Jan.31 Discussion Questions
by C. Kwon ~ January 30th, 2011. Filed under: Notes.Revealing Moments (pp.74-88):
1. At the citizenship ceremony Khayatt encounters a “friendly” interrogation and brushes off pseudo-racist comments as curious and uninformed. Does racism depend on the attitude of the recipient? In other words, if the recipient thinks certain remarks are more or less benign, are those comments still racist? Should one confront these “curious” racism or ignore it?
2. Khayatt does not hyphenate her identity as “Egyptian-Canadian”. From her article what do you think is the cause/reason/motivation for avoiding such a term?
3. “I had the composure of class and the confidence of privilege to protect me from the exclusion to which I may otherwise have been subjected and of which I may have been made an object” (Khayatt 82). Khayatt thinks that her upper-class background contributed to her relatively successful assimilation to the Canadian culture.Would you agree that a social class in one’s country of origin matters significantly in Canada? What other socio-economic factors can make a person feel more included and excluded?
4. Khayatt states that she is able to control the exposure of her “exotic” side according to circumstances. Does a person have to do something similar in order to feel at home in Canada? If so, then what does one adopt in place of his/her ethnic identity?
5. “… the Linking of citizenship with occupation points to a system locate[s] within the dynamics of capitalism” (Khayatt 78) since society benefits by selectively accepting those who can greatly contribute to its economy. Is multiculturalism a capitalist convention as well?
The Elusive and Illusionary (pp.115-121):
1. If you were (or are) in the situation of the author, being stretched between multiple cultures, would you try and associate yourself more with one?
Perhaps the more dominant physical characteristics, or work plainly with the fact that you do have multiple ethnicities?
2. What is the most effective way that you have found to explain your cultural identity, or deal with pressure or bullies? Do you find it necessary to defend your heritage?
3. Is it worth changing how you perceive yourself in order to fit in?