Hey all,
Remember you only have to respond to one question. I'll be
responding to last weeks's blogs and sending back field
notes this week. See you all soon!
1. What themes, if any, emerge throughout the literacy
autobiographies? Howare they alike? Different? How, if
at all, do they inspire your own narrative?
2. In Eva Lam's article, how does Willis demonstrate Pratt's
ideas about thecontact zone? And how does that compare to
your own contact zones?
The largest theme that I have been seeing in the literacy autobiographies is that the education system serves often as the catalyst for the individuals to re-evaluate their literacy. In “A Primary Reflection of Literacy in my Life”, the author described the lack of passion that he grew to the education system due to his interactions with the class and the need of just memorization to get by. He goes from being an impassioned student to one who continuously ditches and day-dreams in class. It just is not interesting and involving enough cater to his needs other than feeding information. This was similar to Katie Bang’s, “The End of Education” where she also discusses the schools lack of stimulation and even the college systems use of an expected voice and perspective to prevent her from critically developing her literacy of the world around her.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the questions of literacy come from similar locations and issues, their personal take away are each unique and personal. Bang describes in her culmination that in her path to literacy, she has realized that knowledge is power, and achievement, success, and prestige do not have part in it. The writer of the other article on the other hand, discovered that although he does not think he can become completely literate, he has understood the importance of “disengaging from dominating discourses and attempt to view and understand the underlying factors of another discourse” (Anonymous 9).
The power of these articles make me excited to write my own. However, reading these are quite intimidating because I do not have any dramatic personal experiences that can come close to being as full circle as these are. Oddly though, what came through my mind while reading these, is the exploration of literacy to different fields and walks of life. It made me want to write an article about my own distaste for literature and reading. It also opened up the boundaries and preconceptions about what I would have to write for the assignment, and maybe made me want to write about literacy in computer science through various programming languages.
Social experiences and struggles one faces invoke the emergence in the world of literacy is a theme I grasped by reading these autobiographies. The authors face either an experience or struggle that motivated them to educate themselves and become literate individuals. In “Growing into Literacy: A College Student Reads and Writes”, the author decides to go back to school at an older age. She goes from not knowing how to read and writing essays that satisfy others expectations to reading out loud to people and writing essays in accordance to her expectations. She goes a long way as to breaking free of negative voices in her head that told her she couldn’t “think” to blossoming into a literate person who can “think”. The second autobiography “The End of Education” is both similar and different to the first autobiography. Here the author received a formal education at a young age where she was taught to think independently instead of having others teach her how to think. However upon entering public school, the independent learning style she once was accustomed eliminated as she was taught to be voiceless and dependent on using other’s voices. She allowed this to dictate her throughout high school and part of college, when she realized that she needed to find her original voice. This autobiography is different from the first autobiography in the way that she already knew how to read and write, but they are both similar in the aspect of finding their own voices to identify themselves in the emergence of literacy. When I read these autobiographies, I could strongly relate in many ways. I have faced many struggles growing up trying to emerge myself in the world of literacy so I could better understand everything around me. However, I am not accustomed to using my voice in my literary writings, because that was not something that I was asked to do throughout grade school and high school. Now on my second year at Cal, I am shocked every time professors ask me to write my own critical analysis, as they are eager to hear my ideas. It is very difficult for me to use my original voice, as I am used to using others’ voices. This class has made me realize that I need to find my inner voice in my remaining years at Cal.
ReplyDeleteAn overarching theme that I found in the first three literacy autobiographies is the idea that the concept of literacy can have different meanings and connotations to each individual. In Lisa Marie Aldabe’s “Growing into Literacy: A College Student Reads and Writes”, Lisa tell the reader about how she went from being an adolescent who “saw reading as isolating, boring and cruel” to Lisa seeing her ability to read and write as a “healing experience that disempowered internalized negative self talk.” The main takeaway that I got from reading her autobiography is that reading and writing should be seen as a tool that allows and individual to express his or her emotions instead of something that controls an individual.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to Lisa’s autobiography, “The End of Education” by Katie Bang also deals with the question of whether literacy is a concept that controls the individual or if literacy is actually something that empowers the individual. Contrary to the thoughts on literacy expressed in Lisa’s essay, however, Katie spends the bulk of her essay explaining how her desire to become “literate” actually led her to lose her own identity and voice. In her attempt to become “literate”, Katie explains that her ambition to be seen as “literate” led her to formulate and structure her thoughts according to what she thought her fellow students and professors would want to hear.
