California is a beautiful state in the West Coast of the US. It is the most popular state in the US which is called the Golden State due to the rich, famous natural environment and the perfect weather. California is a land of sunshine, swimming pools and the Hollywood dream factory. Moreover, California is indicated differently by Anh Do in “My little Saigon” and Firoozeh Dumas in “Bienvenidos a Newport Beach”. Although both essay is written about California, about their new home, but location, lifestyle, and writer’s characteristic are the differences between Do’s essay and Dumas’s essay.
The first difference between Do’ essay and Dumas’s essay is location. In “My little Saigon”, Do describes her new life at Westminster city, a city which is located at the north-west end of Orange County, Southern California. It is “a bedroom community in Orange County” ( Do 159). Westminster city is incorporated in 1957 which is bordered by other neighbor cities such as Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Midway and Fountain Valley. At first, the city, which is found as a temperance colony, was established by Presbyterian Reverend, Lemuel P. Webber. In 2012, the population of the city was 91,377 and the percentage of White, Asian and Hispanic or Latino are 35.7%, 47.5%, 23.6% respectively (census.gov). Overtime, a lot of Vietnamese refugees came to the city in the 70s and 80s and resided at this place. There is a large popular area, which attracts many Vietnamese people, is called Little Saigon, “a cultural and commercial hub for four hundred thousand Vietnamese scattered across Southern California” (Do 161). Due to a residency of many Asian, especially Vietnamese, the construction and the development of the city are affected by Southeast Asian Cu...
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...le are white so people rarely talk to each other due to personal privacy. Moreover, the Association always restricts and decides everything with a bunch of rules. Dumas’s family always has to follow the regulations of the community such as doing nothing with the exterior of the house, following the pool’s rules.
The difference in both writers’ characteristic also separates them. Do is a helpful, friendly and grateful person. In “my little Saigon”, Do’s family even shares their home with other families who came from Vietnam though her family “could not afford a house in 1978” (Do 160). In addition, her gratefulness can be seen when she always remember about her old home, Vietnam. As Do stated that “when I’m inside the market, smelling that familiar smell of fresh fish and fish sauce, I don’t think I’ve ever left Vietnam. Her soul lives here, same with mine” (Do 162)
Vietnam has a very rich and cultural diverse background dating all the way back to 1066 when William the Conqueror invaded and paved the way for English colonization. The French had been colonizing since the 19th century. The French role in Vietnams history is critical; they started out by bringing these simple peasants to the latest technology of farming and hunting (Yancey 37). The French helped these people out greatly in the beginning, but like all stories of occupation go they just got worse. They started forcing rules and laws on the people of Vietnam. Thus started the First Vietnam War, also known as the Indochina War between France and Vietnam. "The French possessed military superiority, but the Vietnamese had already the hearts and minds of the country. (38). Even from the beginning the Vietnamese had the odds to there favor. The French looked at the wars in numbers and how many lost on each side. They gathered from all the battles that they were winning because the Vietnamese casualties far outweighed the French; nonetheless they were wrong. To a certain point the French were fighting a game that they could not win at any cost. The French had the military superiority but the Vietnamese had the manpower and the Guerilla tactics. The Indochina War ended with French loosing terrible at Dienbienphu, where a whole French garrison was wiped out.
Hemingway presents takes the several literary styles to present this short story. Hemingway’s use of Foreshadowing, Pathos, Imagery and Personification allows the reader to enter the true context of the frustration and struggle that the couples face. Although written in the 1920’s it the presents a modern day conflict of communication that millions of couples face. At first glance the beautiful landscape of the Barcelonian hillside in which Jig refers to frequently throughout the text appears to have taken the form of White Elephants. The Americans’ response to Jigs’ observation was less than enthusiastic as he provides a brief comment and continues on with his cerveza. This was but the first of the many verbal jousts to come between Jig and the American. The metaphorical inferences in those verbal confrontations slowly uncover the couple’s dilemma and why they may be on the waiting for the train to Madrid.
The novel is nurtured with a very soft but sophisticated diction. The essay itself portrays the author’s style of sarcasm and explains his points in a very clear manner. In addition, the author has used vocabulary that is very easy to understand and manages to relate the readers with his simplistic words. The author is able to convey a strong and provoc...
