In exploring Fred Wah’s Diamond Grill this term in ASTU 100, I was introduced to the concept of the “hyphenated” (31) identity for the first time. In this biotext, Wah reinforces his experiences with lifelong social constructs through ethnicity, recipes, and the restaurant layout (white English speakers in the front and Chinese in the back).
Ever since this introduction to lives inside the hyphen, I’ve noticed it in every other one of my classes.
In one of last week’s Geography readings titled Identity Crisis by Allan Gregg, Canadian culture and “hyphenated citizenship” (2) was in discussion and the historical societal impact of immigration.
In Sociology, guest speaker Dr. Donna Lester-Smith shared assimilation testimony from First Nations residential school students. These stories along with the powerful before and after images of Thomas Moore left a clear image of how drastic identities can be changed and at such an young age.
In African Studies, Professor Kofi discussed European powers “slicing” Africa into pieces, like a cake waiting to be divided. With these divides came values and belief systems the Africans were forced to adopt. The lecture left me left me thinking of these new, socially constructed hyphenated identities that Africans were forced to assimilate to.
Diamond Grill is the first book I’ve read at university with an applicable message of hyphenated identity that can span multiple disciplines while remaining equally important across the board.
As I continue with the last two ASTU assigned readings Missing Sarah by Maggie de Vries and Cockeyed by Ryan Knighton, I’m curious to see if these texts will have the same impact, and if the recurring “hyphenated” identity concept will continue to emerge.
Citations:
Gregg, Allan. “Identity Crisis: Multiculturalism, a 20C Dream Becomes a 21C Nightmare.” (2006). UBCLIB. The Walrus. Web. 26 Feb. 2015.
“Thomas Moore Image.” Yahoo. Web. 5 Mar. 2015. <https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A86.JyPiWflUd18AXpcnnIlQ?p=before and after thomas moore&fr=&fr2=piv-web&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001>.
Wah, Fred. Diamond Grill. Edmonton: NeWest, 1996. 2-31. Print.