The Color of Water and American Born Chinese Essay Example

also plays a significant role in how Ruth interprets being American. As a Jew in an American school where other students express hatred towards Jews, she feels uncomfortable and is subjected to derogatory comments like "dirty Jew" (McBride, 62, 3). Furthermore, she notices that the qualifications acquired from her Jewish school are not valued or recognized by Americans (McBride, 62,

3). For Ruth ,being American involves acceptance and respect for different religionsThe definitions of being American presented by Ruth and James differ from my own personal understanding. To me, being American means being born or raised in America and having a deep respect for the American constitution and laws. Additionally, anyone within America's borders or subject to American jurisdiction is considered an American.

James deals with his struggle to find his identity by leaving his hometown, tired of seeing his friends frequently getting into trouble (McBride, 137, 2). Eventually, he realizes that all people are fundamentally the same - human beings. Despite the poverty and starvation faced by the people of France, they were of white ethnicity (McBride, 64, 3). He also learns that discrimination is not limited to those of mixed race. He argues that the white man's world is flawed too with issues like discrimination based on religion, social class, and fortune (McBride, 205).

Ruth experiences a religious transformation as she embraces Christianity. She becomes a member of the metropolitan church and takes on the role of church secretary (McBride, 184, 2). Furthermore, after her spiritual awakening she marries a black preacher.

In "American Born Chinese," Jin attempts to resolve his personal crisis by dating non-Chinese girls.After his relationship with Amelia, he enters a new romance with

Suzy. Jin goes as far as changing his eating habits by avoiding Chinese cuisine to appear more American. In Gene Yuang's book, Jin overcomes racial barriers by befriending a Chinese boy named Wen, while facing rejection from his actual cousin who transfers to another school (26). Jin's approach in overcoming his inhibitions about being Chinese is admirable because he realizes that his desires and aspirations are more important than others' opinions of him. Through their shared love for transformers, Jin and Wen develop a strong bond that makes Jin no longer feel ashamed of their friendship. Jin recognizes that being true to himself is more significant than identifying solely as an American-born Chinese individual.

The authors envision an America without discrimination based on race or religion, emphasizing the significance of embracing all cultures and races within society. They urge individuals born in America to accept and tolerate those born with different racial backgrounds, highlighting immigration through characters like Chen and Ruth. The authors encourage immigrants to take pride in their origins so that they can be appreciated and accepted by others. Yuang also addresses the issue of color preferences and societal segregation, illustrating how Jin personally experiences this when they move into an apartment where all the boys are Chinese and gather together to watch cartoons (26).Furthermore, Gene Yuan (28) explores the concept of sacrificing one's true self in pursuit of personal desires. According to the herbalist wife, Jin can attain his aspirations by relinquishing his own identity. This means letting go of his culture and societal opinions, and instead embracing his own passions. Gene also critiques Americans for their limited understanding of other races. The

two teachers exhibit social bias as they assume that Chinese individuals only originate from China, disregarding the fact that Jin hails from San Francisco and Wen-Chen is from Taiwan.