Juxtaposing the Immigrant and Adolescent Girl Experiences Literature for Adolescent Immigrant Girls

1. Juxtaposing the Immigrant and Adolescent Girl ExperiencesLiterature for Adolescent Immigrant Girls Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

2. Immigrant Students • 20% of the school-age population are children of immigrants (1st, 1.5, and 2nd-generation), • Addressing their literacy needs with relevant curriculum paves the way for meaningful learning (Suárez-Orozco & Suárez-Orozco, 2001). Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

3. Conceptual Framework for Inquiry Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

4. Adolescents and Literature • Adolescents work through struggles in books (Glenn, 2008). • They are looking to find their way and books provide guidance during an optimal period of development (Tatum, 2008). Personal Examples? • Students need to experience what they read and connect to it meaningfully (Rosenblatt, 1991). • Include “moderns among the masterpieces” (Rosenblatt, 1940). How often does this occur? Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

5. Girls and Literature • “Chick Lit” • Fun books about boys, friendship, family, fitting in, and growing up (Meloni, 2006) • Escapist novels • Girls see themselves and their friends as the characters. • Because of the emergence of “chick lit”, reading is hot for teenage girls. • Disconnect between in- and out-of-school literacy practices (Guzzetti, 2009) Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

6. Immigrants and Literature • Studies with Children’s Picture Books about the Immigrant Experience • There are issues in children’s literature that help immigrants cope (Baghban, 2007). • Children’s literature can dispel or reinforce myths with L2 acquisition (Hadaway & Young, 2009). Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

7. Immigrants and Literature • Need for immigrants to have their experiences validated in books • Themes missing in children’s literature about immigration • Discrimination • Legal issues • People without a homeland (Lamme, Fu, Lowry, 2004) Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

8. The Problem • Study found that of 4,255 genre fiction books for middle-grade readers published between 1992 and 2001, less than one sixth contained a protagonist of color (Agosto, Hughes-Hassell, Gilmore-Clough, 2003) • Most teen “chick-lit” is about Caucasian girls (Meloni, 2006). Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

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10. False Solutions • Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants • “Patriarchal Pants” (McInally, 2008) • Appears to contain diverse female characters • Author posits that the series actually perpetuates “white, western, patriarchal culture.” • Makes the image of white, westernized femininity as defined by patriarchy desirable Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

11. Negative Stereotypes • Gossip Girl, A-List, and Insider Boys (Glenn, 2008) • Disparity of race and class • Latinas are pictured as sexual, erotic vixens • Characters of color serve the White characters • Specifically mentions Koreans and the “Spanish” as servants Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

12. Studies of Adolescent Immigrants Reading Relevant Literature • Athanases (1998): Culturally relevant texts with diverse English class “Identifying culturally with literary events provided some students with pride and special access to the works.” • Vyas (2004): 1st- and 2nd-generation Asian high school students in an after school book club Asain literature gave students a better understanding of their identities. Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

13. Studies of Adolescent Immigrants Reading Relevant Literature • Feger (2006): Latino high school English Learners Students became more engaged in reading when she abandoned the basal readers and chose texts that mirrored the students’ lived experiences. Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

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15. Research Questions 1. What books are available that would reflect adolescent immigrant girls’ lived experiences? 2. What are the themes prevalent in these books? Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

16. Book Criteria • Adolescent female protagonist • 1st, 1.5, or 2nd generation immigrant • Relatively modern story (1990s to present) • Female author with experience as immigrant or has immigrant parents • Coming of experience is central to text • Boys, friendship, fitting in, growing up Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

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18. Immigration Themes • Second language acquisition • Language brokering • Legal problems • Discrimination or racial prejudice • Not fitting in due to cultural differences • Living in two cultures Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

19. Second Language Acquisition “Why do I not always choose to talk in class? Does he understand what it is like to sound different from others so that some people will look at you as if you are from another planet, and others will laugh as if everything you say is a joke?”-María, Call Me María “Mar Mediterraneo, thought Tere in Spanish. She knew the answer….It was just too difficult to say in English.” -Tere, Fitting In Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

