodded. And if your brother gives you any food, I will beat him too. Right here in

Four Chinese mothers have migrated to America. Each hope for their daughter’s success and pray that they will not experience the hardships faced in China. One mother, Suyuan, imparts her knowledge on her daughter through stories. The American culture influences her daughter, Jing Mei, to such a degree that it is hard for Jing Mei to understand her mother's culture and life lessons. Yet it is not until Jing Mei realizes that the key to understanding who her

Under the influence of different cultures, different identities are formed. Jing-Mei Woo (June), similar to Waverly, also lives in between two worlds. June, since young, is accustomed to two sets of culture and beliefs. Jing-Mei’s mother has lost everything when she comes to the United States, and she has all her hopes on her daughter, therefore she wants to train her daughter to be a genius. As the mother presses all the homeworks on June, June loses heart and cries “I won’t let her change me, I promised myself. I won’t be what I’m not” . By crying and shouting out loud, June wants to declare her self identity, which ultimately reflects on the American individualism, which is one of the most integral parts of the U.S. value. Being raised in

Within the works of “Fiesta, 1980” it takes us in the lives of a Latin American family. We are described a traditional style Latino family were there is a dominate father figure, a submissive mother, and obedient children more or less. There are two boys the eldest Rafa and the youngest Yunior and their younger sister Madai. During the transgression of the story it is conveyed through the eyes of Yunior. And like any typical family it has its own story to tell.

The story is around an American-conceived Chinese lady, Jing-mei, who goes to China to meet her twin stepsisters that her mom was compelled to relinquish numerous prior years. Since her mom had passed away just a couple of months prior, the meeting is full of vulnerability and bitterness. Jing-mei battles with self-character issues and what it truly intends to be Chinese. En route, she takes in reality about the reasons her mom deserted her sisters and the significance behind their names. At last, she at last associates with her sisters and makes the passionate association with her Chinese legacy.

The fictional protagonist of the short story is John Purcell, he wants a better relationship with his son and doesn’t know how to fix it. John is an alcoholic he doesn’t participate in his son’s sports teams or relationships with friends; he barely knows him at all. His son is a member of the local Boy Scout group and part of the local baseball team. As far as John is concerned as long as his son is dressed accordingly and no other father and make a comment that would affect how John takes care of his children is okay. The night of the banquet John has a few

The American society dominates over their Chinese descent. They want to accommodate to America, however, being that their mothers so strongly hold onto their descent, the daughters feel as if they too were born and raised in China. Being the children of immigrants makes them feel as if they are mediocre to everyone else, and “...at times they may wonder, “Can one really assimilate?” (Mohanram 74). As they grow up, they immerse themselves into this new society, yet while still trying to “hide” their Chinese background. When they were children, the girls would try to physically change themselves to appear more American. Lena would walk around her home and open her eyes as wide as she could, if efforts to make them seem more European. Jing-mei denied having any internal Chinese aspects, insisting her Chinese identity was only limited to her external features. Waverly would feel overjoyed if her mother told her she did not look Chinese. They realized that their image was what was ultimately holding them back from feeling accustom to San Franciscan lifestyles: “Furthermore, the daughters experience themselves socially as a recognizable ethnic minority and want to eradicate the sense of "difference" they feel among their peers” (Hamilton 30). By changing their physical presence, the daughters believed it could change who they are as a person. The daughters may have been taking aback by the realities of society, yet they still longed for the opportunities and experiences America

Another question arises: what is a “narrative of ethnicity” in diasporic context? Choy explains how immigrants are to preserve their ethinic identity, yet they adapt to their social context. The children feel the same resentment and distaste for Chinese. Jook-Liang forces herself to speak English at home in her efforts to be more like Shirley Temple. She speaks to herself in English while practicing her dance routine (Choy, 36) and uses it as a tool to feel less Chinese. The children have jarring associations to learning and speaking

In Julia Alvarez’s fictional book, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, she tells the story of four sisters immigrating to America. Their story is told in reverse chronological order; starting when they are adults, and ending when they are children. The four girls are born into a privileged household in the Dominican Republic. While they are young, they must flee to the United States when their father gets himself into trouble. When the family comes to America in 1960, they struggle to adapt to the new culture.

In the story “Two Kinds”, author Amy Tan, who is a Chinese-American, describes the conflicts in the relationship of a mother and daughter living in California. The protagonist in this story Jing-mei Woo’s mother is born and raised in China, and immigrates to the United States to escape from the Chinese Civil War. For many years she maintained complete Chinese traditional values, and has been abided by it deliberately. This kind of traditional Chinese culture has also affected her daughter profoundly. However, Jing-mei is born and raised in the United States. Despite she has a Chinese mother; she is unfamiliar and uncomfortable with Chinese

This novel revolves around a love story between two Latino teenagers, Maribel Rivera and Mayor Toro. The Rivera’s, coming from Mexico, have come to America in search for a better life for their daughter, Maribel, who had previously fallen off a ladder at her father’s construction site back in Mexico causing her to be mentally slow. They wanted Maribel to receive the best special education possible. As time continues Maribel and her parents develop throughout the book. Their experiences impact their behavior and steer them throughout the book.

As a story told in a fragmented, non-linear form, Yunior is able to recall anecdotes from different time periods, whether of Oscar, his mother Beli, or his sister Lola. Diaz gives his narrator the ability to tell a historical account of

this point, she had concluded on it as she saw her mother's “disappointed face”(2). In the mirror,

"'Why do you have to use me to show off?'" (101). Waverly's bitterness increases the separation between mother and child. Jing-Mei doesn't believe her mother because her stories always change but she doesn't understand as Suyuan does that the details are unimportant. What's important in Chinese storytelling is the message. "I never thought my mother's Kweilin story was anything but a Chinese fairy tale. The endings always changed. Sometimes she said she used that worthless thousand-yuan not to buy a half-cup of rice" (12).

Chinese families are highly misunderstood and stereotyped in the United States. It is important to understand a different culture before one makes the assumptions produced by these stereotypes. In order to find a better understanding about Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans, one must do research on that countries heritage, traditions, and other customs before submerging one-self into a Chinese families home. I chose to experience and observe a Chinese family who was kind enough to let me be a guest in their home to share dinner.