The Americans in Typical Americans - Essay Example

The Americans in “Typical Americans” This paper encompasses a discussion of the characters in Gish Jen’s book “Typical American”. More specifically, it will investigate the characters Ralph, Helen, and Theresa had how and if they become Americanized in the story. Jen’s work has been acclaimed as an ironic piece of literature and most critics contend the irony exists in the title of Jen’s work. Jen is a Chinese American writer so the references to the Asian American culture in the work are credible. Typical American is about the lives of three Chinese immigrants in New York. The three immigrants are the characters that will be discussed in this paper, Ralph Chang, his sister Theresa, and Theresas roommate Helen. During the course of the book Helen becomes Ralphs wife, Theresa becomes a doctor, and Ralph earns a Ph. D. in mechanical engineering and gets a job teaching at a local college. During all of this, Ralph and Helen have two daughters. As the story unfolds, it sounds as if these characters are living the American Dream so one could conclude that they have become Americanized. However, it is not as easy as it sounds and this will be discussed in the next portion of the paper. If first, we examine the word Americanized and its definition we can make a better analysis and decision as to if these characters became Americanized. According to the American Heritage Dictionary Americanized is “1. To make American in form, style, or character. 2. To absorb or assimilate into American culture. 3. To bring under American influence or control.” (American Heritage Dictionary) After reading the definition of Americanized the irony In the title that critics and reviewers of Jen’s book speak of becomes apparent. This is because America is a melting pot filled with people from every culture and part of the world, so to define America as a specific culture is ambiguous in itself. With that said and the criteria for Americanized having been set forth we will take a look at Ralph, Helen and Theresa. In the book, Ralph, Helen and Theresa all become caught up in achieving the American dream. while they do this the three must make difficult choices about the importance of success. These significant factors include family loyalty, and the people they hope to become. I feel that in the course of becoming successful and the mindset they were in to go for the American Dream made them Americanized. The American Dream can alter your values, it is the American way and the chase for the American Dream can be influencing and controlling. (Williams) These are all criteria for the definition of Americanized and Ralph, Helen and Theresa fit this criteria. However things do not remain as simple as endeavoring for the American Dream. Basically, like all immigrant tales, the underlying aspect of the story is one of assimilation. ((FW Discussion) Normally stories and books about Chinese assimilation into the American convention of life require the abandonment and departure of Chinese customs. However in the scenario of the Chang’s they were able to go for the American Dream while holding true to their Chinese American culture. This does not meet the criteria of Americanization. On the contrary, safeguarding of Chinese traditions requires the rejection of any possibilities of assimilation. (Jen) As Williams explains this phenomena “the dramatization of such cultural conflicts has become somewhat formulaic, and Chinese-American writers seem locked in this conventional depiction of the Chinese immigrant experience.” (Williams) What Williams is saying is that Jen, unlike most writers, tells his story of the Changs who became successful and chased thee American Dream while holding on their culture. In order to assimilate fully into American culture some of your traditions must be sacrificed, yet the Changs did not make this sacrifice and still became successful. Williams pointed out that typically these assimilations are multi-generational sagas where the conventional opposition between American and Chinese cultures is usually played out through generational conflicts, “in which the older, immigrant generations insistent preservation of Chinese traditions are pitted against their first -generation offsprings desire to cast off those manacles” (Williams) But in the case of Jen’s book and his characters they accomplish reaching the American Dream in one generation yet do not become totally assimilated while doing so. In this work, Ralph, Helen and Theresa are removed from the shadow of parental influences. It is these influences that many times cause these assimilations to happen while hanging on to some bits of their old cultural. Yet the Changs were able to hold on to their culture and not assimilate to the norms of the American culture, with no influences but their own. This is one of the main reasons I believe that the characters in this book were not Americanized. another reason I do not feel that Ralph, Helen or Theresa were Americanized is number one they were free from the influence of their parents and the “old school” thoughts bang forced upon them. Yet they chose to keep them. They also did not lead the stereotypical Chinese immigrant