Hyphenated Americans Article

I decide to approach finding a source by searching up some of the names that in a way spoke to me in order to see if what they did interested me. I searched up about ten names on the John Archer Library site before I searched Nina Archer and found this article, which I found very intriguing. The article I chose is called “Listening to Hyphenated Americans: Hybrid Identities of Youth from Immigrant Families” by Nina Asher.

The source talks about how any culture differing from the majority has had to be hyphenated. For example, the author talks about Asian Americans. These students that may or may not have been born in America or Asia, have to attempt to fit into the stereotypes of their culture. An Asian may be born in America and their first language may be English, but because of their background, people automatically fit them into a certain stereotype. And, at home they will also get put into a different stereotype because their parents will see them differently than how the schools sees them.

Not only do these kids, who come from all different cultures and backgrounds, have to attempt and feel as though they must fit these certain stereotypes, but they must do so while all being taught the same curriculum. The author examines how these hyphenated identities come to be, how they change between cultures, and how they relate to the curriculum that they are being taught. In order to understand and help fix these assigned stereotypes, the author suggests that more studies, research and documentation needs to be done so that we can bring light to the struggles of these students who have to create two identities for themselves, one at home and one at school.

My next step for assignment one would be to find two more articles. I am hoping I will be able to find one article that is from the Canadian perspective but has some of the key points. Possibly with indigenous peoples and public schools in Canada and how that relates to the Asian-Americans and in American public schools. Another article that I think could be interesting would be an article that defends the curriculum and how the author believes that they can create one singular curriculum to fit every student’s needs.

Asher, Nina. “Listening to Hyphenated Americans: Hybrid Identities of Youth From Immigrant Families.” Theory into Practice, vol. 47, no. 1, 2008, pp. 12–19, https://doi.org/10.1080/00405840701764680.