Abstract This paper examines Terry Woo's "The Banana Boys", a fiction book about Chinese born Canadian youths. The derogatory term, 'banana boy', refers to the fact that they are 'yellow' (that is, Chinese) on the outside, but 'white' (that is, Canadian) inside. The paper discusses how each of the boys has a distinct way of dealing with his identity of a 'banana boy', implying that there is no single Asian-Canadian experience. Finally, the paper adds that the book is relevant not only to the Chinese community in Canada but to the larger Canadian community as well, made up, to a large extent, of immigrants and their children.
From the Paper "This book is of great relevance both to the Chinese-Canadian and to all other Canadians too. It is a unique work of literature that tells a story of the Chinese Canadians in present time, and their attempts to carve a unique identity for themselves, each of the boys in his own way. They may have tried hard to fit in with the "Chinese" identity or the "Canadian" identity, but there will never be a distinct group for them to fit in completely and fully belong. The "Chinese" and the "Canadians" do not quite claim them as their own, so they search for their own unique identity in pop culture. Many Asian Canadians who have been born in this country or who group up here may find that the 'banana boys' resemble them in many ways, and that the experiences of the 'banana boys' with racism, culture, work, etc. are also their own experiences. Furthermore, other Canadians who are also coming from different cultures may find that the book appeals to them too. The children of immigrants are often faced with identity questions much like the characters of "Banana Boys", and the silent cultural clash is something many experience."
Tags:Chinese-Canadianliteratureminorityimmigrantimmigration, second generation
Abstract This paper explores the theme of alienation in CanadianLiterature. It claims that alienation is a process and comes to qualify this with the use of examples. It profiles Philip in "As for me and my house" and James in "Fall on Your Knees".
From the Paper "Alienation in various forms is a common theme in many works of Canadian literature. It ranges form general feelings of isolation to mild discontentment with the community to total alienation from everyone including the individual themselves. Each type of alienation can be seen as a loss or perceived loss. For example, general feelings of isolation associated with living in isolated communities seem to alienate characters from the rest of the world. Mild discontentment with isolated communities ultimately results in individuals becoming isolated from the rest of the community, their friends and even their families. Alienation from family and friends ultimately leads to a ..."
Abstract In this article, the writer looks at the approaches taken by Himani Bannerji and Neil Bissoondath when discussing the Canadian model vis-a-vis immigration. In comparing and contrasting the two, the writer notes that it becomes evident that Bannerji, while she may very well have solid grounds for her vehement stance with regards to Canada and its treatment of new immigrants, is also guilty of being very selective in terms of how she defines the Canadian society of which she is a part. On the other hand, the writer points out that Bissoondath offers a rebuke that, because of its moderate tone and use of example strikes a chord with the reader; more than that, he explains how Canadian approaches to culture institutionalize incompetence and make race a criterion in matters where it should have no place. The writer maintains that in the end, Neil Bissoondath's belief that Canadian multiculturalism encourages omission and self-deception is a stirring critique that resonates.
From the Paper "At this point, a number of things must be said. First of all, being designated a "visible minority" in Canada does not necessarily have the pejorative connotation Bannerji applies to it. For one thing, "visible minorities" are viewed favorably for affirmative action programs in both the workplace and in post-secondary institutions; secondly, given the aggressive, interventionist nature of Canadian multicultural policies (something Neil Bissoondath will discuss later), it is difficult to countenance the idea that being designated a minority in Canada makes one automatically marginalized - or subject to special "control" by the state. After all, Canada has some of the strongest anti-discrimination and workplace harassment laws in the world; therefore, if anything, being designated a "visible minority" grants someone protection from abuse and (if the wording of federal hiring policies is to be taken seriously) a "leg up" in the scramble for society's spoils."
Abstract This paper explains that much French-Canadianliterature, especially the more early forms, had geographic themes; even when many of the writers began moving into the cities, they used their new environment as a foundation for their works. The author points out, that Albert Laberge wrote about rural life, but in a negative fashion, contrary to most literary artists of his time; where previous rural novels included idyllic characters and surroundings in an environment of socio-moral ascension, Laberge saw humans as snared in a world of misery and mediocrity, leading to moral and social decay. This paper relates that, in the last few decades, French-Canadianliterature has become globalized with the inclusion of ethnic writers immigrating from Italy, Haiti, and China.
