As we move toward writing literacy narratives, you have two reading assignments in your reader:
- “Defining My Identity Through Language” by Kim Liao on page 61
- “Caught Between Two Worlds” by Lucia Ku on page 100
After reading both, please respond to the following questions in the Comments section below:
- In your own words, describe the 3 types of literacy narratives Liao writes about.
- What category does Ku’s essay fall into? Why?
- What type of literacy narrative do you think you MIGHT want to write for class? Why?
1. The three literacy narratives that Liao writes about are about defining ones culture and identity. Another one is about how one can engage in a community that one shares a common goal/language with. And lastly, it can be about internal conflicts, for example, with language.
2. Ku’s essay is in the third category. As it states, she is “…stuck between two different worlds…” (Join the Conversation, 103). The textbook says that the third category “is an opportunity to examine that struggle between the multiple literacies that you may negotiate between on a daily basis” (67), and that is what Ku’s essay is about- finding a balance.
3. I think I may want to write about the first category: defining my cultural identity. My culture has a lot to be said about through the language we speak: Hebrew, through the past, present, and future of my heritage, and I plan on writing more about it…!
1. Liao writes about three kinds of literacy narratives. The first is one that define one’s cultural identity essentially meaning a narrative where the language we use to define ourselves and our culture is the focal point of the piece. The second is the narrative that documents a journey from confusion to fluency meaning a piece that is about tracing a time from when you didn’t know something (like a language) to when you finally did. The third and final one is a narrative that can be insights from juggling several linguistic identities which shares insight on the experience of having multiple languages at once to form your own identity.
2. I think the essay is either a narrative that defines one’s cultural identity or one that explores the struggle of identifying with several parts hence most of the essay is her describing what it was like to be considered a “foreigner” because of where she came from and where she is now. Her being an Asian American is something that was very impactful for her growing up.
3. I think I would most likely write either a narrative that define my cultural identity or one that document a journey from confusion to fluency just because I would be able to relate to those two the most.
1.) The 3 literary narratives can be described as specifying ones culture, a story of self discovery in some form and lastly your identity based on language/where your from. These are the three narratives Liao talks about cultural identity, the journey from confusion to fluency, and juggling linguistic identities. Cultural identity literary narrative can be described as finding yourself from the roots of your family and becoming your own person within those roots. Journey from confusion to fluency is the literary narrative about understanding and interpreting the chaotic events in life. Juggling linguistic identities is the literary narrative where Liao talks about forming your own identity through language and history of the person narrating.
2.) In my opinion Ku’s essay falls into the category of “a Journey from Confusion to fluency” due to the self acceptance that is made apparent in the very title of the essay. This is because of the understanding that Ku had to gain to end the journey of self acceptance.
3.) The literacy narrative that I would most likely want to write about my cultural identity. I would want to do this type of narrative because I can best represent and analyse my history in this way. I was never really good with language but I am much more interested in the discussion of culture.
1- Liao writes of three different literacy narratives that are present in assignments, which are;
Cultural Identity- Can be associate to our language, family and ancestor roots/ where we come from, which morphs the cultural identity we have.
Journey from Confusion to Fluency- Is the understanding and change of knowledge thanks to people or a situation.
Juggling Several Linguistic Identities- The formation of your own identity through the history and language of the main person.
2- Lucia’s essay fell under Cultural Identity as she describes how her high school experiences were shaped due to a stereotype perception on Asians. Noting her incidents they influenced the person she is as she is from New York her parents ethnicity cannot be hidden visually as she described it as being such between two worlds because she is American however her ethnicity is Asian.
3- I believe my literacy narrative will be the cultural identity. Being from Italy and also American raised I may not have a big as a issue as Lucia experienced however I do have my own history and ethnicity which shapes the person who I am today.
1) On page 63 the three types of literacy narratives that Liao shares are Cultural Identity, Identity through Language, Juggling several linguistic Identities (pg.66).
2) Lucia Ku’s story is more about cultural identity because she says how she felt different when there was a low number of Asians in her high school because it was really diverse. Even though she’s an American living in New York City her ethnicity is still Asian, therefore she is an Asian American.
3)I would have cultural identity as well. From the culture that my family comes from it is moved on to me to adapt to. My parents are from Pakistan and I was born in America, and seeing how different I was from other people has shown that people who are different are unique in their own way.
