Study Like a Boss

A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Song All American Girl By Carrie Underwood Essay

Promoting a sense of the true American spirit is a popular tactic for many companies to sell products because of the innate and contagious pride in one’s nation. Almay created a commercial featuring Carrie Underwood that appeals to this idea in order to sell makeup. Carie begins by describing the embodiment of beauty in America, while an impressive scene of a mountain complete with a cascading waterfall fills the background. The song “All American Girl” plays with a video of Carrie performing it passionately while wearing a patriotic shirt. This is a song she rote herself and it describes the idyllic life of a girl growing up in America.

She describes how Americans are big dreamers who are full of pride for the place they call home. The commercial then ends with a close-up shot of the country singer stating that Almay creates “products that deliver an effortless beauty look, genuine and glowing with confidence.. simply American” (Almay). In this commercial, Almay uses American country singer Carrie Underwood to market their cosmetics to the American female population by promoting a sense of patriotism and empowerment through the use of cosmetic roducts that create a naturally beautiful look.

The inclusion of Carrie Underwood was a purposeful choice as she is a popular Country singer who many young women admire, and she is able to use her fame to endorse the brand. Carrie Underwood has many famous songs, one of which being “All-american Girl”, which is included in this advertisement and phrases can be heard in the background such as “his heart belongs to that sweet, little, beautiful, wonderful, perfect All-American girl”. Hearing these words can create a sentimental feeling for many women as they envision a little girl growing up with a strong ond to her father as she meets the ups and downs of life.

As Underwood speaks about the product, she speaks right to the audience in a genuine and passionate manner, which is convincing because it seems as if she really uses the brand herself and is not just relaying her lines. This technique is used because it rids advertisements of the sense that everything is simply an illusion and it instead promotes a sense of realism similar to that mentioned by Jack Solomon in his essay “Masters of Desire: The Culture of American Advertising”.

Specifically, he efers to a technique popular in the 80’s where advertisers,”attempt to convince you that what you’re seeing is the real thing, that the ad is giving you the straight dope, not advertising hype” (Solomon, 412). The sentimental song lyrics combined with Underwood’s seemingly sincere praise for the brand are able to successfully target consumers who are drawn toward the country music star. Many aspects in this Almay commercial work collectively to create a strong sense of the American spirit which is something women living in the US and of almost any age can relate to.

The patriotic feeling is built gradually, starting with scenes of American landscapes that remind viewers of the beauty in the place that they call home. The scene in which a girls runs carefree through a tall field of wheat is shown next and it calls to the roots of America in being homegrown and self made. This is revisited toward the end of the commercial when the ad states that Almay employs “American science” in the creation of their products. Many Americans prefer buying products that market themselves as “made in the USA”, and this commercial attempts to appeal to that.

Carrying the patriotic theme along, one of the simplest images of nationalism, a child waving a flag with a great big smile and no care in the world, is displayed. Most people will find this image heartwarming as it helps to create a patriotic spirit because if one feels passionately about their country, they will be more willing to buy a product that markets themselves as supporting their country. While this ad appeals to a sense of patriotism, it could also be related to the egalitarian values in society by relating a product that is marketed toward the average American woman.

The concept of natural beauty is communicated when Carrie Underwood states that Almay creates “products that deliver an effortless beauty look, genuine and glowing with confidence”. She makes it seems as though using this makeup line will make one appear to stand out by poking naturally beautiful which is something many American women strive for, typically across the different age groups. They want to achieve a look that seems like they took a great deal of time to achieve when in reality they were able to get it with a few easy steps .

Everyday beauty products are those that people ight gravitate towards in the hopes of appearing like everyone else, or the average American woman. Solomon addresses societal values in America and he notes that one of the two faces of the American dream is one that is “communally egalitarian”and “fosters a desire to be popular, to ‘belong” which is an easily applicable concept in regards to beauty standards. Women want to adopt the beauty trends that they believe are most popular around them, and with Carrie Underwood, posed as the everyday American girl who is presenting a natural beauty look, they are easily targeted regardless of age.

The commercial states that in America, “dreams are born and hopes fly high” as a scene of a gymnast in a patriotic leotard is shown executing a routine perfectly . She finishes and looks up as a look of pure joy crosses her face because she feels confident in knowing she nailed her tricks. The commercial employs this theme to sell Almay’s makeup as a way of empowerment for women with beauty. If they go out with almay makeup on their face, they will feel confident in knowing that they look beautiful and this will then lead them to accomplish great things.

The other face of the american dream ccording to Solomon is one that is “competitively elitist” and one that encourages one to want to stand out amongst everyone for having a higher social status. , which is something makeup could help a woman with. By transforming her face, she is able to appear more attractive and in her mind as others glance her way, they will admire her looks which in turn will give the made-over woman a sense of empowerment. Carrie states that the makeup will create a look that is “glowing with confidence” which is how most women strive to appear when they use mascara or dust on blush.

No matter how young or old, this commercial is highly persuasive that in using this makeup line, a woman will be able to attain an outward appearance that will enable her to feel as if she can stand above the crowd. The commercial overall was successful in embracing a wide range of American women with its promises concerning the transformative properties of Almay Makeup. This was done by appealing to different desires such as the paradoxical sides to the American dream pointed out by Solomon, those being to belong and feel popular as well as standing above the rest.

The atriotic feeling was found throughout the commercial and it helped Carrie Underwood target women with the claims that Almay makeup delivers both an effortless and confidence-giving look. While this commercial leaves women with generally positive messages, it could also be observed that the lightheartedness of the ad covers its whole premise which is to target women’s insecurities that are caused by unattainable expectations set forth by the beauty industry. It is important for people to learn to analyze advertisements for what they truly are in order to avoid possible harm in feeling inadequate.

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:

Related posts:

  • This Kiss Song Analysis Essay
  • An American Tragedy and Sister Carrie Dreiser
  • The Arctic Monkeys: Song Analysis Essay
  • A Rhetorical Analysis Of Rossum And Sheryl Sandberg Essay
  • Rhetorical Analysis Of The Solution To World Poverty Essay
  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Robert Jensens Citizens Of The Empire Essay
  • Essay on Tang And Song Dynasties Analysis
  • Gendercide In It’s A Girl Movie Essay
  • Rhetorical Analysis Of March On Washington For Jobs And Freedom Essay
  • Sex Trafficking Rhetorical Analysis Essay
  • Rhetorical Analysis On Poverty Essay
  • Fdr Address Rhetorical Analysis Essay
  • Old Spice Rhetorical Analysis Essay
  • League Of Legends: A Rhetorical Analysis Essay
  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Texting And Driving Essay

Ploughshares Logo

  • Shopping cart

Search form

  • Facebook Page
  • Pinterest Page
  • Twitter Page
  • Instagram Page

All-American Girl by Robin Becker

Lloyd Schwartz recommends All-American Girl, poems by Robin Becker: "Unsparing and self-knowing, Robin Becker uses irony (as in her double- and triple-edged title) as if it were a form of directness. Painful, often devastating poems contend with crushing loss, the convolutions of sexuality and family politics, the struggle to accept the self. Yet they also rage with such imaginative energy, you can't wait to read them again and again, feeling an astonished pleasure in both their accomplishment and their humanity." Reviewed in "Bookshelf" on page 238. (Univ. of Pittsburgh)

Summary Of The Struggle To Be An All American Girl

all american girl essay

Show More In “The struggle to be an all American girl”, the author, Elizabeth Wong narrates how difficult it was for her being an American with Chinese roots. The author wished to only be part of the American culture, and looked down on being Chinese. During the essay the author narrates how hard it was to be forced by her mother to be more involved in the Chinese culture. She had to attend Chinese school for two years, not only learning the language but the act of politeness as well. She described the Chinese culture as ugly and inferior to the American culture. Comparing the smell of the schools, American and Chinese, and making seem the American flag as more beautiful than China ’s flag. For her, the Chinese was ordinary and lacked of beauty.

