Aufgabe I

Outline Ilene Wong Gregorio’s encounters with prejudices and stereotypes.

(30 %)

Analyze the stylistic means the author uses and their effect on the reader.

(30 %)

You are taking part in an international youth seminar on “Dealing with Expectations: Finding Your Own Way.” Your task is to contribute an article for the seminar website in which you comment on the following quotation from Wong Gregorio’s text:

“Sometimes I don’t know if it’s better when I meet these expectations, or worse, because it makes me wonder how much choice I had in the paths I chose, in the person I’ve become.” (II. 24 –26)

Write this article, also referring to the text at hand and materials studied in class, such as “Two Kinds.”

(40 %)

Excerpt from Ilene Wong Gregorio, “Dreams Deferred and Other Explosions” (2018)

I don’t remember exactly when I started hating my name, but I suspect it happened,

like so many childhood traumas, on the school bus. It may have been the first time a

kid called me “Ching-Chong Wong.” Or the time a girl I had never thought of as

particularly mean felt compelled to tell me the old joke: “How does a Chinese person

name their kid? By throwing forks down a stairway.” More likely, it was any of the

thousand times someone made a pun about me going the “Wong way.”

Even as a child, I understood that my name was not my identity, but it sure as heck

was a prism through which people saw me.

As a teenager, I called bullshit on Shakespeare’s famous quote: “A rose by any other

name would smell as sweet.” My name was not some meaningless signifier¹. It wasn’t

a mere collection of letters. It was a brand, labeling me as an “other” in my otherwise

Wonder Bread-white² Central New York town.

I learned, over the years, that my name brings with it certain expectations.

First, there are the obvious physical expectations: the color of my hair, the shape of

my eyes, my body type. Then there are the expectations of what subjects I excel at in

school, which ones I’m hopeless at, and whether I play an instrument. It brings with it

assumptions about my work ethic, how I will interact with people, even my financial

savvy³.

This isn’t to say that there weren’t ways the specific expectations of being Asian

benefited me. I will never have an airline employee ask for my medical license when

I raise my hand to answer a call for a doctor on a flight. I’ll never be denied a loan

because of the color of my skin. I don’t think I’ve ever walked down a sidewalk and

had a stranger cross the street to avoid me.

Sometimes I don’t know if it’s better when I meet these expectations, or worse,

because it makes me wonder how much choice I had in the paths I chose, in the person

I’ve become. Have I grown into the shape of my name, the way a tree’s roots spread

and become molded into the shape of the pot in which it sits?

I graduated from college a walking cliché: an Ivy League-educated⁴, former-violin-

playing Asian-American student heading to medical school. One could say that I ful-

filled the destiny of my name; my graduation cards should have said “Congratulations!

You have met expectations!”

This is not to say that I fit perfectly into the stereotype. In some ways I am incredibly

lazy. I rarely practiced that previously mentioned violin of my own volition. I am at times

careless with my money. I’m a horrible daughter who never has time to call her family.

I love eating to the point where I have a bit of a muffin top⁵, but I can barely cook. I

suck at statistics, and my husband handles all the IT in our household.

The writer in me would say that idiosyncrasies⁶ like these are what make me rounded,

fully fleshed out, and human. My analytical side accepts this without question, even as

my inner child hesitates. Because when the expectation is to fit perfectly into a mold,

little defects can make you feel, well, defective.

Food, for instance: I love it in a primal, uncontrollable way that is best exhibited at

dim sum restaurants, where I’ve been known to lunge out of my seat to flag down⁶ a

tray of pineapple custard buns. Yet my entire life, this source of joy has been tainted

with guilt.

Each year, when my mother comes to visit from Taiwan, one of the first things my

husband and I do is take bets on how many minutes it will take for my mom to make

a comment about how our weight has changed since the last time she saw us. Over the

years, I’ve gotten used to her signature move – reaching out to grab and fondle the flab

under my upper arm to get a sense of whether I’ve been exercising.

