Introduction
The day I left everything I knew and moved to South Korea became the catalyst for an enlightening journey of self-discovery. Before then, I considered only gender and ethnicity to be the major elements of my identity. Life in South Korea, however, forced me to be more cognizant of my nationality as well. While there, my identity quickly became “foreigner,” and I was treated as such, eliciting stares, vaguely offensive questions, and discomfort for simply existing. As time passed, however, I noticed my diet, vocabulary, and mannerisms starting to become influenced by Korean culture. Funnily enough, the addition of those Korean values and traditions to the way I had lived my entire life beforehand gave me the realization that there is a mainstream American culture that I participated in subconsciously. I am aware that this sounds ignorant, but before that time, I believed that culture was defined by unique food, holidays, and traditions. When someone would ask me what traditional American foods were, my mind would go blank. Outside of July 4th, I could not name any national holidays specific to us. Living in a different country, however, allowed me to see that the American culture I thought didn’t exist was actually the amalgamation of the many people and different cultures from around the globe that call the United States of America home.
Because of the fusion of these cultures, people have defined the United States as a “melting pot,” evoking a portrait of ingredients being thrown into a pot and melting together. However, doing this disturbs the core components of the items, erasing what makes them distinct. This metaphor exemplifies assimilation over individuality, becoming coercive in nature by placing pressure on immigrants to shun their native origins.[1] An additional popular metaphor compares the United States to a salad bowl. Improving upon the melting pot theory by exemplifying the uniqueness of each ingredient, the salad bowl metaphor still misses the synergy of different cultures interacting with each other within the country. [2]
While food metaphors will never completely capture the nuances of the reality of our country, I would argue that a stew represents this reality most accurately. A stew relies on different ingredients coming together to create a hearty meal with the parts retaining their own uniqueness while also converging with the other components. As stated by LeAna B. Gloor, “There is a level of compromise between integration and cultural distinctiveness,”[3] when described with a stew. This outlook is the most attached to the multiculturalist approach that the “influences of ethnic groups retaining their distinctive cultural attributes” leads to a brand new cultural identity for a country.[4] The “United Stew of America” metaphor will provide a springboard for discussions with students that uplift their ethnic identities while reaffirming their belonging in the same breath.
The unit will center around a book study about the novel, Front Desk by Kelly Yang. Front Desk is about a young Chinese immigrant named Mia, who immigrated from China with her parents in the 1990s. Because of their immigration status, Mia and her parents are struggling financially, and their only means to make money is by managing a motel. During this time, Mia learns how to run the front desk at the motel by herself, while also managing to develop her self-identity, deal with racism, and take care of her family. Through her experiences, my students will learn about the plight of immigrants in the United States, the importance of culture and tradition, and resilience.
In order to deeply engage with the book study, small snippets of the history of the United States immigration system will be shared with the students to develop their empathy for Mia to further understand her point-of-view. Intermingled with the text, students will also read informational texts that connect to the historical context students will be learning about.
Supplementary literary texts will be used alongside these informational texts to allow students to dive deeper into literary elements while also comparing the main characters and their experiences. These literary texts will feature Asian American and Latin American protagonists, to create a bridge to the personal lives of most of my students and create connections between the anchor novel and the informational texts.
To culminate the unit, students will complete a project called “The United Stew of Me.” The first aspect will be an opinion essay on Front Desk that requires students to write about the character traits of one of the characters. They will then complete an identity cube with each side serving as a stew ingredient to describe a part of their identity, finishing with an oral presentation to the class. By the end of the unit, my hope is for the students to have a more established sense of self and an appreciation for their role in the “stew” that is the United States.
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