Introduction
Why literature? Why at a time in history when technology provides innumerable ways to teach, inform, and entertain, do we still need literature? The answer to this question is that even with a overabundance of technological interference that vies for student’s attention, literature has the ability to transform, to be the vehicle that conveys for students an understanding of the world and themselves, especially at the critical time in their lives—childhood and adolescence, a time when the answer to the question, “Who am I?” is most desired and most needed.
Granted, many students are already reluctant readers, and getting them engaged in reading is not always an easy task, and with the myriad of current distractions presented by technology, the challenge is more daunting than ever. However, the challenge of getting students engaged in literature is more than just getting them to put away their technology—it is deeper than that. Often, students’ aversion to reading stems from not seeing themselves or their experiences represented in the curriculum; they feel disconnected or disengaged from what is being taught, and this disconnect is more profound for students of color, especially because the literature that they have been assigned has no relation to their life or experiences, nor does it validate who they are as persons, and often it doesn’t address the question, “Who am I?” This is why literature--specifically socially and culturally relevant literature--matters. If students can see themselves in the literature they are reading, literature can be a opportunity to explore their own identity and explore and understand who they are; consequently, they will be excited by what they read, and possibly even develop an understanding the value of literature and become passionate, life-long readers.
Centering on the culturally relevant text Catfish and Mandala by Andrew Pham, this unit hopes to address the universal theme of selfhood, more specifically, self-identity in the context of American identity. The unit gives students an opportunity to explore the theme of otherness and what it means to be American, and to discover their own views of where they fit in as an American and how these perceptions relate to ethnicity, race, and gender. Students will explore the identity conflict that arises from trying to occupy two worlds. At the same time, this unit will use Pham’s rich prose to develop the skills of analytical reading and writing.
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