The little things my mother would do to manage my body never made sense until

the first time I went to China, when I was dismayed to note that I could only fit into “extra-

large” clothing. There I was, literally not fitting into the pattern that was meant for me.

My mom’s obsession with my weight made further sense in the context of the expec-

tations placed upon the literal bodies of Asian women, like the time I went to get The

Joy Luck Club⁷at a video store and the checkout clerk said, smirking, “Good movie.

Really attractive women.”

¹signifier – here: word

² Wonder Bread-white – as white as Wonder Bread, a brand that sells pre-sliced white bread

³savvy – cleverness

⁴Ivy-League-educated – educated at a prestigious private university

⁵ muffin top – slang: a person’s body fat that extends over the edges of the waistline

⁶ idiosyncrasy – German: Eigenart

⁷to flag down – to signal someone to stop by waving

⁸The Joy Luck Club – movie based on the novel by Amy Tan

791 words

Quelle: Ilene Wong Gregorio. “Dreams Deferred and Other Explosions.” Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing up Female in America. Ed. Amy Reed. New York: Simon Pulse, 2018. 205 –208.

Please note: The solution presented here is just one possible way to approach the task. There are often multiple valid methods and perspectives, and alternative approaches may be equally effective.

Ilene Wong Gregorio describes how prejudices and stereotypes have influenced her life from childhood to adulthood. She explains that her Chinese surname immediately marks her as different in her predominantly white hometown and becomes a reason for racist jokes and teasing at school.

She points out that her name leads people to make assumptions about her appearance, personality and abilities. Others expect her to have black hair and Asian features, to be good at maths, hardworking, musical and financially responsible simply because she is Asian.

Although she acknowledges that some stereotypes have positive effects, such as people assuming she is intelligent or trustworthy, she also stresses that these expectations limit her freedom. She often wonders whether she made her own life choices or simply fulfilled the expectations associated with being an Asian American. For example, she followed a stereotypical path by studying at an Ivy League university and going to medical school.

At the same time, Gregorio explains that she does not fit all stereotypes. She describes herself as lazy at times, bad with money, unable to cook well and poor at statistics. Nevertheless, she feels that even small deviations from the stereotype make her feel as if something is wrong with her.

She also addresses stereotypes and expectations concerning Asian women's bodies. Her mother constantly comments on her weight and expects her to stay slim. During a visit to China, Gregorio realises that she does not match the local beauty standards because she needs extra-large clothes. In addition, she recalls how a shop assistant reduced Asian women to their appearance by commenting on how attractive they were in the film The Joy Luck Club.

Overall, Gregorio shows that prejudices and stereotypes have shaped the way other people see her and have influenced how she sees herself.

Ilene Wong Gregorio uses a variety of stylistic devices to make her experiences with prejudice and stereotypes vivid and to encourage the reader to reflect on the effects of discrimination.

First of all, the author tells her story from a first-person perspective ("I", e.g. ll. 1–8). This creates a personal and authentic tone and allows the reader to understand her emotions and experiences directly.

Furthermore, Gregorio uses anecdotes from different stages of her life. She recalls racist jokes from her childhood, such as being called "Ching-Chong Wong" or hearing offensive jokes about Chinese names (ll. 2–6). These concrete examples illustrate how early she experienced discrimination and make her account more relatable and convincing.

The author also employs metaphors to explain the impact of her name. She describes it as "a prism through which people saw me" (ll. 7–8), suggesting that others judge her before getting to know her. Later, she calls her name "a brand" (ll. 10–12), emphasising that it labels her as an outsider. Another metaphor compares her development to "a tree's roots" growing into the shape of a pot (ll. 24–27). This image highlights her uncertainty about whether she freely chose her life or adapted to society's expectations.

In addition, Gregorio includes an allusion to Shakespeare's famous quote "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" (ll. 9–10). By rejecting this well-known statement, she underlines that names are not meaningless but strongly influence how people are perceived.