Related Documents

My america rhetorical analysis.

One of the common representational strategies that is used in My America… or Honk if you love Buddha is how some of the Asian Americans compare themselves to first-generation Asians. In the documentary, a Mr. Choi appears, and he is described as someone who works for a fortune cookie company, teaches martial arts, and does other tasks that are often associated with the “good oriental” image that Xing describes in “Cinematic Asian Representation.” Meanwhile, Victor Wong, who was born in San Francisco, describes himself as the “Wong that went wrong,” and is an Asian who actively takes part in the arts. Despite working together in the past, Choi practices the stereotypes that are often imposed on Asians, while Victor breaks these stereotypes.…

Mrs. Spring Fragrance

Mrs. Spring Fragrance sense of her Chinese self is completely diluted by Americanization because she picks up new ideologies that strays her away from the traditional Chinese customs. For example, when Mrs. Spring Fragrance hears about Laura’s confliction of marring the Chinese government school teacher she disagrees because since they are in living America her parents should follow the American customs of marriage. This clearly exemplifies the manner in which the Mrs. Spring Fragrance is disregarding her Chinese culture and taking on this new American standard of living. However, even though American beliefs on marriage is appealing, nothing is wrong with the traditional Chinese way of marriage because Mr. Spring Fragrance and Mrs. Spring Fragrance marriage is perfectly fine even though they were betrothed. Mrs. Spring Fragrance is so brainwashed into believing that America is superior because when she attends the lecture “America the Protector of China” (52) she holds a firm belief that America is protecting China, when in actuality they are not.…

The American Dream In The Circuit, By Francisco Jimenez

Even in today’s society racism lingers around; in Lillian Rubin’s article Andrew Kwan states, “‘If you’re Chinese, you can’t forget it, even if you want to, because there’s always something that reminds you’” (Rubin 4). Whether someone is Chinese or Indian, if they aren’t the cookie cutter image of being American, they won’t be completely accepted in society’s standards. When Francisco was still in elementary school there was a large focus of his attachment to the butterfly in his class, which readers can assume symbolizes an easy escape freedom (Jimenez 25). Whether he achieved the easy freedom is his own perception, but looking at it from the picture nobody should have to go through so many obstacles to achieve a basic…

Cultural Differences Between Junior And Jin

INTRODUCTION - ~ THESIS - When evaluating Arnold “Junior” Spirit from Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Jin Wang from Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese, similarities radiate in both characters as their disparity in race deem the two of them as outcasts in the entirety of society. In addition to their lack of social interactions, their uniformity in their impulsive decisions cost them each a dear friend. Although Junior and Jin are quite similar, they share differences in the way Junior tries bettering himself by fitting into both his Indian and Reardan culture whereas Jin changes himself in every possible way to become Americanized. *** The correspondence between Junior and Jin is detected in both novels…

My Chinese Heritage Analysis

Like Chinese American students, Lee realized the different between school and her home. It began from the different of her culture and the way she was brought up. She didn’t know the Chinese heritage would play any role in her future as much as other students. This is easy for her to become an American and fit with American culture in here.…

Should Immigrants Integrate Their Culture Into America

But inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud you are different. Your only shame is to have shame.” Correspondingly, the Chinese tradition is something a Chinese should be proud of, it’s not something that should be neglected, just as Latin-Americans should be proud of their Latin culture, and Indian-Americans should be proud of their culture. America is a society based off the notion that people have the right to exercise their tradition, that’s what makes this country…

The Language Of Discretion By Albara Mellix Analysis

Everyone speaks a language, but some people speak more than one language. To learn and understand a new language can be troublesome when first starting to learn said language. Both Amy Tan and Barbara Mellix experience these struggles. Tan’s multicultural Chinese- American life explains why Tan worries about the misunderstanding and stereotypes about the Chinese language.…

Mrs. Spring Fragrance Analysis

There is a large contradiction between traditional Chinese-American and Westernized Chinese-Americans. Mrs. Spring Fragrance tried to help her neighbor, Laura, get out of her arranged marriage. Laura was in love with an American- born man named Kai Tzu, however, she was arranged to marry a schoolteacher’s son. Laura tries to become as American as possible. She lives…

Fifth Chinese Daughter Analysis

Without the constant pressure of Chinese tradition overhead, humor and affection replaced the constant need to pay respect; thus “living became fun.” Life was no longer about respecting tradition or family honor, instead Wong was able to shape her own life by experimenting with courses, extracurricular activities (e.g. pottery), and new friends. Although she experienced American culture in an uninhibited setting, Wong refused to abandon her familial culture, “No matter how critical [Jade Snow] was of [her parents], she could not discard all they stood for and accept as a substitute the philosophy of the foreigners.” At her core, she was Chinese, exposure to American culture did not usurp her heritage - it simply modified it. Thus, Wong became a Chinese-American - able to see the world through two sets of eyes.…

Analysis Of The Struggle To Be An All-American Girl

In Elizabeth Wong’s story, The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl, she reveals denial and shame towards her parent’s culture to illuminate the importance of having multiple cultures in a person’s life. Though reading this story one can discover her denial towards her Chinese culture was because she just wanted to integrate and be like the rest. The majority of children will be forced into ideas that are presented and taught by the parents. The parent is only passionate to keep the traditions that are passed down through generations. This is where high expectations are enforced by the family members which could lead to pressure.…

What Is The Theme Of Fish Cheeks By Amy Tan

She had handed me an early gift. It was a mini skirt in light grayish-brown tweed. But in the inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud you are different. your only shame is to have shame.…

Stereotypes In Marilyn Chin's Elegy For Chloe Nguyen

In Marilyn Chin’s “Elegy for Chloe Nguyen (1955-1988),” she speaks about the life of her friend that has passed away at the age of 33. She compares their lives side by side, with Chin growing up poor and Nguyen growing up wealthy. Both women grew up in a similar cultural background, but a different class background. It’s almost as if Chin admired how intelligent and well-rounded Nguyen appeared to be, despite Nguyen experiencing moods of emptiness throughout her life. As the poem progresses, it’s evident that there is a shift in Nguyen’s mood, thus shifting the poem.…

We Also Serve: American Indian Women's Role In World War II

X. Zhao, in the article "Chinese American Women Defense Workers in World War II," focuses on the “unique experience of Chinese American female[s]” employed as “defense workers” in the area around San Francisco. The publication bases itself on newspapers and report written in Chinese-languages, as well as oral history interviews from former workers. Narratively, the article also explores the forced placement into into tightly regulated, isolated ethnic communities could be overcome, as Chinese Americans endured through prejudice in order to use “the wartime opportunity” to insert themselves into the “larger American society;” although discrimination still existed to impede progress after the war ceased. Of course, the racism Chinese-American women faced contrasted greatly from the issues another Asian minority women dealt with during World War…

Ru By Kim Thuy Analysis

The word refugee has its origins in the French word refugier: to take shelter, protect. How does fleeing Vietnam protect the narrator of Ru and her family? How does fleeing Vietnam cause them harm? In Ru written by Kim Thuy, the narrator and her family have to flee Vietnam due to the war.…

Cultural Identity Crisis In Ken Liu's The Paper Menagerie

Have you ever felt that you had to choose between your own culture or the american culture? This is understanding since many people go through this one point in their lives when They are trying to fit in or they just don’t like where they came from. In Ken Liu’s “The Paper Menagerie” the main character, Jack, experiences trying to fit in at school. By that, he had to choose between his chinese culture or the all american life. This only happened because Mark called his paper menagerie “chinese garbage”.…

Related Topics

  • The Joy Luck Club
  • United States
  • Chinese language

Ready To Get Started?