From the contrast of the slums of Hanoi and the breathtaking beauty of a natural vista, Huong has revealed the impact of this disparity on her protagonist. The author utilises the connection between the land and the villagers of Que’s birthplace to emphasise the steadiness and support the landscape gives, in times of upheaval, illuminating that it is possible to recover from disaster. Despite Huong’s criticism of Vietnam, she emphasises the resilience of the people of Vietnam and the ability for beauty and hope to flourish through oppression.
In this analysis includes a summary of the characters and the issues they are dealing with, as well as concepts that are seen that we have discussed in class. Such as stereotyping and the lack of discrimination and prejudice, then finally I suggest a few actions that can be taken to help solve the issues at hand, allowing the involved parties to explain their positions and give them a few immersion opportunities to experience their individual cultures.
California represents is not as easy to attain as they once thought. The characters in The Day of the
Trinh Vö, L. (2008). Constructing a Vietnamese American Community: Economic and Political Transformation in Little Saigon, Orange County. Amerasia Journal, 34(3), 85-109.
California, what makes this state so wonderful? Well if you were to ask any one east from it they might say it’s a party state filled with surfers and celebrities; where no is poor and everyone drinks wine. However, if you were to pick up Mark Arax’s book West of the West you would find the contrary. Arax goes beyond the clichés that California is known for and shows you, well, what is beyond just the west. Showing the true nature of California and its people, if you are one to think that California is a happy go’ lucky state then this would be the book to read to see the real California.
Most historians view the nature of the Vietnam War as rooted in the history of the French colonies in Vietnam and the growing ethnic, political, and economical division between Catholic and Buddhist Vietnamese. (Brigham, Robert, Hoffman, Kenneth)
Just like the durian, my Vietnamese culture repulsed me as a young child. I always felt that there was something shameful in being Vietnamese. Consequently, I did not allow myself to accept the beauty of my culture. I instead looked up to Americans. I wanted to be American. My feelings, however, changed when I entered high school. There, I met Vietnamese students who had extraordinary pride in their heritage. Observing them at a distance, I re-evaluated my opinions. I opened my life to Vietnamese culture and happily discovered myself embracing it. `
Pham’s trip however has the opposite effect. He shows us the Vietnamese culture through the eyes of an assimilated Vietnamese American trying to get back in touch with his roots. He hopes to get in touch with his roots mostly through interaction via food. In Pham’s case that’s exactly what he does, with disastrous results bringing to light his inability to...
In the first episode, “Deja Vu”, details Vietnam’s experience with the French in control, the revolutions that took place to change the nation, and the impact of Americans. This episode documents events that occurred from 1858 to 1961. Most of the episode takes place in Vietnam, but at times the setting switches to different locations due to a change in footage and images. During this period in history, Vietnam wanted to become an independent nation and divide the country into north and south. After eight years of fighting in a barbaric war with Ho Chi Minh and his followers, the French were unable to preserve Indochina, which in turn led to the region’s demise. Although Ho Chi Minh and his followers were once the heroes, in my opinion,
The Vietnam War started off as a nationalist struggle before turning into a class struggle as foreign powers became involved in the war. However, it is the view of many Vietnamese scholars that see the conflict as mainly a nationalist struggle for national independence and reunification (Marr). Although the role of exogenous factors is acknowledged, it is, according to this view, the force of Vietnamese nationalism and patriotism that motivated and encouraged th...
...chnology. The aspects of California are idolized by many Americans as well as various people worldwide. The ideas first introduced by California sparked imaginative minds worldwide creating not only a more developed America, but an extremely progressive world. Without the leadership of California pointing America in the right direction, the modern world would not exist as we know it. The aspects of California are implemented throughout different locations in an attempt to simulate the perfect paradise. California is “a place irresistible to visionaries from all walks of life who come to innovate, create, entertain, and accomplish feats that, in turn, go on to change the world. But dreams don’t just happen – they are made” . California is an extremely diverse state with various natural features, world-class cities, and attractions. California is the Land of Dreams.