Analysis Of Chaukamnoetkanok's Differences

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Recommended: Assimilation and diversity

1. What does Chaukamnoetkanok see as the main differences between his experience and that of his grandparents? While both Chaukamnoetkanok and his grandparents’ experiences were very similar, Chaukamnoetkanok points out that there are two main differences. First, the motivation for their immigration was drastically different. Chaukamnoetkanok states “Ar-kong migrated from China mainly for economic reasons. My parents’ main objective for migrating was the education of their children” (Foner 338). His parents left behind everything they had in Thailand and started a new life from the ground up in the United States for the sake of their children. His grandparents, on the other hand, could not provide their own children with a decent education …show more content…

He points out that “While most immigrants have double identities to deal with, I have three. Am I Chinese, Thai, or American?” (Foner 339). His grandparents only had to deal with two—Chinese and Thai—but Chaukamnoetkanok is torn between three, making his experiences all the more difficult. He argues that no matter what identity he chooses, he will always be labeled as an “outsider”. His grandparents, on the other hand, were not concerned with being labeled as “different” and simply ignored those who had a prejudice against them. Chaukamnoetkanok understands that he must also possess this mindset in order better his experiences, but cannot change his way of thinking that easily, despite knowing he should. Overall, Chaukamnoetkanok determines that the main differences …show more content…

We can determine that Chaukamnoetkanok only had a single story of the United States—one that left out the prevalence of racism and prejudice. Chaukamnoetkanok focuses on how we was in disbelief when he arrived, realizing that the land, which all of his friends back home were envious of, was nothing but a fraud. He states that the so-called “land of opportunity” is a place where “…racism exists and most people will not easily accept immigrants” (Foner 334), which is something that he never expected. Overall, we can conclude that he was upset that he believed that the United States was perfect, which ultimately resulted in his disappointment upon his arrival. Chimamanda, on the other hand, did not have her expectations crushed. When I say this, I mean that she did not have high expectations but rather low expectations that were exceeded. For example, Chimamanda thought that Fide’s family was suffering endlessly because they were so poor, but when she ended up visiting them, she was astonished to find out that while they were poor, they were also hardworking. In addition to this, prior to her trip to Mexico, Chimamanda made a connection to Mexicans and immigrants—specifically those who were “…fleecing the healthcare system, sneaking across the border, being arrested at the border” (Adichie “The Danger of a Single Story”). However, upon her arrival, she was surprised to witness

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