From the Paper "Patrice Lacombe wrote Paternal Ground in 1846, the very first "novel of the ground,? as it later was called. This theme of the strong relationship with the land dominated French Canadian literature for nearly a century. Lacombe's work relates the despondency of a rural family following their youngest son's decision to leave home to travel abroad. The older son tries to keep the farm going, but loses it through bad business decisions. The father tries to work in the city, but is desolate. Fortunately, the young son returns with enough money to buy new land, and the family is safe once again."
Abstract This paper discusses gender affecting a male student of the ChineseCanadian community. This author uses a cultural approach to explain that the stereotype of male preference in Chinese culture has various results.
Abstract This paper discusses the growth and changes of the Canadian worker since the wave of immigration began in the mid-Nineteenth Century to post-war Canada. It provides an overview of early immigration and the improvement of conditions of the workforce.
From the Paper "Canada like the United States is a nation made up of immigrants. While it seems possible that Eric the Red and other Vikings discovered Canada in about AD the actual growth of population and ..."
Abstract This paper examines the nature of American literature. The paper explains that American literature, like many other nationalistic literary bodies has had an evolution that marks changing attitudes with regard to what is to be included in the voice of literature. The paper then looks at how the representation of both women and African-American writers is not the only body of inclusion, as contemporary movements have made significant strides toward the inclusion of almost every immigrant group into the canon of American literature and into the body of publishing in general in history and contemporary works. The paper also points out that the defining characteristics of what qualifies as American Literature is simply that it is a written form, poetry, prose or drama that conveys any point of view of the American experience of growth and change. The writer states that frequently some of the most fundamentally expressive forms of American literature are immigrantliterature that explores the real and fictional development of the self, from an immigrant outsider to someone who feels as if they are an American, regardless of the outside view of themselves as a foreigner. The paper concludes that American literature should continue to be inclusive and representative of personal nationalistic growth, as a standard bearer for other forms of nationalistic literature.
From the Paper "In all representations of immigrant literature there is a clear sense that at almost any given time in America there was a dominant or subjugated immigrant group that was struggling to be accepted by those who had immigrated one, two or three generations before them. America is a nation of immigrants and American literature is finally beginning to express this, without as much of the exclusionary literary academic influences. The transition of an immigrant into and "American" in the self is frequently one of the most important and influential expression of literature, from Latino American literature, to Asian American immigrant expressions."
Abstract This paper discusses the nature of modern literature written by Chinese-American authors. It analyzes common themes and trends in this literature style. Works examined include Eric Liu's "The Accidental Asian" and Maxine Hong Kingston's "The Woman Warrior". It also looks at Lisa See's "On Gold Mountain" and Amy Tan's novel "The Joy Luck Club". The paper discusses issues such as the language style used in these novels and common themes.
From the Paper "A substantial body of Chinese American writing emerged in the 1970s and the flow of novels, stories, poems, family histories and memoirs has grown steadily ever since. Although there is great variety among these (mostly) second-generation writers the predominant focus of their work has been on questions that have evolved around the phenomenon of being Asian in America. The majority of these writers have forgotten most of their Chinese, never having learned it much beyond their pre-school years, and they write about the difficulty of balancing on the biracial, bicultural cusp between the old-world ways of their parents and their own lives as speakers of American English functioning in a culture that was, and often remains, entirely foreign to their parents. As these American-born Chinese (ABCs) attempt to assess their own place in a nation where they constitute a very small percentage of a population that is sometimes hostile toward them they are also, like most immigrants' children, compelled to wonder about the culture from which they came. The dilemma of their own "Chineseness" is the question underlying all the works discussed here. But there are nearly as many ways of approaching the question as there are writers. The present discussion of various kinds of literary production by a number of contemporary Chinese-American writers will, therefore, concentrate on why writers chose particular forms, how these approaches facilitate the questions they want to ask, and what answers they have found to the essential question of what it means to be "Chinese" in America."
