assimilation narratives

I thougth both of these stories seemed to truly help depict what it is like for someone who is not from the standard white background in the United States. Although both were from the past, many prejudices still exist. I found both of these stories to protray each young girls struggle with being part of mainstream america. However the first story about the indian girl in the school seems much different. She is being forced to take on the culture of the mainstream white world around her. She seems very passive at fighting this and eventually goes on the collegel where she continues to deal with prejudice and lonliness. the second story about the girl who is part Chinese, but grows up in England is different because when she is insulted she seems to fight back and demand recognition for the heritage as a chinese girl. She is angry at the predudices around her. She in turn begins to learn about her chinese heritage and traditions almost as a form of protest against the mainstream who want her to be conformed. The reality is, looking different makes it hard for anyone to be accepted in a white dominated society.