Lastly - In “A Primary Reflection on the Role of Literacy in My Life”, the author uses his life experiences to comes to the profound conclusion that an individual’s literacy is not something that others can measure. Instead of seeing literacy as simply reading and writing, the author states that “there are too many facts to what makes up the learning process and human development that my definition of literacy only grows as I grow in my social interactions and personal experiences.”
What I found to be very interesting is that I agree with the ideas presented in all three essays. There have been times in my life where I have used writing as a tool to express myself, times where I formulated ideas in hopes of being seen as “literate”, and lastly I also agree with the idea that literacy is not something that others can simply measure.
The major themes that arose from the literacy autobiographies were relationships of language dealing with social experiences and personal upbringing. The authors spoke of their upbringing with immigrant parents who spoke fragmented English. Each of these authors’ experiences with literacy and language was affected by their upbringing. Tang cites that individual’s language skills while developing are most influenced by their peers. This quote pertains to the experiences of all the authors. Tang felt that the broken English in her household affected her placement scores in English. Rodriguez’s parents broken English allowed him to notice the difference in language. Embarrassment fueled his search for knowledge, creating distance between him and his family. All of the experiences are also influenced by social experiences. Rodriguez notices the discrepancy of language in the social setting of school, and strives to be like his teachers, who he sees as all knowing. Tang sees her mother being treated differently because of her broken English. Rose noticed the difference of language between the his college prep and remedial class, his own ability, and his rediscovery of his love for reading. All of this affects their perception of their family and the importance of language.
ReplyDeleteAlthough there are similar underlying themes each experience differs because they all represent personal relationships with history, upbringing literacy and language. Tangs experience was empowering. Recognizing the challenge written language brought to her she pursued a profession in writing. Attempting to bridge the gap between her ability of language and her mothers. Rodriguez realizes the distance language has created and attempts to go back to the times when he was young. In doing so he is not actively combating the difference in language, refusing to speak on certain matters with his parents, but rather, tries to comfort himself.
These works act as a springboard to dive into my own memory and see my relationship, history and social experience with literacy and language. To see how they make me who I am today and also shape how I perceive language. Also, these works make this paper seem like it will be enjoyable to write.
All three of the autobiographies that I read addressed the depth that literacy can hold, revealing how literacy can be shaped by each individual’s knowledge picked up in his or her own experiences and background. They realized how much of their identity can be reflected through their distinct literate styles that they have acquired and developed, further strengthening the magnitude of what literacy is. The author of “A Primary Reflection on the Role of Literacy in My Life” previously associated literacy under what ever fell beneath the academic umbrella, mainly the “abilities of reading and writing” (1). But then he realizes how the development of his own personal character contributed to his literacy experience, understanding his own personal growth and its parallel with his growth in literacy. Jenna Nakagawa in her essay “Then What Are You Doing in America?” identifies the meaning of literacy to her by reflecting on her cultural roots. She discusses how for her, literacy had two distinct discourses, her dominant one centering around what the general American association of literacy is, which was just what the previous author of “A Primary Reflection” also thought. But then Nakagawa begins to realize her identity as a Japanese American, at first believing that she was not very “fluent” in “Japanese” literacy, but then discovering the “subtle combination” (6) of the “Japanese” literacy and “American” literacy. Culture and language was tied in her definitions, which she also used to form her identity. Lastly, Taryn Jan in “Literacy: Beyond the Notes” also saw the extensions of what literacy meant through her intense relationship with her music. By going in depth to the learning process of music, she shows the complex language that music is, and how becoming “fluent” in it strengthened the relationship between her and her mother, and also formed her unique identity. Reading these essays has given me a better understanding as to where I can find clues in my life’s story to really grasp my own form of “Yoline” literacy, and how it shaped me as an individual today.