20. Language Brokering Sari complaining about translating for grandmother in Fitting In: “Mom, she embarrasses me all the time. She wants me to translate to strangers about problems with her body and, poor Mrs. Perry, I had to ask her about her underwear!” Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

21. Legal Problems Nadira explains what it is like to be an undocumented student in Ask Me No Questions: “We’re everywhere. You just have to look….You can’t tell which ones aren’t legal. We try to get lost in the landscape of backpacks and book reports. To find us you have to pick up the signals. It might be in class when a teacher asks a personal question, and a kid gets this funny, pinched look in his eyes. Or some girl doesn’t want to give her address to the counselor. We all agree not to notice.” Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

22. Discrimination or Racial Prejudice The boy Maggie is in love with makes degrading comments toward Cuban people.-Loves Me, Loves Me Now Ellen is the only Korean-American in her small town. She receives many racial slurs from students at her school and even a teacher. “A boy called me a ‘chink’ on the bus today.” Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

23. Not Fitting In Due to Cultural Differences • Dimple Lala, 2nd-generation Indian, struggles with the fact that she does not look like what she perceives to be the ideal American girl, such as her best friend, Gwyn: “Gwyn appeared the very image of the American Dream itself, the blond-rooted, blond-haired, blue-eyed Marilyn for the skinny generation. And if I was her reverse twin—the negative to her positive—that made me? The Indian nightmare? The American scream?” Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

24. Living in Two Cultures Mina, a 2nd-genereation Korean-American, struggles with being American and being Korean. When she wears what she believes are American clothes, her mother says she dresses like a prostitute. She creates an intricate web of lies to appear as the perfect Korean daughter. “The way they expect us to bring them the world. How much they need us to be perfect.” Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

25. Adolescent Girl Themes • Boys • Friendship • Finding one’s voice or identity Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

26. Immigrant adolescents are like American adolescents in many ways…. “They feel insecure, uncertain, lonely; they want to be accepted, loved, respected. They want to succeed.” -Donald Gallo in First Crossing: Stories about Teen Immigrants Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

27. Boys Vicenza in Fresh Off the Boat “You know when Mary Jane discovers it’s really Peter Parker she’s in love with? That’s how I feel. Seriously…Friday night I went to the movies with this boy, and it was the best night of my life.” Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

28. Friendship Mari becomes friends with Tyler and is able to confide in him. “I used to feel alone, neither Mexican nor American. But now that I have a special friend, I feel like I don’t have to be one thing or another.” Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

29. Finding One’s Voice or Identity Nina Khan learns to appreciate her culture and see herself as beautiful despite the fact that she is different than the other girls at her school. “My name is Nina Kahn, and I’m a skunk girl…and this makes me a little different, yes, but not any less beautiful. Not one bit.” Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

30. Am I an Island woman or barrio woman? Can I be both? Sometimes I feel like a bird Soaring over all that is ugly or sad. I am Maria Alegre. Other times, When I am like a small, Underground creature, When I feel like I will never see the sun again, I am Maria Triste. Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

31. I’m 14 years old and I was at a movie on a Friday night with my parents. Kill me now. I wished we had never moved to America. Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

32. Other books:*Habibi*Saying Goodbye*An Island Like You*The Secret Story of SoníaRodríguez*The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of SunitaSen*Mismatch*The Stone Goddess*First Crossings*A Step from Heaven Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

33. Build Meaningful Connections for ALL Students Places to find diverse adolescent and young adult literature: Notable Books for a Global Society Skipping Stones Honor Awards Worlds of Words (wowlit.org) Coretta Scott King Book Awards PuraBelpré Awards Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

34. The Mirror………The Window How does diverse literature affect all students? Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012

35. Contact Information • Mary.Stewart@unt.edu • Maryamandastewart@yahoo.com • www.maryamandastewart.weebly.com • Article in May 2012 issue of English Journal Mary Amanda Stewart, 2012