The author repeatedly uses enumeration to demonstrate the large number of stereotypes connected to her ethnicity. She lists expectations concerning her appearance, school subjects, musical ability, work ethic, behaviour and financial skills (ll. 14–18). This accumulation shows how many assumptions people make about her without knowing her personally.

Another important stylistic device is rhetorical questioning. Gregorio asks, "Have I grown into the shape of my name...?" (ll. 25–27). Since no answer is expected, the question invites readers to think about how stereotypes can influence a person's identity and life choices.

Moreover, the author combines irony and humour with criticism. After describing her educational background, she ironically imagines graduation cards saying, "Congratulations! You have met expectations!" (ll. 28–31). This sarcastic remark criticises society's tendency to reduce individuals to stereotypes instead of recognising them as unique people.

Finally, Gregorio creates a strong emotional impact through contrast. She first lists several ways in which she does not fit the Asian stereotype (ll. 32–36), but then explains that even these small differences make her feel "defective" (ll. 37–40). This contrast illustrates the psychological pressure caused by unrealistic expectations. The personal example of her mother's comments about her weight (ll. 45–53) and the shop assistant's remark about Asian women being "really attractive" (ll. 54–56) further emphasise how stereotypes affect both her self-image and the way others treat her.

Overall, Gregorio's use of personal narration, vivid metaphors, irony, rhetorical questions and concrete examples makes her experiences convincing and emotionally engaging. At the same time, these stylistic devices encourage readers to question stereotypes and reflect on their harmful consequences.

Dealing with Expectations: Finding Your Own Way

From an early age, society, family and culture influence the way we see ourselves. Expectations can encourage people to work hard and achieve their goals, but they can also limit personal freedom. Ilene Wong Gregorio expresses this conflict when she writes that she sometimes wonders whether she really chose her own path or simply fulfilled other people's expectations. In my opinion, expectations are unavoidable, but it is important not to let them define who we are.

In her essay, Gregorio explains that people constantly judge her because she is an Asian American. Her surname causes others to assume that she is intelligent, hardworking and destined to become a successful professional. Although she fulfils many of these expectations by attending an Ivy League university and studying medicine, she questions whether these decisions were truly her own. This shows that stereotypes can influence not only the way others see us but also the way we see ourselves.

A similar conflict can be found in Amy Tan's short story Two Kinds. Jing-mei's mother believes that her daughter can become a child prodigy if she works hard enough. She expects her to be exceptionally talented and pushes her to become a successful pianist. However, Jing-mei eventually rebels because she wants to make her own decisions instead of living according to her mother's dreams. While Gregorio mainly struggles with stereotypes created by society, Jing-mei is under pressure because of her family's expectations. Nevertheless, both texts show that constant expectations can make people question their own identity.

However, expectations are not always negative. Parents, teachers and friends often encourage young people to discover their talents and reach their potential. High expectations can increase motivation and help people achieve things they might never have attempted otherwise. Problems only arise when expectations become so rigid that individuals feel they have no freedom to choose their own path or are only valued when they meet certain standards.

In today's world, young people are confronted with even more expectations than previous generations. Besides family and cultural traditions, social media often promotes unrealistic ideals of beauty, success and happiness. Many teenagers compare themselves to carefully edited online images and feel they are not good enough. As a result, they may lose confidence instead of developing their own personality.

For this reason, I believe that expectations should be seen as guidance rather than fixed rules. Listening to advice can be helpful, but everyone should have the opportunity to make independent decisions, learn from mistakes and define success in their own way. Diversity should be appreciated because people have different talents, interests and dreams.

In conclusion, I agree with Wong Gregorio's concern. Constant expectations and stereotypes can make it difficult to know whether our choices are truly our own. Nevertheless, we should not allow other people's expectations to determine our identity. Finding our own way requires the courage to question stereotypes, accept our individuality and make decisions based on our own values instead of trying to satisfy everyone else.