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What Is American Ethnic Literature?
Essay Instructions:
See attached word document for detailed instructions and reading materials. Thank you!
Wk 4 - What Is American Ethnic Literature?
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While the Harlem Renaissance created a blossoming of African American literature, the decades after World War 2 saw an explosion of ethnic literature. This literature came from numerous cultures, such as Native American, Asian American, African American, and Hispanic American. The authors wrote from their own traditions in response to what they saw as the mainstream of American literature and in response to one another.
Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you define American ethnic literature. Your paper should:
-
- Incorporate works from at least three distinct literary traditions so your explanation is representative of the larger literary movement.
- Using the works selected, describe how American ethnic literature is important and what factors influenced it. Answer the following questions in your analysis:
- How is American ethnic literature influential on politics and education?
- How does American ethnic literature respond to elements that it explicitly discusses, such as political inclusion and exclusion?
- How does American ethnic literature respond to factors that are not discussed as explicitly, such as technological change?
Format your paper according to course-level MLA guidelines.
Reading material on next page.
LIT/265: Survey of American Literature Since 1860
American Ethnic Literature
Readings
- Ramsdell, L. (2004). Language and Identity Politics: The Linguistic Autobiographies of Latinos in the United States. Journal of Modern Literature, 28(1), 166–176.
Gwendolyn Brooks
- Brooks, Gwendolyn. (2006). American Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide from Colonial Times to the Present:, 133-135.
- Brooks, G. (1963). Selected poems.
James Baldwin
- Baldwin, James (Arthur) (1924-1987). (2006). Major 21st-Century Writers, n/a.
- Baldwin, J. (1927). A story of the golden age.
Yusef Komunyakaa
- Komunyakaa, Yusef (2008). Contemporary Poets, 650-651.
- Komunyakaa, Y. (2001). Dien cai dau: Facing it. Pleasure Dome: New & Collected Poems, 234–235.
Gloria Anzaldúa
- Anzaldúa, Gloria. (2000). American Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide from Colonial Times to the Present:, 37-38.
- Anzaldúa, G. (1987). Borderlands: La frontera.
Simon J. Ortiz
- Ortiz, Simon J. (2006). Contemporary Poets, 894-895.
- Gibbs, J. (2012). In the beautiful, violent swirl of America: Simon Ortiz’s “From Sand Creek,” thirty years later. American Poetry Review, 41(4), 35–37.
- Ortiz, S. (1941). From sand creek: Rising in this which is our America.
Rudolfo Anaya
- Anaya, Rudolfo Alfonso. (2007). Encyclopedia of World Biography, 17-19.
- Rodrigues, R. J. (2008). Review of Bless Me, Ultima. Children's Literature Review, 63-65.
- Anaya, R. (1972). Bless me, Ultima.
Sandra Cisneros
- Cisneros, Sandra. (2001). Contemporary Novelists, 190-192.
- Cisneros, S. (1984). House on Mango Street.
Amy Tan
- Tan, Amy. (2006). American Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide from Colonial Times to the Present, 119-120.
- Tan, A. (1989). Two kinds.
Li-Young Lee
- Lee, Li-Young. (2006). Contemporary Poets, 679-680.
- Lee, L. (1990). The city in which I love you.
Maxine Hong Kingston
- Kingston, Maxine Hong. (2006). American Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide from Colonial Times to the Present:, 315-317.
- Trinh Moser, L. (2016). On Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior. Critical Insights: The Woman Warrior, 3–18.
- Kingston, M. (1976). The woman warrior.
Leslie Marmon Silko
- Silko, Leslie Marmon. (2006). Contemporary Novelists, 905-907.
- Silko, L. (1974). Lullaby.
Sherman Alexie
- Sherman Alexie. (2004). Encyclopedia of World Biography, 141-142.
- Alexie, S. (1993). The Lone Ranger and Tonto fistfight in heaven.
Multimedia
- California Newsreel (1990). "Giovanni's Room" (03:36) [Video file]. Films on Demand.
- RTSI Radio TV Switzerland (1994). Natural Story-Teller (02:59) [Video file]. Films on Demand.
- RTSI Radio TV Switzerland (1994). Self-Image of Native Americans (04:27) [Video file]. Films on Demand.
Essay Sample Content Preview:
Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
American Ethnic Literature
American literature is a broad and dynamic literary work that covers a wide range of social issues within the boundaries of the United States. The United States is one of the countries of different heritages, traditions, and cultures. Accordingly, American literature comprises of a wide range of traditions, heritages, and lessons. In ancient times, various researchers explored the diversity of the United States to reveal new insight regarding the customs in the country. Notably, only a few ethnic groups were influential before the 20th century. However, American ethnic groups started expressing their ideas through literature after the occurrence of World War II, thus influencing the spanning of American ethnic literature. Li-Young Lee, as a Chinese American, Sherman Alexie, as a Native American, and Audre Lorde as an African American were some of the prominent authors who explored cultural variations and the various, political, social, and economic factors.
