During most of the film, Toula’s father has a specific, ethnocentric attitude towards Ian. This stems from the Greek’s cultural importance of traditions, gender roles and different cultural values. On the other hand, Ian has a more ethno relative attitude because he wants to be accepted by Toula’s family. In the movie, there is a high value placed on economic flexibility and being one’s own boss. In the Greek culture families are fundamental units; they provide support and identity and marriage is considered the normal condition of adulthood. A good example of the strong Greek culture in the movie is the scene where Toula’s father, Gus is driving his daughter and her friends to school. Mr. Protokalos is explaining how all words have Greek roots. Even when taunted with a foreign word, …show more content…
Considering that Toula went to an American school and then graduated an American college it can be considered that the message in this movie comes from the American education. This movie was not made to praise Greek culture, or to show how immigrants in America are able to keep their culture, without it being assimilated. From the beginning of the movie, Toula stressed that she does not want to do what her culture suggested “marry a good Greek man, have lots of Greek children and cook for the whole family.” This statement together with her feeling awkward in her Greek language classes suggest that the message which the movie and Toula sends is that of a desire of assimilation. During the scenes of her early childhood, she looks out of place among the American girls, stressing not only her cultural difference, but also her physical differences as well. Her way to communicate to her family is first gong to an American college, second leaving her work at the family restaurant, although her new job is at her aunt’s travel agency, and third marring a typical, all American
This intermarrying came with a mix of culture, and Magoffin benefited most from being able to be immersed in Americans who respected the Mexican culture, and who also adopted the Spanish language, thoughts, dress, and diet. In this unique, multicultural environment she was able to confidently assume that Americans had a great capacity to be open-minded and, at times, ethnocentric. Places like Ben’s Fort, gave solace to these tolerant types of people and those who embraced other cultures, because it was so far removed from the eyes of the judgmental East. During the times her husband worked, Magoffin was free to be able to account all the experiences and culture she encountered by diligently writing in her diary every
‘He probably began to see me as a series of dos and don’ts’ (Page 265) Alice feels that her relationship with her parents impacts her relationships with others and this is again seen as a barrier her culture creates. ‘Don’t you feel frustrated sometimes?’ (Page 239) Alice observes the views Michael has of her relationship and she sees it to be different.
The author Amy Tan, in her text she deals with living in the American society more than the other author because she gives the reader a clear idea of what she is going through at the moment. In the story “Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan, it says “What would Robert think of our shabby Chinese Christmas? What would he think of our noisy Chinese relatives who lacked poor proper American manners?” Tan
Culture is something that is important to everyone. When a person goes from one place to another, the shock of the different culture can be considerably large on a person’s character and their identity as a whole. In Into the Beautiful North, Urrea illuminates cultural collision and its affect on character’s sense of identity through Nayeli’s naivety and her reaction towards how America truly is throughout her journey. Nayeli’s naivety really stems from her home of Tres Camarones.
Lessons from the Culture Every year we see family emigrate to other countries, and they face many challenges. The stories “Sweet, Sour, and Resentful”, by Firoozeh Dumas, and from “Fish Cheeks”, by Amy Tan, share similar cultures and really interesting stories. Also, both families from the essay share several challenges that they are face when they move to the United States of America. The two families share many similarities; however, they differ in to keeping their culture, showing openness, and teaching a lesson from their culture to others.
Have you ever wonder what your life will be like when you have a chance to live in a different country other than you motherland? There are many challenges and obstacles people usually face when they start their new life in a new country. Moreover, people can totally change their life in different way due to their change in cultural environmental. The same situation has been demonstrated in the novel “The Gangster We Are All Looking For” by Le Thi Thuy Diem, an immigrant from Vietnam who left their motherland for freedom and new life. The novel “The Gangster We Are All Looking For” is a narrative fiction novel in which it describes the important of cultural differences, consequences of war and the maturity of the author.
She was recently transferred to New York where, from what I’ve heard, she might meet an immigrant or two and, who knows, she might have to make some room in her spice cabinet” (741). This closing fragment lightens up the mood to focus not only on the “downside” of moving to America, but also for the lessons learned and thinking adjustments that may or may not have been
Similar to the father, he tries to pass on the culture hoping it could survive within the family. Sadly, the culture “[was] slowly dying” (341) in the sink. When the fish was being cooked in the wok, it is described as “tires on gravel, a sound so loud it drowns all other noises” (342). The noise level hints a tense argument that has been built up within the family for years. As such, when the fish is served, the tension and dissatisfaction between the son and father imploded; hence, the father acted violently towards his son for being “ungrateful” (344).
In Judith Ortiz Cofer’s “The Changeling”, the hardships of gender stereotypes are exposed. The contrast between a young girl’s imagination and the reality of her gender role is clear by her attempt to appease her parents. She is neither manly enough to gain the attention of her father nor womanly enough to attain the respect of her mother. Her dilemma of not being able to fit in is emphasized by Cofer’s use of imagery and repetition.
Having considered this Ana applies and get accepted to Columbia even after her mother forbids her to go to college ,proving that she embraces her culture instead of letting her culture define her
Dwight Okita 's poem showed us about American identity has more to do with how you experience culture than where your family came from. Details of the texts such as the speaker describing herself as a typical teen girl, seeing that she dislikes chopsticks, something that we associate with Japanese culture, and telling us that she was the typical American meal of hot dogs. In Cisneros 's story, she tells us about the narrator 's American identity contrasts with her awful grandmother’s strong Mexican roots. But the Americans George the narrator based on her looks. Without this liked grandma of first praise for her American children and grandchildren in a barbaric country, which seems to contrast Michele, Keeks, and Juniors love of American culture, cause we can see, based on their heroes and villains game, which takes its references from popular American culture.
One being her academic culture, where she is expected to speak clearly and adhere and know to the English language. Another being her Spanish Chicano culture, certain expectations and different regulations are required of her starting at a very young age, and throughout her life growing up in a Mexican-American family. Gloria’s Latino culture has brought along many challenging beliefs, even
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
At the end of the dinner Amy's father burped loudly as it is a sign of respect towards the cook showing gratitude for the food. After everyone had left, Amy’s mother noticed her embarrassment all night and said “You want to be the same as American girls on the outside.” She the handed Amy an early gift, It was a beige tweed colored mini skirt. After she told Amy that she must always be Chinese on the inside and to be proud of who she was, because the only shame is to be ashamed. It took Amy years to truly figure out what her mother was trying to teach her, and after she figured it out she was proud of her ethnicity.
They decided to marry but faced to the disapproval of Toula’s family about the cultural differences. Firstly, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” illustrates the conflict between members of two different cultural groups in terms of communication style: low context culture and high context culture. In theory, a low context culture tends to “uses language primarily to express thoughts, feelings, and ideas as clearly and logically as possible... The meaning of a statement is in the words spoken”; in contrast, a high context culture “relies heavily on subtle, often nonverbal cues to convey meaning, save face, and maintaining social harmony.