She Wore Only White: My Thoughts

Although this book by Dorthe Binkert was not as informative on how immigrants assimilated into America’s environment, I realized that the journey to America was just as important of a topic. Binkert chose to focus on a mysterious girl named Valentina who boards an America-bound ship as a stowaway. She does not have a single belonging on her, though her dress hints at her upper class background. Through the course of the trip to America, more of her life is revealed. She has a husband who cheats often and openly, and she lost her young child two years ago. The story line may be a bit melodramatic, but many immigrants during that time (early 1900s) had chosen to leave their home countries because of past sorrows they hoped to escape from.

At the end of the novel, however, there is a harsh truth. Not all immigrants were allowed entry into America, and Valentina was one of them. She had not bought a ticket, so as a stowaway she returned to Belgium. Even though her case was rare, others had their hopes crushed when eye infections or other illnesses forced them, and sometimes their other family members, to return to their home countries. Therefore, even though the plot was fictional, it was based on a true story, and revealed how immigration was not always a happy ending for everyone.   

Media and the Self-Esteem of Teenagers

So, as I was contemplating what I should write for this blog post, I decided to answer a question that I had for a Spanish presentation. (Sorry, I didn’t feel like writing 200+ words about rhythm and meter.) The question was on the effect of media on the self-esteem of teenagers. Growing up, teens often feel insecure about their image in comparison to others around them. As a result, their constant exposure to media serves as an unconscious guide to how they may present themselves.

Teenagers, especially girls, try to attain the standard of beauty seen in commercials or advertisements. However, with the growth of technology, most of the images of beauty are not natural – imperfections have been erased or covered with makeup, and features have been photoshopped to better match the current definition of beauty.

In fact, the standard of beauty has really changed over the years. At some time, there was an anorexia craze and everyone wanted to look stick-thin because it was “in”. Some older paintings have subjects of plumper women because that was the ideal image at the time. Even though the beauty standard has fluctuated in the past, there is immense pressure on teens at the moment with the heavy presence of social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter where “likes” and “retweets” seem to be of the upmost importance. This can definitely hinder teenagers from gaining confidence and a high self-esteem. 

“Defining Bullying Down”

This New York Times article tackles the issue of bullying as well as the boundaries of its definition. I agree with the article in saying that the word “bullying” is overused and used loosely to describe harassment and sometimes extreme cases of violence. However, there is an idea brought up in the article that I didn’t really agree with. The author of the article, Emily Bazelon, believes that:

“Crying wolf about bullying isn’t good for the children who play the victim, either. Those who hold onto that identity are less likely to recover from adversity. Bullying victims need sympathy; they also need help learning to be resilient.”

True, bullies tend to inflict harm onto others because they may hold insecurities and feel a need for hold power over others. On the other hand, this doesn’t mean the victim should stay idle and allow the bullying to occur because they sympathize with the bully. In any bullying situation, the victim should inform someone about the issue. Children don’t “play the victim” role – bullying is definitely not a game, nor is it for show. I feel like it would be easier for children to overcome adversity if they take action themselves and tell people with authority to take care of the matter.

Defining Family Relationships

“The Stories That Bind Us” is a New York Times article that focuses on the formula to a healthy, happy family. There are twenty questions that children answer to find a place on the “Do You Know” scale. The questions ask children facts about their family to grasp the cohesiveness of a child’s family. I found it interesting that there was a positive correlation between a child’s knowledge of their family’s stories and the bonds between members of a family.

Personally, I’d say my culture has kind of hindered a close family relationship. My parents have never really told me about their lives in China or how they even met. I’m a pretty curious person, so I like to ask my parents questions about their past experiences, but they see it as meddling. It’s weird to them that I would ask what their high schools were like or the story of how they met. My mom will open up from time to time and tell me bits and pieces of her life, but my dad will just tell me to go to my room and study (of course). So it does make sense that I would be closer to my mom than my dad.

At the same time, cultural standards push me to be filial, so there is somewhat of a family connection. This is probably why I don’t feel like the bonds in our family are frayed, although I do agree with the studies on family unity.

