| dc.description.abstract | Asiatisk amerikanere har blitt sett på som utlendinger siden de første immigrantene på 1800-tallet. Denne oppgaven fokuserer på de litterære verk fra John Okada, Maxine Hong Kingston, og Chang-Rae Lee. Alle tre er amerikanere, men de er også andregenerasjons innvandrere som vokste opp og skrev om det USA på den andre halvdelen av 1900-tallet. Rasisme er den store synderen for hvorfor asiatiske amerikanere har blitt sett på som utlendinger, men denne oppgaven prøver å utvide kunnskapen gjennom temanene: usynlighet, stillhet, identitet, og kjønn.
Bakgrunnen for hvorfor asiatisk amerikanske blir sett på som utlendinger, selv etter flere generasjoner som amerikanske statsborgere skyldes mangel på politisk makt og innflytelse. En kombinasjon av et splittet asiatisk amerikansk miljø, klasseskille, stereotyper som "model minority", interne konflikter i det japansk amerikanske miljøet etter andre verdenskrig, og eksterne hendelser som kriger har gjort det vanskelig for asiatisk amerikanere.
Litteratur alene kan ikke endre dette problemet. Allikevel tyder det på at det er ikke mangel på asiatisk amerikanske meninger, det handler om at det amerikanske samfunnet på starte å ta dem alvorlig. | |
| dc.description.abstract | Asian Americans have been seen as foreigners in the USA since the 1800s. This thesis focuses on literary works from John Okada, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Chang-Rae Lee, Americans by right, second-generation East Asian immigrants, from the second half of the 20th century. Racism is the main argument for this discrimination, according to David Leiwei Li. However, this thesis explores the themes of invisibility, silence, identity, and gender difference, to comprehend why Asian Americans had little incentives to change the status quo.
To change the status quo, Asian Americans need political power and influence. The effort to create a constructed unity of Asian Americans has not yet been a success. The narratives from Okada, Kingston, and Lee are three different perspectives which point to lack of unity between Japanese Americans, Chinese Americans, and Korean Americans. Even though the phrase Asian American has become a common phrase, the fact is that the unity is fragile and weak. As a result of lack of unity, the literary narratives show racial discrimination in the post-WWII era. The model minority stereotype is created as a response to Japanese internment camps and discrimination. However, the model minority stereotype expanded in the decades after the war from Japanese American men to Asian Americans regardless of gender. Class differences and social differences are essential to understand the Asian American perspective as foreigners in their homeland.
The three literary narratives illustrate a struggling financial situation for a lot of Asian immigrant families. As a consequence of the financial situation, the incentive for second-generation immigrants to strive for political change has been low. Further, the role of the family and gender roles also affect this lack of a substantial political change. The mix of lack of opportunity and silencing have created the image of the silent Asian American minority who stays out of trouble. Those who have been politically active have been silenced as the Korean American politician Kwang in Lee’s narrative. The constructed image of Asian Americans has made little room for Asian Americans to speak up. They deviate too much from the preferred stereotype.
Literature is not the sole solution to the end of racial discrimination against Asian Americans. Even so, it is helpful as tool to explore how Asian Americans are discriminated and their role in the discourse for change in the second half of the 20th century. The conclusion is that Asian Americans are seen as foreigners in the USA because society does little to challenge it as a fact. Asian Americans are part of the society. The responsibility for lack of change is, therefore, lies both in the hands of society and in the Asian American families. However, it would be false to claim that the Asian American family's responsibility is at the same level as the American society. | |