Importance of American Ethnic Literature
American literature plays a significant role in promoting and maintaining the legacy and history of the United States. Authors have composed various publications about American social, political, and cultural factors. Campbell and Alasdair posit that American ethnic literature contains a wide range of past and present issues across the United States (23). The respective authors made a significant contribution in facilitating social and political advancements after World War II. Civil rights activism was imperative for the Black Arts Movement that replaced the prevailing notion of accepting one African American writer at a time. Besides, parallel groups gained a base of information. For instance, Audre Lorde has an opportunity of expressing her views through writing.
Moreover, Native Americans and Asian Americans realized the creativity of writing in American ethnic literature. Like any other native group, they had a chance of overcoming the existing stereotypes in American society. The groups relied on the expressive nature of their culture and other cultural practices of the minority groups across the country, thus expediting social interactions and attainment of freedom of expression (Campbell and Alasdair 43). The 20th century offered a fresh and comprehensive understanding of the social, political, and economic factors across the United States. Notably, poetry was an ideal war against the tyrannies of silence among the minority groups. Aundre Lorde advocated against discomfort, stillness, and fear that contained the expression of women and minority groups.
Raph Ellison is an equally relevant writer of the American ethnic literature. He stated that any Negro writer, who would adhere to the intimidation from majority groups would have lost the battle. For that reason, he decided to write instead of following the expectations of literary and political critics. Kennedy posits that the contribution of Ellison in literature opened the views of other African Americans in the fight for equality (103). In one of the publications, “Invisible Man,” Ellison posited that he was finding the most effective ways of expressing himself as a writer of the historical period.
The Native Americans drew inspiration from the Civil Rights Movement that advocated for the rights of African Americans. Some of the authors, such as Sherman Alexie, advocated against racism that was prevalent across the United States against African Americans. Notably, the authors identified the ridiculousness of racial stereotypes against minority ethnic groups. In one of the publications, “Do Not Go Gentle,” Alexie...
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
American Ethnic Literature
American literature is a broad and dynamic literary work that covers a wide range of social issues within the boundaries of the United States. The United States is one of the countries of different heritages, traditions, and cultures. Accordingly, American literature comprises of a wide range of traditions, heritages, and lessons. In ancient times, various researchers explored the diversity of the United States to reveal new insight regarding the customs in the country. Notably, only a few ethnic groups were influential before the 20th century. However, American ethnic groups started expressing their ideas through literature after the occurrence of World War II, thus influencing the spanning of American ethnic literature. Li-Young Lee, as a Chinese American, Sherman Alexie, as a Native American, and Audre Lorde as an African American were some of the prominent authors who explored cultural variations and the various, political, social, and economic factors.
Importance of American Ethnic Literature
American literature plays a significant role in promoting and maintaining the legacy and history of the United States. Authors have composed various publications about American social, political, and cultural factors. Campbell and Alasdair posit that American ethnic literature contains a wide range of past and present issues across the United States (23). The respective authors made a significant contribution in facilitating social and political advancements after World War II. Civil rights activism was imperative for the Black Arts Movement that replaced the prevailing notion of accepting one African American writer at a time. Besides, parallel groups gained a base of information. For instance, Audre Lorde has an opportunity of expressing her views through writing.
Moreover, Native Americans and Asian Americans realized the creativity of writing in American ethnic literature. Like any other native group, they had a chance of overcoming the existing stereotypes in American society. The groups relied on the expressive nature of their culture and other cultural practices of the minority groups across the country, thus expediting social interactions and attainment of freedom of expression (Campbell and Alasdair 43). The 20th century offered a fresh and comprehensive understanding of the social, political, and economic factors across the United States. Notably, poetry was an ideal war against the tyrannies of silence among the minority groups. Aundre Lorde advocated against discomfort, stillness, and fear that contained the expression of women and minority groups.
Raph Ellison is an equally relevant writer of the American ethnic literature. He stated that any Negro writer, who would adhere to the intimidation from majority groups would have lost the battle. For that reason, he decided to write instead of following the expectations of literary and political critics. Kennedy posits that the contribution of Ellison in literature opened the views of other African Americans in the fight for equality (103). In one of the publications, “Invisible Man,” Ellison posited that he was finding the most effective ways of expressing himself as a writer of the historical period.
The Native Americans drew inspiration from the Civil Rights Movement that advocated for the rights of African Americans. Some of the authors, such as Sherman Alexie, advocated against racism that was prevalent across the United States against African Americans. Notably, the authors identified the ridiculousness of racial stereotypes against minority ethnic groups. In one of the publications, “Do Not Go Gentle,” Alexie...
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