  • Create Flashcards
  • Mobile apps
  •   Facebook
  •   Twitter
  • Cookie Settings

ipl-logo

The Struggle To Be An All-American Girl By Elizabeth Wong

The essay “The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl” by Elizabeth Wong was an intriguing story of how Wong was trapped in the middle of two cultures throughout her childhood. Wong longed to be fully submerged in one culture but her mother pushed her to learn about and embrace the culture she was born into. As an adult, Wong is reflecting on the experience she had at a Chinese school she attended, and she does not discuss it with the most fond memories, she makes it seem like a chore more than anything else. She even says, “Every day at 5 P.M., instead of playing with our fourth- and fifth- grade friends. . . , my brother and I had to go to Chinese school.” She also referred to the Nationalist Republic of China as “ not as pretty”. Wong seems

Summary Of Woman Of Color, Daughter Of Privilege By Amanda Wilson

In 1995, at the University of Georgia Kent Anderson Leslie, published her first book called “Woman of Color, Daughter of Privilege: Amanda America Dickson, 1849-1893”. The book is about a Girl names Amanda America Dickson who was born to a slave mother Julia Dickson and a white popular planter David Dickson. When Julia was 13 years old David who was in his forties at the time raped her and that turned into Julia getting pregnant. Amanda was born November 20,1849 and given to her father David and her grandmother Elizabeth Dickson. Her mother decided to give her up because she wanted her to be born free and not have to live the life she has had to live.

The Myth Of American Girl By Peggy Orenstein

In Peggy Orenstein’s book, she effectively argues that a princess-like society immersed in America's culture is damaging to young girls through her interviews, evidence, personal experience, and humorous tone. Starting towards the beginning of her book, Orenstein exposes to the audience that she too liked Disney. She says that "God knows I was a Disney kid. I still have my bona fide mouse ears" (Orenstein 13). By doing this, Orenstein conveys her knowledge of the two sides of her argument: Disney is damaging to young kids or vice versa.

The Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet Quotes

"The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford is a captivating coming-of-age story that follows the life of Henry Lee, a Chinese-American boy growing up in Seattle during World War II. Throughout the novel, Henry experiences profound personal growth and self-discovery as he navigates the complexities of racial tensions, family expectations, and first love. This essay will explore how four quotes from the book exemplify the transformative journey of Henry's coming of age. Paragraph 1: In the early stages of the novel, a young Henry grapples with his dual identity as an American-born Chinese.

American Born Chinese Jin Jing Quotes

His only “primary goal was to blend in” with others to not get bullied and feel isolated from everyone else. He then learns to embrace being an immigrant and had no reason to blend in as he discovered his identity and learned to utilize it (Kim 1-4). A deeper analysis of the purpose of each detail in American Born Chinese reveals underlying meanings to each series of

Stereotypes In American Born Chinese By Gene Luen Yang

It is often hard to be yourself when other people make fun of certain things that relate towards oneself. In Gene Luen Yang’s book titled, “American Born Chinese,” it addresses the stereotypes that Asians living in America in the 2000s faced, as well as the unhappiness that stems from complete social conformity. “American Born Chinese,” is a graphic novel that contains three seemingly different stories about three distinct characters, the Monkey King, Jin Wang, and Danny, which ultimately connects at the end. Jin Wang struggles to navigate school while facing bullying by racist stereotypes that persist. The Monkey King struggles to make others accept his new identity.

Growing Up Asian In Australia 'And Foreign Soil' By Alice Pung

The collective autobiography edited by Alice Pung “Growing Up Asian in Australia” and the short story collection written by Maxine Beneba Clarke, “Foreign Soil” both illustrate the impact of family and cultural expectations on one’s identity. Both authors emphasise how the personal desires and beliefs of individuals brought about by the expectations imposed by their family, their culture and the society on them can serve as a motivation to change and establish their identity. The desire for acceptance and love can motivate an individual to satisfy a certain expectation. Similarly, pressure brought by individuals around a character may bring them to feel obligated to meet standards.

The Struggles To Be An American Girl Summary

The article "The Struggle to be an American Girl" by Elizabeth Wong it is about a Chinese girl who did not want to learn or speak her first language and chose just to speak English. However, being bilingual has benefits like communication, jobs opportunities, etc. I chose to be bilingual for two reasons. the first reason is communication. Communication is important and if we know more than one language, it is possible to communicate with more than one group of people.

Examples Of Assimilation In Fahrenheit 451

Living as a Chinese-American, the narrator had to take on American attributes in order to be accepted -- for example, while normal Chinese women spoke with strong and assertive voices, the narrator adopted a whisper in order to appear “American-feminine. ”(1) As a result, however, her shy demeanor caused her to be an unpopular outcast. She saw herself in another Chinese-American girl at her school, as they had certain, negative similarities. “I hated the younger sister, the quiet one.

Qian Julie Wang's Memoir 'Beautiful Country'

Julie also faced discrimination from some of her teachers, who would overlook her academic achievements and favor white students. Her family faced discrimination from the broader community and Wang further describes how they are perceived differently as a minority. When describing their neighborhood, Julie says, “It reminded me of the area where we first lived when we arrived in America, the place that taught me that we were chinks who would be attacked by dogs as their owner stood by, laughing.” (226). They struggled to find housing and jobs and were often subjected to racist remarks and harassment.

The outcome of the recent 2016 presidential election has sparked fear about the future in those who aren’t white, male, and Christian. As a result of this fear, a lot of the people who don’t fit in with this group are trying to change who they are to avoid confirming the negative stereotypes some Americans believe about other cultures. In American Born Chinese, a graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, the character Jin, a Chinese-American boy, struggles to distance himself from the stereotypes pushed on him by the students and teachers at his new school. Out of fear that he many confirm the stereotypes, Jin attempts to change himself to fit in with what he believes to be the ideal, a white American boy. In Jin's attempt to fit into the mold set out

The House On Mango Street Choosing One's Identity

“You want to be the same as American girls on the outside… But inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud that you are different.

Jennie Chine Hansen Speech

The article is about Jennie Chine Hansen speech that was given for the Chinese American Women Oral History Project. Hansen discusses in her speech about the ways exclusion, participation and empowerment shaped not just her life but the lives of all Chinese people living in America. Hansen during her speech also talks about the brief history of Chinese Exclusion Act of 1892 and how that had a significant impact on the parents and grandparents of Chinese American women. She also talks about how there are two generations, the ones who were born in China and the ones who were born in America. She discusses how there is an alienation from her parents and other Chinese people who never learned to speak English who live in America.

