Introduction to Asian American Studies: Final Zine Project (4) - Lauren Hendrickson - Kelli Kufta - Madi Earnshaw - Hayley Lee

WHY DOES IT MATTER? • Little Dog reflects on his inability to speak English very well and how this causes him to have a hard time with some of the children he’s around. Kyle, a boy who teases Little Dog for his inability to speak English very well, assumes a position of power over Little Dog because of his race. This reflects the racism that continues to plague the 21st-century American society • Language and storytelling play an important role in the novel. Little Dog also illustrates the limitations of language and how it can very easily isolate others. The novel does a nice job at emphasizing the idea that one cannot truly understand a culture without understanding what gives the culture structure (the spoken language). Language leaves people feeling like outcasts, similar to the easy Rose and Little Dog felt like outcasts in their new country. CONNECTION TO TODAY: During COVID, many older parents and grandparents became reliant upon their sons or daughters to get groceries for them. This is very similar to the ways in which Rose and Lan were reliant upon Little Dog to translate for them in grocery stores. Immigrants from all over the world whether they are political refugees or migrant workers or seeking asylum, each of them have their own unique story with different turning points. In a French class at USD, a movie about the illegal immigrants in France and the struggles of trying to gain citizenship was shown. This theme of immigrating and being an outcast has become more prevalent and thus the stories of immigrants are making their way to the public. - Particular to San Diego and the Mexico-US border, there are families being separated. Similar to how Rose and her sister were separated due to the war.Because they are separated from family members, many immigrants suffer from PTSD. Family members provide a support system or a community, without a big or strong community it is hard to feel safe.