ReplyDeleteEva Lam’s description of Willis demonstrates Pratt’s idea of the contact zone in various ways. Beginning with contact zones as the place of intermingling between cultures, is the relation Willis has between Chinese, American and Japanese culture. The distance he has between himself and each, allows room for “critique and enrichment” (Lam, 95). As seen by his comparison between the heros of each culture, Willis is able to make use of his different discourses. Even though Willis and Randy comment about comic books not being part of elite culture, their relationship to them shows the potential for new literacies and multiculturalism in comic books. This employment of different discourses echoes Pratt’s example of the different extractions bilingual (Spanish-Quechua) and monolingual speakers can make. In a clash of cultures, “it will read very differently to people in different positions in the contact zone” (Pratt, 340). Having these differences creates interpretations that enhance the way we see the world. Reading this article reminded me of countless times I have watched a Spanish movie with someone who doesn’t speak Spanish. Even though there are subtitles, I have found myself providing context for what is often lost in translation. Providing background for a saying or defining a word with words not given by subtitles gives an alternative interpretation. Just like I interpret for my friends who don’t speak Spanish they often “fill in the blanks” for me when languages I don’t speak are subtitled. This in return acts as a celebration of our differences.
ReplyDeleteAlthough these autobiographies were written by students with strikingly different backgrounds, I believe that each expressed a theme of overcoming educational challenges by redefining “literacy” in terms of their individual lives, and understanding the great influence it has had on their success. In her autobiography, “Growing into Literacy”, Aldabe explains that as a child, reading that was something that seemed “isolating, boring and cruel.” Similarly, her autobiography, “The End of Education”, Katie Bang attributes her success in the academic field, not to her own creativity and positive experience with literacy, but to “four years of mindless writing, reading, and speaking.” Aldabe and Bang have past literacy experiences that are negative and have ruined the process of reading and writing for them. Luckily, both were able to reinvent their definition of literacy through reflection, and consequently transformed reading and writing into an enjoyable process.
ReplyDeleteAldabe and Bang struggled with altering their opinions about literacy, but neither was physically forced into challenges that hindered them from learning. In his autobiography titled, “A Primary Reflection on the Role of Literacy in My Life,” a student explains that while he was considered a gifted student as a child, the content of the courses in his junior high school and high school were “very unstimulating” to him, encouraging him to drop out as a junior. He then was arrested with his friends as an accessory to armed robbery. Even though he was forced into conditions that would discourage many people from believing in their academic abilities, he studied independently in prison. Reading and writing not only became something to occupy his mind while incarcerated, it also provided him with a second chance at life.
My experience with literacy does not closely relate to the students whose autobiographies were featured in our reader. However, I do relate to Bang’s experience in feeling as if my “voice, thoughts and opinions [have] magically disappear[ed]...” Although the process is being reversed through courses at Berkeley, I feel like my creativity has been stifled in order to succeed within the standardized test-driven environment of California public schools.
In Evan Lam’s article she discusses a case study involving Willis, a Hong Kong born immigrant to America, who also enjoys reading Japanese comic books. While he does not associate himself fully with either his Chinese or American roots, his love for the Japanese comic books acts as a third place where he can look objectively at the two cultures in which he dwells.
ReplyDeleteWillis exemplifies Pratt’s ideas about a ‘contact zone’, in which the intermingling of multiple cultures occurs. In Willis’s contact zone, his Chinese ethnic background, his current emersion in American culture, and his interest in Japanese comics all come together to for his own contact zone. He is able to look critically and objectively at the different cultures he associates himself with, and he participates in a different discourse within each culture. He associates himself most with the Japanese hero’s of the comic books, rather than the traditional Chinese or American hero. He engages in a new kind of multiculturalism, enabled by his contact zone.
Reading the description of Willis’s struggles and about his contact zone bring to mind my own intermingling of cultures when I spent a semester abroad in St. Petersburg, Russia. Not only was I emerged in Russian culture, but I also lived on an international floor surrounded by students speaking languages ranging from German, to French, to Mandarin. It was a bizarre experience to try to not only communicate with the people I lived with but also get to know them. Russian and English were our common languages, but few of us knew enough to communicate fluently. However, in time we found commonalities and similarities that crossed language barriers. Our contact zone was formed on the basis of mutual circumstances, in which we were all at a disadvantage, but still managed to find a way to connect and communicate and really become friends.
The thing that I found interesting is that all the literacy autobiographies are stories of students coming in to own their own literacy. In various ways many of the students either abdicated their own literacy or were stripped of it by the education system. Their literacy was not a tool of empowerment or action, but rather a workman’s skill they had acquired to navigate school, a demand that overwhelmed and hampered them or something they had ignored in their life until recently in their development (with relation to the time they write in).