-The three types of literacy narratives are primarily about defining yourself within ethnic backgrounds. The first narrative focuses on putting a label on your own biracial ethnic identity and the basis on how to write a literacy narrative. The second, narrative talks about how common belief or language can connect you to a specific discourse community. It also gives you a question to help write a literacy narrative “moments in your life when something really changed for you” (pg65). The last narrative talks about a literacy narrative written by Tan and how she was in the middle of her mother and other English fluent Americans. She would understand her mother, but others wouldn’t because it was broken English, so she usually had to translate being put in the middle thus, there was a struggle “between the multiple literacies” (pg66).
-Ku’s essay falls under the first one “A Literacy Narrative Can Define One’s Cultural Identity”. I believe in this because sure he wasn’t biracial however in a different way he can be seen as one. His parents were Asian people who spoke mandarin. He didn’t really know much about mandarin and grew up being fluent in English. However, when he tried fitting in with white people in his school he was always seen as being Chinese. They would even be amazed by how he could speak fluent English even though he was born in America. So, Ku had to try to identify himself as he saw himself being American but, others saw a foreigner.
-The type of narrative I want to write about would be the first one. I had similar experiences to the writer as I grew up mixed too. My dad’s from Qatar and my mom’s from Bangladesh. They don’t speak the same native language, nor do they eat the same foods. From my mom I learned to speak fluent Bangla but, never learned how to read Bangla. The twist is from my dad I learned to speak okay Arabic and I know how to read in Arabic however, I can’t always understand what I’m reading. So, from my personal life experiences I would have a lot of content to write connecting to this type of literacy narrative.
1. Liao writes about three different types of literacy narratives. The first one has to do with defining one’s cultural identity. He shares some anecdotes about trying to explore his culture and struggling with attaching a label to his own biracial ethnic identity. In this type of narrative, Liao says that the language we use to describe ourselves may take center stage. The second type of literacy narrative has to do with a journey from confusion to fluency. Liao describes this type of narrative as identifying moments in your life when something really changed for you in terms of identity, culture, and your ability to understand knowledge. The third and last type of literacy narrative that Liao discusses has to do with insights from juggling several linguistic identities. He describes this as an endorsement and affirmation of the fact that many of us carry around multiple literacies in our lives. In other words, this literary narrative is an opportunity to examine the struggle between multiple literacies that you may negotiate between on a daily basis.
2. I think Ku’s essay falls under the Cultural Identity section because she shares experiences of her struggle in high school to be in tune with both of her cultural identities. Although she grew up in New York city one of the most diverse cities in the world, she still felt like a minority in her high school, which was predominantly non- Asian. Therefore, there was a cultural struggle present for her in terms of identity.
3. I think I might want to write about a journey from confusion to fluency because I am at a point in my life where a lot is changing: school, social life, etc… Because this type of literacy narrative is all about changes in terms of identity, culture, and knowledge, I think it would be a nice way for me to discuss any changes that I have personally been going through lately.
1. Kim Liao writes about three types of literacy narratives. The first focuses on your cultural identity and how you use language to define it. It may also include how you may accept or reject the labels already given to your cultural identity. The second is about a journey from confusion to literacy. This could be a journey in which you connect or enter into a community that uses a different form of language. The third is about juggling several linguistic identities. This type of narrative can be written by a person who grew up speaking several languages. The narrative would include hows theses various elements influenced their cultural identity.
2. Ku’s essay falls into the first category of defining cultural identity. This is because her essay describes how she was not just part of one cultural group based on ethnicity or where she grew up.
3. The type of literacy narrative I might want to write for class is the one on juggling several linguistic identities because it’s the one I feel my experience is best suited to write since I am tech daughter of an immigrant parent who doesn’t speak much English. I have also been around more than just one ethnic group for long periods of time.
1. Liao talks about the 3 types of literacy narrative. One of them is about cultural identity, this type of narrative is when the writer decides to share their experience in identifying with a culture and where they consider they belong. Another type of literacy narrative is about how a person identifies with a society that has a common goal/language. Finally the 3rd type of literacy narrative is about conflict they have with one self.
2.In my opinion Ku’s essay is about internal conflict as to where they feel they identify in. Ku faces struggles in defining where he belongs, with americans or asians. This presents a conflict for Ku internally and culturally, experiences at a young age in middle school and in highschool presented him with rejection from American culture.
3. I personally want to write a narrative about my cultural identity. How I identify in American culture while being Ecuadorian.