The Three Different Identities In American Born Chinese By Gene Luen Yang

Jin is faced with being one of the very few Asians at his Junior High School, while everyone else is American. Of course Jin is going to feel out of sorts, especially when his teacher introduces him to the class as “Jin Jang”, and saying “He and his family moved to our neighborhood all the way from China”, when Jin’s real name is Jin Wang and his family moved from San Francisco (30). Gene Luen Yang uses this humility to display that it takes a considerable amount of open

Comparison Of Crying In H-Mart And In The Land Of The Free

The text says, “The little boy’s face was round and dimpled and his eyes were very bright”. This quote showcases how the child's assimilation has caused him to adopt American cultural norms, which has caused him to feel disconnected from his Chinese heritage. As a result, he is unable to connect with his parents on a familial level, which has caused instability within the

The Importance Of Communication In The Joy Luck Club

Throughout the entire novel, the mothers and daughters face inner struggles, family conflict, and societal collision. The divergence of cultures produces tension and miscommunication, which effectively causes the collision of American morals, beliefs, and priorities with Chinese culture which

More about The Struggle To Be An All-American Girl By Elizabeth Wong

Related topics.

  • United States
  • Chinese language
  • Overseas Chinese
  • Free Samples
  • Premium Essays
  • Editing Services Editing Proofreading Rewriting
  • Extra Tools Essay Topic Generator Thesis Generator Citation Generator GPA Calculator Study Guides Donate Paper
  • Essay Writing Help
  • About Us About Us Testimonials FAQ
  • Studentshare
  • Social science
  • The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl by Elizabeth Wong

The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl by Elizabeth Wong - Book Report/Review Example

The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl by Elizabeth Wong

  • Subject: Social science
  • Type: Book Report/Review
  • Level: Ph.D.
  • Pages: 2 (500 words)
  • Downloads: 9
  • Author: rebeccagutmann

Extract of sample "The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl by Elizabeth Wong"

The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl” By Elizabeth Wong The competition in the world has increased and every human being wants a better and more secure future. The prospects for a better life style and a safe and sound future are the main attraction for immigration from one’s homeland to another country. Though it seems very simple but this process is associated with many difficulties that a person faces in relation the cultural variations. All generations have different responses to these.

Chinese immigrants in the United States now constitute a good proportion of the minorities there and Elizabeth Wong was one of the children in these immigrant families. The story of her childhood presents with a picture of the hardships that she faced because of the cultural diversity and her reading presents with the different immigrant responses towards the new culture and language from different generations. Elizabeth’s mother was a strong believer of the fact that her children should know about the language of their country where they truly came from.

This can be understood from the fact when she forced her children to go to the Chinese school to learn Chinese even though they were not at all interested (Wong p. 41). The reason behind this can be her strong association and attachment with her motherland and that she wanted her children to be brought up in a similar manner as she was. Elizabeth’s grandmother also seemed to be proud of her language and did not feel any disgrace while speaking in it loudly in public places (Wong p. 42). This was the view of their generation towards their language and culture.

Elizabeth and her brother who belonged to the new generation and were being raised in United States wanted to be Americans. They did not like their Chinese lessons and they were very content with English and preferred it over Chinese. They were having a difficult time adjusting with the language of the country from where they came and preferred the language of the country where they being raised. They wanted to be like other children of their ages in their locality and play with them rather than going to learn Chinese (Wong p. 41). Elizabeth also exhibits her dislike for Chinese which according to her was a language without any sense and emotions.

She believed that she could speak and coordinate in a better way in English than in Chinese (Wong p. 42). Thus this shows a difference in concept of different generations towards language. The reading also signifies that this gap keeps on increasing with age. This can be seen from the fact that Elizabeth’s younger brother showed a stronger defiance than her towards his mother with relation to language as he kept on pointing out her mistakes when she spoke English (Wong p. 42). Their mother wanted her children to learn Chinese so that they could be associated and integrated with their previous country as well.

Elizabeth, on the other hand wanted to be a true American because she believed that she belonged there (Wong p. 42). This was the reason why she wanted to only know English. References: Wong, Elizabeth. “The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl”

  • example of home reading report in english story
  • Cited: 6 times
  • Copy Citation Citation is copied Copy Citation Citation is copied Copy Citation Citation is copied

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl by Elizabeth Wong

Applicability of multiculturalism or melting pot theory, puritan political contributions to america, theme of love in roman fever, how does arthur miller create dramatic tension within the play the crucible, asian american film depiction, child sex offense in lolita by nabokov and living dead girl by scott, review of the film young frankenstein, the role and education of islamic women in the arabian gulf.

all american girl essay

  • TERMS & CONDITIONS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • COOKIES POLICY
  • Admission Essay
  • AI-Free Essay
  • Already Written Essay
  • Analysis Essay
  • Bitcoin Essay
  • Custom Essay
  • Interview Essay
  • Response Essay
  • Scholarship Essay
  • Synthesis Essay
  • Article Critique
  • Article Review
  • Blog Articles
  • Book Report
  • Business Plan
  • Business Report
  • Capstone Project
  • Case Study Writing
  • Cover Letter
  • Cusrom Research Paper
  • Dissertation
  • Dissertation Abstract
  • Dissertation Introduction
  • Dissertation Hypothesis
  • Dissertation Discussion
  • Dissertation Methodology
  • Dissertation Literature Review
  • Dissertation Results
  • Dissertation Conclusion
  • Dissertation Proposal
  • Buy Discussion Board Post
  • Film Critique
  • Film Review
  • Grant Proposal
  • Marketing Plan
  • Letter of Recommendation Writing Service
  • Motivation Letter
  • Persuasive Speech
  • Poem Analysis
  • Reaction Paper
  • Research Paper
  • Research Proposal
  • Term Papers
  • Excel Exercises
  • Poster Writing
  • PowerPoint Presentation

Struggle to Be an All-American Girl

Elizabeth Wong’s thesis in her article “The Struggle to be an All-American Girl” capture the various aspects of life in Los Angeles’ Chinatown sufficiently based on the rhetorical choices she made. She is a Chinese woman bred in America in China Town, a place where the cultures of her country of origin prevail significantly. The thesis of her article is that the Chinese Culture does not suit a person growing within the US. She incessantly cries for the relief from the bindings of Chinese culture in its various forms. Furthermore, she endorses the American way of living as being better than the Chinese lifestyle. This shows that she abhors the Chinese cultures. She has put the few aspects of Chinatown that she can within the article with a vivid analysis with rhetorical skills that strengthen her argument. She explains her theme with a significant use of appropriate rhetorical devices that bring out her opinion in a heart-felt manner.

The audience of the article is the American society that has no relation or recognition of the Chinese culture that prevails in her former American residence that uplifted Chinese cultures. This is evident in the final paragraph of the where she addresses the audience that she would like to be like them, as illustrated in the statement “At last I was one of you; I was not one of them”. This proves that the American citizens that lived along American cultures were the key audience for Wong’s article.

The article sheds light on the way people live within the Los Angeles’ Chinatown. Furthermore, the article aims to persuade the reader to agree to the fact that the bicultural nature of their lifestyle is unbearable. This comes with the vivid description of the details of life within the area starting from education, family relations and the reaction of society to the people from the region. The descriptions do not bear information supportive of the way of life in the region. The writer detests of numerous details within Chinatown persuading the readers to agree that it is not a proper place to live in at all.