ReplyDeleteHowever, each of these stories is also a story a triumph. These students all claimed their literacy and by doing so reclaimed their identity and agency. Lisa Aldabe who once shunned reading comes in to her own voice as professors nurture her. The anonymous submission is the story of a man who first gives up on literacies because it frustrates him and then comes to treasure it as tool for cortically evaluating and understanding his world and then reshape or alter his relation to it. Or Fie Ji who English literacy indirectly impedes her path to her Chinese heritage and her own identity.
I identify strongly with this. I feel as though literacy, in my life, has been a double edged sword, and at times as I was taught literacy I was stripped of my own thoughts and the thoughts of others supplanted them (much like Freire’s model of banking education). In other cases the demands and the constant evaluation of literacy have like they did for the anonymous author been tools to remind me of my own inadequacies in the face of societies expectations and demands. Such tests and failures have also in some ways pushed me towards an apathetic and jaded outlook on my own abilities and literacy and while my story is no where near as dramatic as the anonymous author, it makes me closely evaluate at least part of my journey to literacy.
Luke Edwards
After reading the three autobiographies, it was rather hard to find any important similarities. Instead I believe the three autobiographies were rather written to show the major differences of how literacy creates an empowering and disempowering experience. Though the three stories do have a common theme of literacy being determined by one’s social experience and one’s personal experiences, the result is different. In the autobiographies, each of the writers found that literacy is actually altered and changed by how they live their daily lives in the present and the past. For example, Bang was born and raised in a household where their English was very broken and unorthodox. Growing up in an environment where English wasn’t spoken as a first language, Bang altered the way she communicates, reads, and writes. She blames this personal experience as the reason to why her placement scores in school were lowered. Due to this struggle of finding her voice, Bang continued to strive to be on the same level as her peers, which in my opinion can become a more disempowering experience.
ReplyDeleteIn Aldabe’s autobiography, she writes about a rather different experience and how she used literacy as a sanctuary. She grew up having a negative view on reading and writing, and found it to be a rather boring. But as she grew up, Aldabe was able to discover that literacy was something that she needed to overcome many of her difficulties. Lastly, the anonymous writer of “A Primary Reflection on the Role of Literacy in My Life” talks about how literacy is complex and always changing. Unlike the other authors, literacy didn’t create a disempowering or an empowering effect but rather experiences that will continue to develop as there are changes in his life and the society.
After going to my fieldwork every week, I found something very profound about all of the autobiographies. I can see all the cases that were stated above in the children that I work with at Saint Anthony’s. There are many kids who have very broken English, kids who don’t want to learn how to read or write, and kids who are willing to develop their skills as time passes. In conclusion, I believe the children creates the idea of literacy, regardless of their broken English and their approach in how they read or write, they develop an understanding of each other due to the social changes and the common environment they grew up in.
In a contact zone where multiple cultures meet, looking for an appropriate position to stand at is very crucial. Like Willis, he found Japanese comic books (Japanese culture) help him understand the world he lives in. Because of his standing point at the comic popular culture, he was able to have an objective, critical point of views of issues, such as American heroism, Chinese government corruption etc. In Lam’s interview with Willis, lam specified how multiple cultures contact in Willis’ way of talking. “The hype of American rhetoric resonates through his use in Cantonese of emphatic modifiers such as ‘very’, ‘a lot’.” Words like “beaten up like crazy” signalize his behavior of American characters.
ReplyDeleteAs an international student, I shared a lot of common experiences with Willis. In a new, strange country, I was not confident enough make new friends from different cultures. Even thought I tried my best to make conversations with them, it was also hard to melt into their cultures. However, I found myself a way to deal with this problem. I realized that not every culture is distinct. They must have some things in common. Therefore, during the time I stayed in the U.S. I stand at the intersection of Chinese culture and other cultures.
The largely flowing theme of these two autobiographies was, in my understanding, about critical self evaluation on their social and educational background with their authentic voices. In the first autobiography, “Growing into Literacy: A College Student Reads and Writes”, the author analyzed not only that she didn’t know how to read and write, but her feeling when she read and wrote – felt like being punished and in feeling so had made herself very anxious and hesitated doing on both activities. Later she illustrated how her attitude became positively changed dealing with reading and writing with the impact of vital self-analysis of what had made her disempowered in reading and writing was about internalization of negative self talk.