An analysis of the interactions between literature and community within the context of Sophocles' "Oedipus the King," as well as within the context of modern Canadianliterature and culture.
Abstract This paper discusses how a community generates literature that reflects its own attitudes and values and how literature simultaneously moulds community, and reflects it. It consider these interacting influences within the context of Sophocles' "Oedipus the King," as well as within the context of modern Canadianliterature and culture. The paper also discusses this in the context of the writer's own experience of cultural community.
From the Paper "One of these distinctly Canadian discourses may be said to be the discourse of sport, and particularly of hockey. As one theorist put it, "The rituals of sport engage more people in a shared experience than any other institution or cultural activity today." (Varda Burstyn, The Rites of Men, quoted in Coakley and Donnelly, 1) Watching hockey together has become a symbolic action that unites Canadians. Interestingly, sport as a component of ideology and community building is highlighted in John B. Lee's poetry collection, The Hockey Player Sonnets: Overtime Edition. Lee succeeds in making clear a significant aspect of Canadian hockey-related mythology, albeit one that is primarily white and male."
Abstract The paper briefly outlines what entities such as the BPIDP (Book Publishing Industry Development Program) and the Canada Council for the Arts do for the book publishing industry and its writers in this country. Among other things, the following several pages outline how an organization such as BPIDP has allowed the sector to grow, perhaps despite itself. The paper also examines how the Canada Council of the Arts through subsidizing talented artists, allows Canadianliterature to remain flourishing in the face of many challenges.
From the Paper "How would the absence of (public) funding change publishing in Canada? The absence of funding would have a deleterious effect upon Canadian publishing because the publishing sector in this country is only viable if it receives outside help."
Abstract This study attempts to investigate career development among Chinese women in the banking sector in New Zealand. It discusses career, not only in terms of the relationship between the organization and occupation, but it also looks beyond to factors such as family and religion. The paper then discusses how culture and religion influence an individual in the way they dress and eat as well as many other customs.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Chapter 1
Introduction
Chapter 2 - Women and Career Development
Career Theories
Career Planning
Differences Between Men & Women In Career Development
Barriers for Women
Career Development For Non-White Women
Chapter 3 - Minority Women in Careers
African-American Women as Minority Remuneration Issues for Minority Women
Bi-culturalism
Family and Education Issues
Immigrants in Workforce
Chapter 4 - Chinese Women
Chinese Women In History
First Generation Chinese Second Generation Chinese Chinese in New Zealand - Current Situation
Chapter 5 - Banking Industry
Climate in the Banking Industry
Barriers for Women
Current Situation for Women in Banking
Chapter 6 - New Zealand Labor Market
Employment in New Zealand
The Effects of Immigrants Women in the Labor Force
Other Issues
Chapter 7 - Methodology
Qualitative Research
Face To Face Interview
Participants
Sampling
Reason For Choice Of Method
Advantages and Limitations
Data Analysis
Chapter 8 - Findings
Education
The Predicaments Of Chinese Women In The Banking Industry In New Zealand
Glass Ceiling for Chinese Women
Negative Social Stereotyping
Issues In Future Career Development
Chapter 9 - Conclusion
From the Paper "The changes in the immigration policy of New Zealand are serving as tools to increase the country's human capital which is necessary for the nation's economic growth and development (Trlin & Henderson, 2000). However, with the increase in New Zealand's number of participants in the labour market, issues regarding the immigration policies have surfaced. Among the problems that trigger issues on immigration policy are the apparent rate of unemployment among the nation's locals as well as the unemployment of some migrants."
This paper discusses the issue of immigration and diversity in Canada, while looking at accounts regarding Chineseimmigrants in the 19th and 20th century.