The use of diction and syntax in the article conveys the otherwise simple issues in Wong’s culture in a deep manner that makes the reader empathize with her pain. The use of Chinese slang such “moc but” related the reader to the archaic nature of the education system within Chinatown. This makes the reader relate to the manner in which the education system is archaic in nature. Concrete words used within the article bring out the firmness of the issue at hand. The word “public” used to describe the Chinese language shows exactness. It leaves no chance for second thought due to the finality of having a one-word sentence. The use of syntax also creates a firm basis on which Wong supports her thesis. The declarative sentences exuded a confidence in the thesis that undoubtedly convinces the readers. The sentence “Chinese sounded pedestrian” leaves no chance for an argument as it is stated factually.

The article has adopted a resenting attitude of the culture that the Chinese take on within the US. She shows her distaste for the culture by the use of words and sentences extensively to create a detesting tone. “The language was a source of embarrassment” is a statement within the article that elucidates the magnitude of her hatred of the culture. This has aided in the strengthening of the thesis by making the reader feel the distaste of the author and eventually adopting it. A mocking tone is also evident within the article as Wong describes the Chinese language as being gibberish, and also as she says that those who it speak eat appear to be mad. Moreover, the inability of Wong’s mother to pronounce her own name is shed in a mocking light. This rhetoric strategy brings out the ridiculousness of the culture that prevails in Chinatown.

The use of ethos in the article brings out the confidence of Wong in her thesis. For instance, in the statement, “My language was a source of embarrassment”, the authority in it leaves no doubt on the writer’s opinion. The use of pathos within the article appeals to the readers that relate to what Wong is trying to put across. The literary works that she puts down as her favorite are popular to the audience of the article (Nancy Drew, “Little Women” and “Black Beauty”). These works appeal to the emotion of the readers, and thus emphasize her thesis. The use of these literary works, her knowledge of the satellites of Mars and multiplication tables are an instance of logos. This rhetoric device showed the lack of logic behind using the archaic and hard-to-use “moc but” while the things that she needed to know were at her finger tips.

The use similes and metaphors within the article make the readers relate to the situation in Chinatown, and thus enable them to empathize with Wong to accept her thesis. She used a simile likening her classroom to Chinese medicine, ancient mothballs and dirty closets. These similes try to explain the grim nature of the school in a way that the reader can relate to in their different lifestyle. This creates an understanding of the description that the author strives to convey.

Conclusively, Elizabeth Wong’s rhetorical strategies were on point in gunning for her thesis. She involves the reader in detailed descriptions of her culture and its flaws. This makes the reader highly convinced that, indeed, adapting to living in America was extremely hard for her.

Mind that anyone can use our samples, which may result in plagiarism. Want to maintain academic integrity? Order a tailored paper from our experts.

Celia a Slave Essay Example

The five temptations of a ceo.

Hamburger menu

  • Free Essays
  • Citation Generator

Preview

The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl

all american girl essay

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

The chinese in all of us richard rodriguez summary.

The point of this essay, “The Chinese in All of us” by Richard Rodriguez, was to show that America is one giant melting pot. That there is no such thing as an “American” culture. An American culture cannot exist as one central thing because there are so many cultures that mixed together to form what we have now. It’s a never ending cycle of growth as a country. The immigrants come to America and with them, they bring their ideas and customs. While they learn the customs we already have we, in turn, adopt some of theirs that we observe along the way.…

The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker Summary

After Liu’s extensive introduction he begins to inform the reader of his childhood and his parents. His parents did not strictly follow Chinese culture. Instead they clung to the relaxed American culture and in turn, did not force Chinese culture on Liu. Liu suggests that this is how he was able to assimilate so easily. While in fourth grade he made no distinctions between races. It made no difference if one friend was black and the…

Tony Nunez: Adjusting To American Culture

Both of the authors from these essays struggled when they first come to America. Each of them had their own struggles with adjusting to the American culture, but they also had a lot of things in common as well. Tony Nunez really had a difficult time with not only speaking the English language but also understanding her teacher and peers. Tony had to come to school earlier than any of her friends for extra help with English. Often times, she felt embarrassed in front of her peers because she did not understand the American jokes or the assemblies. Tony often said that her struggles were different from Elizabeth's because Tony was an immigrant, and Elizabeth was a native of the U.S. Elizabeth struggled with not wanting to learn the Chinese…

A Comparison of the Wong and Zoellner Essays

In The Struggle To Be An All-American Girl, Elizabeth Wong writes about her personal accounts of going to Chinese school to learn the language of her heritage and wanting to become All-American. Wong's purpose for writing this essay was to inform others of how she grew up and now she regrets her discussion. The genre of the essay is a personal essay because narrative and descriptive passages are used as well as first person. This essay's audience is other Chinese-American youth that want to become all-American or other that just want insight of her life. The social context of the essay is that there are others that are required to go to Chinese school and the cultural was the enlightenment regarding that not continuing to learn the language of her heritage. Wong's essay is a simple little passage telling about her life to others in the same situation.…

At this point in the novel, the narrator is preparing to start second grade at the local school. It is very clear early on that the Japanese and Korean rivalry permeates every aspect of these characters lives. At the school, the teachers are a mix of Japanese and Korean. There is also a mix of students. The main character’s grandfather stresses to him that he “must do better than the Japanese at the school.”…

Detroit's Point Of View

Asian and Mexican students approach learning English from perspectives as far apart as the distance between Asia and Mexico. After reading The Importance Of School Context, Immigration Community and Racial Symbolism by Dr. Carmina Brittan, it confirmed many of the things that I felt about this matter, but felt reluctant to express. Dr. Brittan summarized my thoughts and allowed me to gain perspective on why students of Asian descent seem to excel at my school, while students of Latino students struggle. There are three reasons that Asian students get good grades and seem to master English sooner and more effectively: Asians are eager to assimilate into white American culture while Latinos view assimilation negatively, teachers tend to view Asian students as hard working and disciplined while Latino students are viewed as not as hard working, and that both groups view learning…

The Conflicts Between Mother and Daughter in “Two Kinds”

In the story “Two Kinds”, author Amy Tan, who is a Chinese-American, describes the conflicts in the relationship of a mother and daughter living in California. The protagonist in this story Jing-mei Woo’s mother is born and raised in China, and immigrates to the United States to escape from the Chinese Civil War. For many years she maintained complete Chinese traditional values, and has been abided by it deliberately. This kind of traditional Chinese culture has also affected her daughter profoundly. However, Jing-mei is born and raised in the United States. Despite she has a Chinese mother; she is unfamiliar and uncomfortable with Chinese culture. Jing-mei’s mother wants Jing-mei to do her best to become a pianist, to be famous in the society. When Jing-mei finds out about her mother’s decision, she becomes anxious and has some feelings to resist it in her subconscious. So she pays no interest in playing the piano on purpose, after her awful performance on the talent show of the Chinatown, she has a fierce quarrel with her mother and refuses to play piano anymore. Instead, she has her own lifestyle and does anything she wants to. Twenty years later when Jing-mei memory the past after her mother died, she still finds it hard to understand her mother’s motivation. Amy Tan reveals the conflicts between mothers and daughters who are educated under different cultural background by writing this story.…