ReplyDeleteCompared to the first autography, although the concept of literacy might seem to be differently applied to this second autobiography that I read, “Then What Are You Doing in America?” by Jenna Nakagawa, here were also another self critical analysis of literate journey. The author deeply tried to look into herself, which about her life, family, cultural heritage, race, language and identity of living as a Japanese American. Along her analysis on her cultural and social privilege, she described about what she earned as a Japanese American who living in America as the second generation; which was Japanese work ethic toward the American English language.
Interestingly, I have realized the interpretation of literacy may be approached differently, sometime uniquely according to each individual’s true voice embodied on social and cultural backgrounds. However, I seemed to observe that the significant role of having analytical eyes to look deeply into myself and my inner world, not only in order to generate better literate future based on the critical analysis about my past, but to be a creative thinker who is simply less affected by others.
The very concept of contact zone describes the intermingling of contrasting cultures that are able to interact with one another and subsequently exchange different cultural perspectives. This space is created by cultural encounters that clash and compete in a way, such that, a dominant force generally casts greater influence on a foreign discourse. However, there can also be an effort of collaboration to intertwine the two cultures in order to produce a transcultural place of existence. As a Chinese immigrant living in the United States, Willis is subject to the implicit pressures of trying to reconcile clashing cultural ideas captured by this contact zone. Willis' schooling experience in the US demonstrates how he felt a great pressure to assimilate into the dominant American culture. At school he experiences an ongoing battle with his peers to fit in, as well as himself to preserve his own sociocultural practices of his upbringing. However, his circumstances permit him to make "flexible cross-cultural identifications" (Lam 89) so that he can connect with and critique either culture. His exposure to American culture allows him to incorporate new beliefs into an already existing system he had nourished from his Chinese background. Thus, he creates a heterogeneous system of beliefs that reflect views of both cultures.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I was born and raised in the US I have experienced countless challenges in the contact zones of everyday life. When my family relocated to Atlanta, the drastic change in demographics made us stick out because there weren't many other Asians living in that particular area. My parents run a beauty store that is primarily for African American hair care. The store became a social arena for two different cultures to be represented in a single space. Just by conversing with the customers there was a subtle exchange of cultural ideas. Even though I grew up in America I could still make observations that were foreign to me, because my childhood upbringing at home involved a lot of traditional Korean practices.
One of the major themes in the literacy autobiographies was that although many of the authors came from diverse backgrounds with different forms of literacy, each individual was able to embrace their differences and use them to define and better themselves. For example, in “Growing into Literacy: A College Student Reads and Writes,” Aldabe describes her transition from understanding the world through the perception of her parents to pursuing a higher education and becoming the “educated idiot” she once denounced. Her past experiences and exposure to the literacy of her father, a laborer, drove her to want to achieve a different type of literacy than her parents, one earned through a college education. Similarly in “A Primary Reflection on the Role of Literacy in My Life,” the author addresses the literacy she developed outside of school, using the words “zilch” and “gang-banged” to differentiate her type of literacy from that gained through academia. Although literate in her environment, the author’s literacy wasn’t sufficient in understanding court and the legal system. Instead of telling the truth and “snitching” on her friend, the author misread her surroundings and was charged for the crime. This illiteracy sent her to prison, where she had to reevaluate how she wanted to define herself as a literate individual. Although the autobiographies have common themes, each addresses literacy through a different perspective. The authors try to communicate their lives to us, but we do not possess the necessary literacy to understand and identify with their experiences.
ReplyDeleteLike many of the autobiographies, I too did not think about literacy before enrolling in 140AC. Through this class and by reading personal accounts of how individuals developed their literacy, I am able to reassess parts of my life that were fundamental in framing the literate individual I am today. I just hope my story will be a fraction as touching as these heart-felt tales.
