Essay Prompt: Actress and rapper Awkwafina (born Nora Lum) is the American daughter of a Chinese-American father and South Korean immigrant mother. In a recent interview Awkwafina said, “You don’t understand how important representation is until you see it and realize you’ve been missing it your whole life.” (Time, Vol. 194, No. 3, July 22, 2019)
Using Awkwafina’s idea for inspiration, construct a comprehensive essay addressing her statement. Be sure your essay includes the following: Your opinion: do you agree or disagree with Awkwafina’s statement? Why or why not? (Or perhaps you partly agree/disagree?) Focusing on three (3) immigrant cultures we have discussed in class, select supporting ideas from: Roger Daniels (Guarding the Golden Door) AND Ruben & Melnick (Immigration and American Popular Culture) AND One of the following authors’ writings: Cristina Henríquez’s The Book of Unknown Americans John Corbin’s “How the Other Half Laughs” Linda España-Brown’s “Hordes in McIntosh Suits” Michael Gandara’s “A Silent Protest” Jeffery Rangel’s “Art and Activism in the Chicano Movement” William Wei’s “Hmong American Youth” Imagine you are having dinner with Daniels, Rubin & Melnick, and the third author that you select from the list above.
What evidence does Daniels give that supports your ideas about Awkafina’s statement? How do Rubin & Melnick add to the support, or perhaps argue against it? What does your third selected author add to the discussion? What’s the conversation? Be sure to cite all of your sources. Spelling, grammar, clarity of thought and presentation are part of your grade. You should use references from the course materials – either direct quotes or an explanation of the source’s ideas in your own words. You should cite your sources (author and page number is fine). Spelling and grammar are considered in your grade. 15 points= Clarity of Ideas Your essay should be clear, cohesive, should respond to the prompt provided, and relate to the course materials as described in your own words.
Your own opinion is also an important aspect of your work. 8 points= Citations You should include multiple citations based on on the supporting evidence that you select from the course materials (these may be for direct quotes or for rewording the author’s ideas). 2 points= There should be no spelling or grammar errors. Sentence structure should include effective diction and sentence variety, and facility with conventions of standard written English