-The first literary narrative is defining your culture. Which to me means self discovery of one’s culture. The second literary narrative is becoming fluent in something you previously thought impossible, like learning a new language to connect with your family. Finally there is the third one which is being fluent in multiple languages and combining them to make your own.
-Reading this essay I felt that it was more closely aligned to the literary narrative of cultural identity as they write about being Asian-American. The writer describes being a minority in high school and how most of the Asians in the school were foreign exchange students and had a hard time developing their identity.
-I enjoy all three and if I had to write one for class I would choose the first one, which is defining your cultural identity. I feel that this would be a fun paper to write and that I have some experience to make a descent paper on the subject.
1. Liao writes about three types of literacy narratives, the first one being defining ones cultural identity. This is done primarily through the use of language, as Liao states, “In a literacy narrative about defining cultural identity, the language we use to describe ourselves may take center stage.” (Liao 63). The second literacy narrative is documenting a journey from confusion to literacy, which means exactly what it is. The narrator, in this narrative, goes from not knowing about something to knowing, usually through a personal experience that enabled them to understand the topic/problem at hand. Liao states that there can also be a “literary sponsor” to guide them, which is another way of saying a mentor or a teacher that guides that narrator to the right path. The last literacy narrative Liao writes about is insights from juggling several linguistic identities. This narrative means that speaking different languages and combining them together, or “juggling” them as the title of the narrative states, allows one to form new insights about the world. “Tan also presents the idea that translating between her mother’s English and standard English has shaped how she views the world…”(page 66)
2. Ku’s essay falls into the category of defining ones cultural identity. This is because, as explained in the essay, Ku defines herself and her identity as being American due to the fact that she speaks fluent English. In an altercation with another student who thought she wasn’t born in America because of her appearance, she was clearly shocked. “‘Your English is pretty good. Where did you learn it from’ Needless to say, I was shocked. Being born and raised inn New York City, I had no accent, I was reasonably fluent…” (page 102).
3. I would like to write about is cultural identity because it is the one I understand the most out of all three.
1) Kim Liao discusses three types of literary narratives. The first being a narrative focusing on cultural identity. This type of narrative is about the narrator’s struggle to define their cultural identity with language taking the center stage. The second type is a “Journey From Confusion to Fluency” which describes a time when the writer had a moment of change that resulted in them having an understanding of what was previously complicated. The third and last narrative concentrates on how one’s identity is influenced by their history with multiple literacies.
2) Ku’s essay falls under the literary narrative about defining cultural identity. Her essay focuses on her interactions with those outside the Asian- American community and those within the Asian community in high school. Essentially she learns how stereotypes and lack of experience with diversity influenced how other perceived her and vice versa.
3) I would either write a literacy narrative that focuses on cultural identity or my journey from confusion to literacy mostly because I have a lot of moments where I have dealt with those ideas. I’m only a teenager and obviously what I thought as a young kid has changed since then and is still changing. However, just because I only speak English does not mean I don’t have experience with other languages whether it be patois or Ebonics.
1. The three types of literacy narratives Liao describes include: cultural identity, a documentation of a clarifying event, and insights on several identities. The first one refers to one’s ethnicity and how this language is used to define and describe oneself. The next type of narrative refers to the journey of becoming good at something you once did not know; for instance the writer provides video games as an example. The last type is describing oneself based on several literacies; for instance if you are bilingual or fluent in more than one language.
2. I believe Ku’s essay falls under the first category; cultural identity. This is because she describes how she does not fit into the “American” world fully, nor the “Asian” world. This feeling of displacement falls under the identity category, because she is conflicted on to which culture she identifies with more.
3. I think I want to right about the first category, and talk about how I culturally identify as American and Italian.
1. Liao writes about 3 literacy narratives. The first one she writes about is cultural identity, in which she struggles to find where she belongs but she uses language to help her. The second is using a literary narrative to document a journey from confusion to fluency. With this , you can write about becoming fluent in doing something. The last one she writes about is, having to juggle several linguistic identities. In this type of narrative a person has multiple identities that they may struggle to balance sometimes.
2. Ku’s essay falls into the category of using a literary narratvie to define ones cultural identity. She writes about being born in America and identifying with the “American” community, as well as being Asian and identifying with the “Asian” community. However, she doesn’t feel accepted in either community so she is just trying to find a way to fit in.
3. I would write an essay about defining my cultural identity because I have the same issue of identifying with more than one culture, but not being sure where I really fit in.