The concept of the contact zone refers to the social spaces where cultures converge to create new ways of life and cultural categories. This idea developed by Pratt forms a unique identity of a community that underlies the main communication and culture of a certain area. In Eva Lam’s article, she reveals how her focal student, Willis, engages western discourse. Considering he is an emigrant from Hong Kong, Willis configures his own identity that is distinctly his. The contact zone is creatively seen through Willis’s Japanese comic books. Through his personal opinions and perceptions, Willis shares why he appreciates Japanese comic books over American and Chinese comics. At the same time he is expressing his thoughts, he allows the reader to see his own sociocultural identity. Lam explains that while Willis is distancing himself from the two groups through third person pronouns, he at the same time identifies himself with Japanese comics through the use of first and second pronouns. I found this very fascinating because the contact zone he created through the clashing of cultures is a unique cross-cultural perspective.
ReplyDeleteAs for myself, I have found unique contact zones formed when I would go abroad to different countries. In particular was when I went to Kosovo for a three months and was interning with a non-profit organization. Most of the staff workers were Albanian, along with one Canadian and another American intern. The contact zone created inside the office building were based upon learning the customs of the Albanian culture and in return the Albanians practicing English with us. It was a unique and very distinct dynamic that allowed for all of us to form a community that went tied three cultures together to create a fun environment. The Americans grew in speaking Shiqp and learning the cultural practices of Kosovo, while the local staff learned the American and Canadian humor along with practicing English.
Each of the literacy autobiographies reflected on their own family and school experiences to explain their own current literacy. Although each author came from a different background, varying in culture, socioeconomic status, and location, he or she came to conclusion that their life experiences have shaped who they are and what they hope to someday be. Family and education both seem to have a profound influence on the literacies of each student. Lisa Aldabe, describes her aversion to reading during her childhood and how her stepfather regarded higher education as “educated idiots” greatly impacted her choices in her schooling. “A primary Reflection on the Role of Literacy in My Life” details the student’s experiences in jail and how his family’s loyalty inspired him to pursue a better future. In other instances, the author’s explore his or her own background in a “white” American society. Such is the case with Fei Ji and Taryn Jang as the two of them discover the importance of their own culture and how it shapes who they are and what it means to be “American.” Taryn explains in detail how the piano became a form of communication with her mother who spoke limited English. Although each of the students had varying stories, as no one person can have the exact same life, the autobiographies represent how various social and familial aspects of a person’s life and ultimately affect and change their literacy. Their similarities then, is marked by broader themes; whereas their differences are shared by the minute details of their lives.
ReplyDeleteFor me personally, I can relate to some of the experiences the authors of the literacy autobiographies have shared. Although my own life may not seem as extreme as going to jail, I feel that even my own mundane experiences are worth reflecting to see who I really am. Thinking about my own life and its own ups and downs have shown me that although we all have differences, but we all have the power to share our history through language
Willis seems to fit Pratt’s ideas of contact zone perfectly. He when he moved to the United States. Everything was a new way of life. He came in expecting to get a better education. He came in desiring equal opportunity, unlike China where there were constantly unjust acts occurring. When he came to the United Sates nothing seemed to change. At school he faced culture clash with academics as well as social life.
ReplyDeleteIn school he had tested into an average level when it was in Chinese, but he tested lower when he was tested in English. He was placed elementary classes till he advanced into ESL and bilingual classes. These classes were frustrating and too basic. He wasted so much time in school because he spoke another language. The way the education system is set up, he was automatically set up for failure. He ended up feeling dumb and belitteled because he didn’t speak English. He had to learn a new way of school which led to a lot of anger and frustration. He even got into a fight with a counselor because the classes were too remedial.
Social life was challenging as well. He didn’t get involved with things on campus because he had trouble making friends. People constantly made fun of him for being Chinese. It was hard for him to meet students from other races and different lifestyles. Willis even had a difficult time meeting other Asian students. There is a divide between foreigners and Americanized Chinese students. His culture made a gap between him and other students. He mostly stayed with people that were from Hong Kong. It’s sad to think that someone who came to the United States with so much hope had their dreams shattered by a cultural barrier.
For myself, I see that there is a contact zone. I’ve grown up and lived in the San Ramon, California my whole life. When I get out of the San Ramon bubble it can be difficult. Even going from the suburbs to the city of Berkeley can be a contact zone. It’s a new place, new experiences, and sometimes can feel like a new language. I’m still learning how to intertwine the comfortable lifestyle I’ve known with new experiences at Cal.