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses two news accounts that presented similar backgrounds regarding the Chineseimmigrants in the 19th century and the 20th century. The writer compares and contrasts events taken from these two time periods with academic sources detailing the same. The writer notes that economic strife and the hope of acquiring wealth, while apparently more pronounced in the 20th century, was the primary motivator for these people to take life-threatening risks as well as the risk of being turned back. The writer points out that the politico-social climate had perceptibly changed since 1860, particularly regarding the shift of perceptions of immigrants by native Canadians from a racial, white superiority perspective against the backdrop of colonialism to that of cultural paranoia fueled by biased media coverage and political secondary gain. The writer concludes that although steps have been taken to control immigration, cultural diversity remains elusive. This paper includes a detailed summary and notes regarding each of the sources.
Outline:
The 19th Century
20th Century
Conclusion
From the Paper "This was one of the first accounts of local press during the 1860s regarding the arrival of Chinese migrants to British Columbia. Being of a foreign land, they initially shared the white man's dreams of finding fortune in the new province similar to the California gold rush. It was an equal proving ground where, literally, one could keep what he reaped from the mines. However, as the fervor of finding instant fortune soon died down in the south, so did the gold rush in British Columbia. This did not mean that other industries were in lack. Indeed, the lumbering and agricultural industries were also abundant, owing to the gold rush that had to be sustained by settlements and towns requiring building materials and a means with which to feed the inhabitants."
This is a research proposal that was done to look at the effects of poverty on immigration in Canada. The proposal attempts to answer the question: Why are Canada’s immigrants more likely to end up in poverty than native-born Canadians.
3,660 words (approx. 14.6 pages), 6 sources, 2001, $ 101.95
Abstract This is a research proposal that was done to look at the effects of poverty on immigration in Canada. In Canada, immigrants are more likely to live under the poverty line than native Canadian-born citizens. The proposal attempts to answer the question: Why are Canada's immigrants more likely to end up in poverty than native-born Canadians. It is a qualitative proposal, which includes a literature review. The author discusses census data and utilizes interview questions and answers. The proposal was written in first person narrative, and is 13 pages long, including bibliography as well as a potential newspaper ad for gathering applicants to the study.
From the Paper "This study will hopefully show why it is that immigrants to Canada , at least those who arrived since 1981, are more likely to live in poverty than native-born Canadians. It will attempt to find possible solutions to prevent this from happening to future immigrant populations, whether the problem lies in the hands of the immigration system, or if it has to do with something else. Optimistically, my study will also serve to educate the public and policy makers to adopt different views on immigration and immigrants than the ones currently harbored by many. In my opinion, education of the public and lawmakers will prove crucial after the findings to start finding ways to make some changes to get these people out of poverty, which would benefit everyone."
Abstract This essay focuses on media, immigration and minority groups in Canada. The essay analyzes five articles that look at media bias against immigrants to Canada. The paper argues that the media portrays the immigrants as people who are only good as labourers and not as Canadian citizens.
From the Paper "Miscasting Immigrants and Minorities in Canada Canada is supposed to have a multicultural society in which immigrants are welcome and minorities are accepted. For example, in The Regional Geography of Canada Robert M. Bone states, "Canada is a multicultural society with more than 200 ethnic groups recorded in the 2001 census" (Bone 155). However, there is ample evidence that the media, various levels of government and Canadian society as a whole do not really believe in multiculturalism."
Abstract This paper looks at the evolution of the Canadianimmigration policy since the Second World War. Specifically, it discusses the dramatic shift which took place in the 1960s as Canada began to move away from its old preferential immigration policy under the Pearson government. Further, the paper analyzes how political, economic and demographic factors created a remarkable amount of momentum for policies which opened the doors (and kept them open) for non-European arrivals from the latter 1960s onward.
From the Paper "Lastly, Canada has moved substantially towards an immigration policy that permits family reunification for all immigrants - especially global south immigrants - with very few restrictions. In light of the fact that so many of today's immigrants are non-European (and, as noted previously, this has been the case since at least the middle-1970s), the end result is that this bit of Canadian policy-making has bolstered the already-high numbers of non-European groups within Canada. In the end, it would seem evident that successive Canadian governments - whether Conservative or Liberal - have embraced multicultural immigration because the swiftly-changing demographics of the land (and a new political landscape) leaves them no choice but to indulge non-Caucasian and non-European citizens."