Amy Tan Mother Tongue Thesis

In the story “Mother Tongue” Amy Tan tells the story of her mother and how her use of English within the family affected her early in life. She describes how that limited use of English had the potential to affect Tan’s choice of careers and her influence on literature. She begins by describing how she assumed the role of translator for her Asian born mother, who spoke with “broken English.” She describes situations where she assumed the role of translator for her mother. She was thrown into adult situations where she often told people on the other end of the phone that she was, in fact, her mother. She believes that growing up with an immigrant family affected her scores on the SAT and I.Q tests because standardized tests are geared towards those who grew up in households who were accustomed to a more proper use of the English language. As she matured, Tan observed that more Asian Americans specialized in the fields of engineering and science. She also noticed that there were not many Asian Americans writing literature. Tan writes that this is because of the type of English many Asian Americans are speaking within their own families which the mainstream…

In “The Educated Giant” written by Nicholas D. Kristof, he explains why China is likely to over take the United States as the worlds most important country of the century due to its large focus on education. In the article, Kristof talks about his trip to China and the education system he observed. Beginning with peasant schools, he discovered the level of math being taught was equal to his children’s excellent schools in the New York area. While his children won’t learn a language in school until seventh grade, Chinese students begin English as young as first grade. Kristof gave reasons as to why he believes Chinese students do so well. First, is because they are harder workers. Students show up to school at 6:30 a.m. for tutoring before classes start at 7:30 a.m. They also do homework every night, including when they are out of school for an eight week summer vacation. The second reason Kristof gives is because China has an enormous cultural respect for education, part of its Confucian Legacy. Teachers are better paid and treated superior to educators in America. The third reason given is because the Chinese believe that those who get the best grades are the hardest workers. This contrasts popular American belief that the best students are ones who are innately the smartest. Kristof then touches on the fact that Chinese has its own faults, including bribes, enormous fees and over crowded classrooms.…

Analysis Of Eric Liu's Essay Notes Of A Native Speaker

Liu’s powerful diction highlights the struggles he has experienced as a Chinese American, which began near his teenage years. Unlike his childhood, which was a “state of ‘amoebic bliss,’” Liu’s young adulthood was “more complicated than just a parade of smiling teachers and a few affirming…

What It Means To Be American Essay

To be American can be seen in many different ways. There is no right or wrong way to tell whether you are American. Some of evidence that interested me through out the stories is that we are all immigrant, the founding father of America weren’t all American, and how only Chinese immigrants were sent to Angel Island. Out of the several stories that we read, many of them enforced or reinforced my point of view on the situation. My personal view on what it means to be American is that your race, religion, clothing, hair and all things like that don’t matter. To be American you just have to be a citizen of the United States, in my opinion.…

Personal Narrative Essay: I D Be An All American

I never thought I’d be an All American. After losing my “sure thing” state finals match, I didn’t think I would ever achieve the title. The loss was a shock after going 38-1 on the regular season with my only loss stemming from a shoulder injury early in a match. I wrestled my way through states with pins, one over opponent who beat me the year earlier, up to face the Chilhowie senior in the finals. I had a three point lead in the first period before I, in non-wrestler vernacular, screwed the pooch. I pushed a move too much and got turned to my back and pinned in the first period.…

American Education Is Falling Behind

Education, the pride and passion of many United States citizens, is an issue in the United States that has drawn scrutiny over past fifty years. The United States is no longer viewed as the leader of Education, as it may have or may have not once been viewed. We are falling behind countries like Japan, China, and other countries in most subjects. In order to try to close the gap in education between us and the countries that are on top in the education world; we have implemented laws, such as the No Child Left Behind Act. Some may suggest that we need to adapt more of an Asian-style approach: “US education system requires an ‘Asian’ overhaul-for example, longer school days, more frequent short recess periods, and an earlier introduction of vocational focus.” (Spellings 2010, 68)…

Bullying In American Born Chinese

As a young child, coming from a different country marked a substantial impact in my life. Judgement, hazing, and taunting was a part of my daily routine at only 8 years old. It was not I whom had been bullying others, yet others had bullied me. American Born Chinese hits home for me because I was once in that position where being in the “United” States had made me feel more isolated and forsaken than any other event in my existence.…

Peace Corps Application Essay

Born to local Chinese parents in Hong Kong, I immigrated to the United States when I was 19. I decided to leave my hometown despite having an admission offer from its best university because I wanted the experience of living a new life in an entirely different culture. The transition into American culture was both fascinating and painfully difficult. The language…

Related Topics

  • High school
  • French language

preview

The All American Girl

The authors infer and also tell us readers that immigration isn’t a present process, but is a necessary process. Some of the people in the story need to get out of a country because of a dictator or bad economy or just a better life. In the story liberty, the family has to move because of a unwise and horrible dictator. You are in the mind of a tom boy, young girl that doesn’t really understand the occurrences of the families being. The family receives a dog, and the girl spends a lot of time with the dog. It gives the girl comfort and also is used as a way to tell that when they go to America she will get a different type of liberty, it is not a pet, but freedom. In the All American Girl this girl shows the struggle of becoming American,

Liberty By Julia Alvarez Summary

Writers and artists incorporate imagery into their works in order to describe the challenges that come with diversity. Struggles appear to people who do not fit the status quo as characters feel isolated from their country and the people within it, frowned upon by other citizens, and faced with countless challenges. Individuals facing challenges often have to find a way to escape their hardship, indicating that they are upset with being controlled. In the short story “Liberty” written by Julia Alvarez, a family from the Dominican Republic faces the challenge of getting their Visas in order to escape the dictatorship in their country. Although the main character Julia is sad to leave her dog named Liberty behind, she has no choice but to kick

The Spanish Conquistador Vasco Nunez De Balboa '

Immigration can be justified by many reasons. Some say immigration can be a positive change in someone’s life or a negative change in one’s life. Many people leave for similar reasons. They are fleeing a negative phenomenon in their current home or they are seeking another opportunity in another place. While progressing through these 3 stories, I was able to feel and understand what was happening during these times, not only regarding the move from one place to another, but the effect immigration had on these people, whether it was an immense impact or a minor impact.

Immigration Of Latin Americans : Immigration Essay

Immigration involves the movement of a group of people from one country to another where they do not possess citizenship. There are many reasons in which people may leave their country such as employment, lack of resources, family, fear due to violence, exile, the American dream. In 1965, Congress changed immigration law in ways that allowed much more intake from Asia and Latin America than earlier. Before 1965, the intake was mostly from Europe. Since then, over half has come from Latin America—28 % just from Mexico. The share of population composed of non-Hispanic whites plunged from 84 % in 1965 to only 62 % in 2015 while Hispanics soared from 4 to 18 %. (Mead, L.M., 2016)

Effects Of Immigration In The 1920s

Ever since the creation of the human race, human beings have been prone to moving place to place for new opportunities and beginnings. People who move from one country to another are called immigrants. As nations started to form, their were rules and laws set on who could and could not live in a specific country. Most of these laws included immigrants to go through a lengthy process to get approved to go into the country they desired. However, even after the lengthy process is completed, the country still has the right to deny their entrance. In fear of being rejected, many immigrants decided to illegally cross the borders of other countries causing many problems with the country's society, specially the United States of America. Historians saw a great example of this in the 1920s. The 1920s in America unfolded the greatest wave of immigration in American history; more than 25 million foreigners, also known as immigrants, arrived on American shores (Shmoop). Before the 1920s, immigration in the United States had never been systematically restricted by federal law, however that changed with the 1921 Emergency Quota Act and the 1924 Immigration Act. For the first time in American history, these acts imposed a limit on the number of immigrants allowed to enter the United States which eventually caused many to enter illegally. Today America is faced with some similar issues with immigration as they did in the 1920s, for example, the number of illegal immigrants in