That Last Comment was Cassi Hoyt...sorry
ReplyDeleteThe literacy biographies all resonated each other in the idea that literacy is something that someone can grow into, something that can be developed through stages of one’s life. Lisa Marie Aldabe writes about her battle with accepting literacy as an attainable and socially desirable quality. The author of A Primary Reflection on the Role of Literacy in My Life discusses his discovery of literacy even through unwanted obstacles and roadblocks in his life, such as his pursuit of education in a jail cell. Justin Chou found literacy not even through the traditional methods of reading and writing literature books; rather he found literacy through a Battlebots Forum. In all these literacy biographies and more, it seems like the biographers looked upon their experience with literacy as a journey. Literacy is not something that they have said that they have obtained fully; however, they have all undergone various stages in their life that propel them towards literacy, often changing their definitions of what literacy means to them.
ReplyDeleteReading the literacy biographies have definitely inspired me to really think deeply about the events in my life that have shaped my own definition of literacy. I have been able to relate to the biographers because I realize that my experience with literacy have truly been shaped by the people and environment that have and had surrounded my life. Because of this, I most agree with the author of A Primary Reflection on the Role of Literacy in My Life who wrote, “my definition of literacy only grows as I grow in my social interactions and personal experiences” (263).
Pratt defines “contact zones” as the social area in which various cultures and societal ideals and customs intermingle. In these zones, members of a certain culture will adopt principles from another country or area. This discourages a culture that is purely homogenous in realms of language, lifestyles, arts, etc. In Eva Lam’s article, Willis demonstrates multiculturalism, transcending contact zones by adopting ideas from the three different cultures.
ReplyDeleteWillis was born in Hong Kong but immigrated to California with his family for the political security and educational opportunities. Willis was ostracized in school because English was his second language. Even Chinese Americans, who shared a commonality through race, had long forgotten their roots and adhered strictly to American culture. They didn’t participate in contact zones, since those who did were had few friends and were excluded from advanced classes. While Willis held onto his Chinese roots, he also tried to assimilate into American culture to further his education. His passion, though, lies with Japanese comics, which gave him insight into Japanese culture and practices. Willis was able to contrast a variety of comics from separate cultures, learning about the differences in “professional attitude, creativity, artistry, and cultural character” (Lam 92). By stepping into these contact zones, Willis gained the ability to think critically about literacy and to draw upon discourses from not only his home country, but also from his host and surrounding ones.
I’m half Japanese and half Caucasian, but when I was younger, most of my friends were White, so I learned what I could about American culture, rebuking my Japanese side and even refusing to attend language school. I felt it was a waste of time, as I believed I would never use said foreign discourse. When I entered high school, that part of my heritage suddenly fascinated me, as did other cultures. I founded an “International Relations,” which celebrated and promoted learning cultures, histories, and issues from all over the world. When I came to Berkeley, I even decided to major in Japanese, stepping out of my American mindset and into dabbling in various contact zones.
A theme or narrative I noticed in a couple of the literacy biographies was the “rags to riches” narrative. Both in “I Just Wanna be Average” and “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, this narrative is evoked. I found this narrative to work very well with the overall form of the biographies. Mike Rose’s piece included a lengthy description of his upbringing because it proved to be useful in contrast to later events in his life. The narrative of his childhood is beautifully written; Jack MacFarland was right, he can write! Describing everything he saw as a child, lays down the most important framework for the overall realization and experience he had later, entering his own intellectualism, we’ll call it. His biography would look quite different had he broadly defined the frames within which he saw the world growing up. If he had focused more on the times in his life where he began to feel empowered and went to college, I don’t think readers would understand as well what it really meant for him to have this sort of transformation.
ReplyDeleteGloria Anzaldua does this as, though not quite as detailed as rose, in her accounts of feeling alienated and culturally abandoned as a child growing up.
They both use language of despair. He speaks about the jobs of the people living around him rubbed “away the heart or were working hard at jobs to keep their lives from caving in” and how “their work and much of what they were working for drained their spirits”(16-18). He employs abstract concepts such as hearts and spirits and attaches an emotional dissonance to it, which I felt really helped grab the reader in the gut. Anzaldua does this when talking about being “robbed of [her] female being by the masculine plural” and how she would be accused of “ruining the Spanish language”(54-55).
This language is strong, and evokes in many circumstances the emotion correlating with actually experiencing those things. I found it entertaining, revealing and effective in articulating the roots of one’s identity.