Poetry is an Art

“Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting with the gift of speech.” –Simonides

I definitely view poetry as a form of art. When the word “art” is mentioned, usually paintings are the first thing to come to mind. However, with poetry, words are the medium. It captures the essence of the moment while giving room for multiple interpretations. I like how Simonides chose to describe speech as a gift. Talented poets are able to spin words into a new dimension, another person’s life, or the raw emotions of an individual.

“Poetry is an attempt to capture the essence of the chord struck in the poet by an instant of insight, in such a way that the same music will sound in the soul of the reader.” – Tia Azulay

“Colour is the key. The eye is the hammer. The soul is the piano with its many chords. The artist is the hand that, by touching this or that key, sets the soul vibrating automatically. ” – Wassily Kandinsky

These two must have been thinking on the same wavelength. It’s interesting to see that the purpose of a poet or artist is to reach for the soul of the reader or viewer. In Azulay’s opinion, poetry can never replace the first instances of emotion, but only attempt to replicate past emotions. I slightly disagree with this view. If poetry is successful, then “music will sound” within the reader. If it’s only an “attempt” to capture the experience, then everyone can attempt to convey insight, but most will not strike the chord of the reader. This is why I can’t be a poet even if I wanted to be one – I can’t make music.  

My Own Experience with Immigration

Since my inquiry project is on immigration to the U.S., I thought I might as well share my own experience coming to America.

But first, a little introduction. I moved to the U.S. when I was around five, but before that, I was used to moving. I was born in Japan and then I moved to my parent’s hometown in China when I was almost two years old. At the time, my grandparents raised me while my parents worked in Hong Kong. I finally started living with my parents when I was four, but then my dad left to go to America because he found a job there. After a year of living in Hong Kong, my mom and I left to join my dad in America.

When I first arrived, I was met with the corn fields of Minnesota in a small town named Austin. I don’t remember much of my first day in America, but I do remember my first day of preschool. The teacher couldn’t pronounce my Chinese name, so she just pronounced it “ee-sha”, and it has been that way ever since. Now, I had lived in various Asian countries, so seeing the Caucasian teacher was a bit odd at first. It was like seeing a Chinese cartoon in real life, since most cartoons I had watched before had Caucasian characters.

I actually think moving to the U.S. made me become an introvert. I was actually pretty talkative in China, but the language barrier when I arrived in the U.S. hindered my social interactions. I turned to meticulously coloring in coloring books and was surprised when I was praised for my work. My mom had told me that the teachers in China told her that I had zero talent in art and pretty much said my drawings were hideous. Yes, Chinese teachers are quite blunt. Well, I don’t really care now because I found a talent in art that those teachers failed to see. It’s a bit far, but I guess moving to America helped me find my passion for art.

Frank McCourt is a Funny Guy

 

For my second independent reading book, I chose to read ‘Tis, by Frank McCourt. Freshman year, I read Angela’s Ashes, McCourt’s more well known memoir about his life in Ireland. I distinctly remember enjoying the book for McCourt’s clear sense of voice within his memoir. The experiences he went through were heavy with darkness, but tinged with his characteristic humor. Once again, ‘Tis is similar in the portrayal of McCourt’s hardships, but – using his words – he doesn’t “give a fiddler’s fart” about anything. And I like that. There’s no filter, it’s personal, and straightforward enough to be understandable.

So far, McCourt has given me a great point of view on his experience of immigration. America was always seen as a land of opportunities, so that’s what McCourt believed he would be granted with upon his arrival. However, in the beginning of the novel, he is met with one crushing disappointment after the other. It is the littlest of things like not being able to eat the leftovers in the hotel or having to turn off the light promptly every night because the landlord says so, but they add up to a skewed view of what America should have been. I do take comfort in the fact that McCourt does become a successful writer and teacher later on.

On a side note, I used to go to Stuyvesant H.S. and it was really interesting to see his perspective of students while teaching at Stuyvesant. I’m amused to see that Stuy students back then (when it was still a predominately boys school) do not really differ in their approach to education from the students today.