Enriques Journey Essay

Immigration is a very dangerous and risky journey. Everyday immigrants try so hard to make it to the United States. This journey involves parents trying to support kids back home, families trying to start over, or kids trying to get to their mom; but some do not make it through this hardship. Those individuals, who make it, try like never before to support themselves and the family they needed to leave behind. Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario is a well written novel that uses many pathos, logos, and ethos examples. Each one of them is used effectively because of the way students are persuaded in believing there true. Elements from the quotes can reveal that Sonia is knowledgeable and

Immigration Sociology

Today, immigration is a heated topic and everyone views it in a different way. Immigration is the movement of people to a different country where they were not originally from. This should not be mixed up with emigration, which has a different meaning. While immigration is when someone joins a new group, emigration occurs when someone leaves that group. With that being said, there are many reasons why people immigrate to a different place. Some of these reasons may include better opportunities, to connect with families, or the freedom of religion. Whatever the reason is, immigration is an important reason and it affects everyone involved. Between 1950 and 2010, 92 million people moved from their original country to someplace else. They came

Essay On Texas Immigration

Although most immigrants are Hispanic, at least 11% of the newcomers are from India, Vietnam and China. Immigrants from all over the world come for the same three things: economic, religious, and political freedom. The countries the people have escaped from are riddled with thousands of obstacles ranging from political unrest, religious persecution to poverty and oppression. Hoping for a better life for themselves and their loved ones, immigrants experience multiple trials and unthinkable horrors on their journey towards

Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program Analysis

In 2012, there was a surge of Mexico's citizens transitioning into a country where they weren’t fully accepted, all to better their children’s lives along with their own. Being a immigrant in America is hard due to having to start over from nothing. Immigrants find themselves working hard manual jobs despite not having any interest in the field they are working in. Some immigrants also see themselves as a burden to the country due to having plans

Immigration: The Bean Trees By Barbara Kingsolver

Immigration Essay Immagine traveling 1,620 miles from your home country to escape danger just to find out your journey awaits even more danger. Also imagine you do make it to U.S, only to find out your chances of asylum are slim to none. A Pew Research center survey, a New York Times article, and a New York times documentary, all demonstrate the difficulties of the immigration process. These themes also tie into the book “The Bean Trees” by Barbara Kingsolver. Immigrating to the U.S is a dangerous process and is not fully supported by everyone there.

How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, By Julia Alvarez

Many people from all over the world migrate to the United States for a variety of reasons, education, work, freedom, or for crimes like selling drugs, violence, terrorism , etc. Yet, after typically coming to the United States at a young age, they call it home. It being the only place they know, since they never return to their native country. For instance, Julia Alvarez in her novel, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, refers to the immigration experience, because after their initial struggle, immigrants feel more at home in the United States than in their own countries.

Enrique's Journey Sparknotes

The author Sonia Nazario goes on this journey to get the feel of what immigrants do in the real world. She wrote this story that way us readers understand the struggles immigrants go through daily. United States citizens do not realize there is a growing number of immigrants daily. Enrique’s mother Lourdes left him at such a young age with a lot of responsibilities, that children should not have to worry about. Lourdes wanted nothing but the best for her children, therefore she traveled all the way to the United States, that way she could make a lot of money to support her children. As a mother she did not want her kids to have the life she did. Throughout Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario, the author includes emotional and logical appeals, accurately supported by statistics and personal accounts that give perspectives on the same issue of immigration and Enrique living without his

Immigration Between 1900 And 1900

By the decades the number of immigrants doubles, triples and quadruples going one up the scale each decade.” Most people immigrate for “economic opportunity”. Most of the people that immigrated for “economic opportunities” are women with 41% and men with 37%. The second highest reason people immigrate is for a better life for their family. 36% of woman immigrate for a better life and 40% of men immigrate to look for a better life. The number of legal immigrants arrested in 2017 increased by 250 percent, up to 13,600 compared to 5,498 in 2016. “Immigrant population hit a record of 43.7 million in July 2016” Today we need skilled workers and some immigrants did not immigrate to become a skilled worker. They might have immigrated because they wanted to find a good home or a better

Immigration To America Research Paper

Immigration to begin with can be defined as a person traveling from one country to another for various reasons. There are two main reasons however which create two distinct types of immigrants. Those immigrating for economical reasons and those immigrating because of danger to their lives. Although the spectrum for these two types of immigrants is very distinct, they are both of high importance and it is crucial to understand both of their struggles. Doing so will allow for a better understanding of what an immigration policy should and shouldn't

Analysis Of Just Like Us By Bye Helen Thorpe

There are many issues in this world but there is one that has being among the world that would never stop and this is immigration. For many years hundreds of Thousands undocumented people cross the border looking for a better future. Some run with good luck some of them don't. In the book “Just Like Us” bye Helen Thorpe talks about four young women who were in high school level in Denver Colorado. They had something in common which was that all four came from families who had emigrated from Mexico or one of the parent crossed the border without a legal entry visa. One of the girls called ** was born in the United States, the second one called*** became a Resident and Yadira and Marisela did not have legal documents. The time was going and

Analysis Of Real Life Migration In Mohsin Hamid's Exit West

“They knew there was a possibility the agent had sold them out to the militants, and so they knew there was a possibility this was the final afternoon of their lives”(Hamid 102); leaving your country might be the hardest decision that someone has to make. In Mohsin Hamid’s novel Exit West he puts his main characters in a dangerous situation of trusting a total stranger to get them into another county with a chance of them being sold out and killed. This decision to migrate includes leaving your family and friends, starting your life over, and possibly endangering the lives of your family along with yourself. Hamid follows a young couple migrating out of their home town for safety and a better life. The challenges presented in the novel can be applied to real life migration. Hamid represents the difficulties of traveling from country to country through his magical doors, includes learning how to find your way in new places, and presents the idea of countries not wanting migrants. Exit West reveals the migration issues in today's world to prove that migrants deserve the same basic liberties as everyone else, because it effects everyone else and takes a lot of will power to travel to an unfamiliar place.

Related Topics

  • United States
  • Immigration

IMAGES

  1. Write a short essay on Girl Education

    all american girl essay

  2. Caryl Churchill’s play, ‘Top Girls’ Essay Example

    all american girl essay

  3. The Journey of Two American Girls

    all american girl essay

  4. struggle questions.docx

    all american girl essay

  5. Write a short essay on Women Education

    all american girl essay

  6. American beauty essay growing up

    all american girl essay

VIDEO

  1. All American Girl

  2. All American Girl, by The Hondells

  3. All American Girl

  4. All American girl by Chloe Channel

  5. All-American Girl

  6. 8. All American Girl

COMMENTS

  1. PDF The Struggle to Be an All American Girl

    The Struggle to Be an All American Girl By Elizabeth Wong In this essay, which first appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Elizabeth Wong tells of her painful experience growing up in the bicultural atmosphere of Los Angeles' Chinatown. She describes the difficulty of being Chinese on the outside but American on the inside.