lift in Chinatown nor live there to follow the social codes of Chinese immigrants living in America. Rather, the Changs made their home into an established Chinese community. They chose to do these both for financial and moral support. The other sign that leads me to believe that they were not Americanized is that Ralph, Helen and Theresa remained very isolated in their new life in America .Jen explained that “this isolation from the "parental or "traditional" elements of Chinese culture “. (Jen. It is through the solitary existence that the Changs that the reader can see the conflicts inherent to cultural assimilation within the context of the individual rather than a group. (Jen) What is important to take into consideration is that the assimilation process, no matter how great or how small, is one of personal transition. FW Discussion points out that “ while the characters strive mightily to achieve "typical American" status-the full middle class lifestyle with all the accouterments and benefits that implies-they nevertheless still see many of the traits and behaviors attendant to that lifestyle through Chinese eyes and refer to these behavioral traits in Anglos pejoratively as "typical American" Behavior. “ (FW Discussion) Therefore, the Changs and other Chinese Immigrants are in the position of decrying what they actively seek to attain, thus brilliantly illustrating the often schizoid process of assimilation. (Williams) As individuals each of the characters had their own issues to deal with. It was Theresa that had to leave her home in China to venture to America. She brings Helen with her so although neither one is all alone essentially each of them is. The reason they are coming to America is to find Ralph. While in America the three of them strive to make a living in America a culture that is totally new and different to them. FWS Discussion explains that “while being in America proves to be a challenge. America presents challenges in the Chang’s attempt of staying true to their Chinese values while becoming Americanized.” (FWS Discussion) The fact that they stay true to it is the reason I do not believe that these characters became totally Americanized. It seems that many immigrants will sacrifice their cultural belief and religions when coming to America. For some it is an attempt to blend in for some immigrants it is because they want to adopt the culture of their new home. After arriving in America, Theresa finds that she is having personal problems. She also felt the need to assimilate which caused conflict fir her. It caused conflict with a personal relationship she had with Old Chao and it challenged her morals. Jen write “Theresa’s work as a doctor opens her to the thought of self-reflection. She questions her thoughts and actions. She is uncomfortable with being herself. She passes her Chinese judgments onto an American girl that had come into the emergency room. The girl wore nail polish that was “watermelon pink, just the sort of color that a carefree young lady with her life in front of her might pick. Theresa shuddered” (147). She shudders because she knows that this girl represents the American ideal of what it means to be a spinster. It is a life of dangerous freedoms, something that Theresa is afraid of having. Instead, she turns to her Chinese morals: “She had always been nice about her morals; she grew nicer still” (142). these are examples of the personal struggles and conflicts that the characters had to deal with in the book. I do not doubt that every immigrant that comes to America experiences similar feelings and conflicts, because in reality it is a while new world and not as easy to blend in as one might think. In conclusion. my answer to the question “do you think Ralph, Theresa and Helen became Americanized, I will newer the question as follows: I believe they became Americanized only to the extent that was necessary to reach their goals. By this I men they held true their traditions and convictions, hitch I admire. All three of these characters were smart. very smart actually, and they realized in order to live in America and be successful a little assimilation was necessary. I believe the assimilation that these three took apart in they did so for their own benefit. By assimilating to a certain extent they were able to reach their American Dream. There is much to admire about the Changs and I respect the way they held true to their culture. I do not feel that they sold out I feel that they did it the smart way. By holding true to their traditions and assimilating only as much that was necessary to reach their goals was pretty smart. Actually by doing this they got the best of both worlds. Works Cited The American Heritage. “Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.. FWS Discussion. “Introduction to Asian American Literature Gish Jens Typical American” (2001) As viewed on the worldwide web at URL http://www2.bc.edu/~poje/discus/messages/1149/1155.html?1007096751 Jen, Gish. “The Typical American” (1992) New York. Plume Books. Williams, Noelle. “The Americas of Asian American Literature: Gendered Fictions of Nation and Transnation” (2001) Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP. Read More