Basics: The Mei Tais Explaind
The act of racism has been present in every society throughout history. Discrimination of other groups based on their different descent and ethnicity. These forms of hatred and negativity are based off old fashion values and traditions. People of different cultures believe there’s is superior, this belief in superiority may take the form of ethnocentrism or prejudice. In early Vancouver, the Chinese and First Nations experienced this disparagement first hand.
While in Hawaii they grab dinner and run to the T.V. “During childhood, we were still a week behind the mainland when it comes to TV, and three years behind when it comes to just about everything else.” (Page 55) Hawaii is always behind the mainland, and they are completely off style with the mainland. Just like “The Red Headed Hawaiian” by Chris McKinney, Jing-Mei from “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan has struggles and problems adapting.
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien tells the stories of multiple war veterans who have served in the Vietnam War. It takes a very in-depth approach to explaining the veterans’ experiences, feelings, and views both during the war, and after the war. Throughout the novel, readers learn that things you either do, or don’t do in life, can make you feel the same way as the war veterans. O’Brien uses symbolism and regretful tone to teach readers that the results of your actions in war can lead to you experiencing shame, remorse, and guilt for the rest of your life. O’Brien uses symbolism to show that Lieutenant Jimmy Cross has to deal with the survivor’s guilt of letting his platoon member, Tim Lavender, die in the warzone.
Both her and her mom want her to be a prodigy of Beyonce. Both of their parents want them to become a prodigy of somebody. Jing-Mei’s mom wants her to be a prodigy of Shirley Temple. One other allusion in “Two Kinds” and modern day society is Peter Pan. Peter Pan never wants to grow up and neither does Jing-Mei.
Family in Chinese Culture As shown in Amy Tan's short stories A Pair of Tickets, Immortal Heart, and Two Kinds, one can see the importance of family in Chinese culture. In the piece A Pair of Tickets, it is shown how hard Jing-mei's mother Suyuan looks for the twin babies she is forced to leave behind. Her effort is shown when Jing-mei's father recalls the travels, saying, "We went to many different cities, back to Kweilin, to Changsha, as far south as Kunming. She was always looking out of one corner of her eye for twin babies, then little girls" (Tan, A Pair of . . . " 163, 164).
Jing-Mei then decides to reunite with her sisters in China, anxiously stating, “I lay awake thinking about my mother’s story, realizing how much I have never known about her, grieving that my sisters and I had both lost her“ (271). At this point in the story, it becomes evident Jing-Mei no longer despises her mother for her distasteful tendencies. Instead, she aspires to see her mother one last time. Remorseful of her incapacity to connect with her mother on a deeper level, Jing-Mei feels inept to fill in for her mother at the mahjong table.
Jing-Mei’s American upbringing hindered her ability to understand her mother’s perspective – which was based on Chinese heritage – resulting in strong differences of opinion that led to arguments. In addition, since Jing-Mei and her mother failed to communicate effectively about their different perspectives, they became frustrated and upset with each other. The relationship between Jing-Mei and her mother was harmed by their emotional distance from each other. The absence of verbal affection between them translated to increased resentment and disappointment. Positive emotional connection between a parent and child proves vital in maintaining a healthy relationship in the face of
“After losing everything in China…She never looked back with regret. ”(Chunk 1 ¶3). Jing-Mei’s mother is a Chinese immigrant with the typical ‘everything is better in America’ mindset. Jing-Mei, being raised in America, had more of an American mindset. “You want me to be someone i’m not…I’ll never be the daughter you want me to be!”
However, some of the things her mother showed and did got her excited to become this. In the beginning of “Two Kinds”, Jing- mei and her mother were watching TV and Shirley Temple was on. Jing- mei and her mother were watching something they thought was magnificent. Jing- meis’ mother said, “ Ni Ken – you watch”, she said this to Jing- mei because she thought they were like training videos to help her become a famous child star.
After Jing Mei’s cultural experiences, and her mother’s contrasted beliefs of Jing Mei’s musical power, Jing Mei feels more culturally and musically independent, as well as
Jing-mei expresses, “Soon after my mother got this idea about Shirley Temple, she took me to a beauty training student in the Mission district and put me in the hands of a student who could barely hold the scissors without shaking. Instead of big fat curls, I emerged with an uneven mass of crinkly black fuzz” (Tan 221). This shows that her mother’s eagerness for a famous daughter is emerging, and it comes to the point where she wants to change her child’s
The conflict between Jing-mei and her mother was the result of their individual cultural
Jing Mei, while portrayed as an obedient child, is only willing to listen to her mother to a certain extent. Throughout the story, it is consistently hinted that Jing Mei would eventually explode against her mother as an attempt to free herself from her mother’s chains. In addition, after the fiasco at the piano recital, she eventually derives further from her mother’s wishes as she “didn 't get straight A...didn 't become class president...didn 't get into Stanford...dropped out of college.” (54). On the flip side, Jing Mei’s mother is a stereotypical Chinese parent who is fully determined to ensure her daughter’s success in a new environment.
This peculiarly specific list showed that as a first-generation American, she was constantly scrutinizing the small actions that her mother demonstrated, and she was embarrassed, although it is not likely anyone else ever noticed. However, as she got older, Jing-Mei realized the fact that she was “becoming Chinese.” She still did not truly understand her mother or the beauty of Chinese culture, but her acceptance was the first step of the long excursion of
(Tan 24). through this it can be said that Jing-Mei’s mother has a very different culture compared to
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