  2. Analysis Of All-American GIRL By Julia Alvarez

    Julia Alvarez's poem "ALL-AMERICAN GIRL" talks about a girl who wants to look American.The poem is told in the first person (a girl), perhaps Julia Alvarez.As she begins speaking, she talks about what an American girl should look like.The speaker says that she "wanted stockings, makeup, store-bought clothes" (1) and wanted "to speak ...

  3. Julia Alvarez Poetry: American Poets Analysis

    The power of Alvarez's poetry is in the stories that it tells, stories that transcend one place, one time, and one person's experience. Alvarez started her career as a poet and still thinks of ...

  4. Analysis Of The Struggle To Be An All-American Girl

    Open Document. Elizabeth Wong is a Chinese American playwright that wrote "The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl" originally published in the Los Angeles Times in 1990. In her short story, she describes her resentment of her Chinese roots and her protest against her parents that want her to learn and appreciate her heritage and Chinese ...

  5. All-American Girl by Julia Alvarez

    All-American Girl by Julia Alvarez | CommonLit. CommonLit does more so that you can spend less. Maximize growth and minimize costs with a partnership for just $3,850 / year! Get a quote for your school. Dismiss Announcement. Text. Paired Texts. Related Media. Teacher Guide.

  6. Summary Of The Struggle To Be An All-American Girl

    Open Document. Elizabeth Wong is a Chinese-American playwright who wrote "The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl". In her essay, she describes her resentment of her Chinese roots and her protest against her parents who want her to learn and appreciate her heritage and culture. Her essay exposes the pressure that society places on immigrant ...

  7. A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Song All American Girl By ...

    A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Song All American Girl By Carrie Underwood Essay. Promoting a sense of the true American spirit is a popular tactic for many companies to sell products because of the innate and contagious pride in one's nation. Almay created a commercial featuring Carrie Underwood that appeals to this idea in order to sell makeup.

  8. All-American Girl by Robin Becker

    Lloyd Schwartz recommends All-American Girl, poems by Robin Becker: "Unsparing and self-knowing, Robin Becker uses irony (as in her double- and triple-edged title) as if it were a form of directness. Painful, often devastating poems contend with crushing loss, the convolutions of sexuality and family politics, the struggle to accept the self.

  9. 'The Struggle to Be an All American Girl'

    Reading Time: 2 Minutes. In "The struggle to be an All American Girl," Elizabeth Wong talks about her makeover from a Chinese girl to an American girl. Together with her brother, they were taken to a Chinese school by their mother in order to learn Chinese language as their cultural heritage. She studied the language until she was ten years ...

  10. The Struggle To Be An All American Girl Analysis

    A cultural assumption is when we assume that a person has particular values and attitudes based on their cultural background. In Elizabeth Wong's "The Struggle to Be an All American Girl", Elizabeth narrates her childhood struggle to be an American girl while growing up in a Chinese-American family. Elizabeth defy many parts of her ...

  11. Analysis Of The Struggle To Be An All-American Girl

    In Elizabeth Wong's story, The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl, she reveals denial and shame towards her parent's culture to illuminate the importance of having multiple cultures in a person's life. Though reading this story one can discover her denial towards her Chinese culture was because she just wanted to integrate and be like ...

  12. Figurative Language In Julia Alvarez's Essay, All-American Girl

    In her essay, "My First Free Summer", poem, "Exile", poem, "All-American Girl", and short story, "Antojos", Julia Alvarez utilizes stylistic elements to convey her life experiences. Alvarez's strong sense of figurative language, sensory images, and strong characterization ties in to her overall purpose of bestowing culture ...

  13. All-American Girl: The Ideal of Real Womanhood in Mid-Nineteenth

    Our image of nineteenth-century American women is generally divided into two broad classifications: victims and revolutionaries. This divide has served the purposes of modern feminists well, allowing them to claim feminism as the only viable role model for women of the nineteenth century.In "All-American Girl," however, Frances B. Cogan identifies amid these extremes a third ideal of ...

  14. The Struggles To Be An All-American Girl Analysis

    In the novel Everything I Never Told You, Celeste Ng describes a Chinese American family living in the 1970s in Ohio, and how they go through the tragedy of the favorite child's death. The Lee's family is the interracial family that makes up of the white American woman, Marilyn, and the Chinese immigrant man, James, with their three ...

  15. Summary Of The Struggle To Be An All American Girl

    In "The struggle to be an all American girl", the author, Elizabeth Wong narrates how difficult it was for her being an American with Chinese roots. The author wished to only be part of the American culture, and looked down on being Chinese. During the essay the author narrates how hard it was to be forced by her mother to be more involved ...

  16. PDF "And That'S What I Think Being an American Girl Is All About!": Girls

    "AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK BEING AN AMERICAN GIRL IS ALL ABOUT!": GIRLS' REFLECTIONS ON AMERICAN GIRL AND CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN GIRLHOOD Veronica E. Medina Dr. Mary Jo Neitz, Dissertation Supervisor ABSTRACT In this project, I analyze 289 essays submitted to the Toy and Miniature

  17. Analysis Of A Struggle To Be An All-American Girl By ...

    Open Document. In "A Struggle To Be An All-American Girl," Elizabeth Wong describes the difficulty of assimilating into American culture. From a young age, Wong always enjoyed reading English books, eating tacos, and celebrating Cinco de Mayo, but her mother restricted this enjoyment. Her Chinese Mother wanted to be in tuned with her background.

  18. The Struggle To Be An All-American Girl By Elizabeth Wong

    256 Words2 Pages. The essay "The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl" by Elizabeth Wong was an intriguing story of how Wong was trapped in the middle of two cultures throughout her childhood. Wong longed to be fully submerged in one culture but her mother pushed her to learn about and embrace the culture she was born into.

  19. The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl by Elizabeth Wong

    Summary. The paper "The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl by Elizabeth Wong" illustrates the distancing of young immigrants from the language of their country of origin. Their motivation to master the native language is weak, the development of their new homeland's language seems to them sufficient….

  20. Struggle to Be an All-American Girl

    Struggle to Be an All-American Girl. Elizabeth Wong's thesis in her article "The Struggle to be an All-American Girl" capture the various aspects of life in Los Angeles' Chinatown sufficiently based on the rhetorical choices she made. She is a Chinese woman bred in America in China Town, a place where the cultures of her country of ...

  21. The Struggle To Be An All-American Girl By Elizabeth Wong

    2 Pages. Open Document. The article The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl by Elizabeth Wong is the autobiographical story of a girl, daughter of Chinese immigrants that lived a cultural fight to integrate into the culture of the U.S. The story goes back ten years ago, when the girl and her brother were forced by her mother to attend a Chinese ...

  22. The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl

    In The Struggle To Be An All-American Girl, Elizabeth Wong writes about her personal accounts of going to Chinese school to learn the language of her heritage and wanting to become All-American. Wong's purpose for writing this essay was to inform others of how she grew up and now she regrets her discussion. The genre of the essay is a personal ...

  23. The All American Girl

    The 1920s in America unfolded the greatest wave of immigration in American history; more than 25 million foreigners, also known as immigrants, arrived on American shores (Shmoop). Before the 1920s, immigration in the United States had never been systematically restricted by federal law, however that changed with the 1921 Emergency Quota Act and ...