Global Youth Development

Global Youth Development

Introduction

What is the definition of an American? Apart from the people who have lived in the United States of America since the origin of the state also all the immigrants who have got the authorization to live there; in principle that's right, for sure, however it requires more than a simple piece of paper to convert a foreigner into a part of the American society (Tyler, 2006). The great thought of the melting pot has been discarded a long time ago, the mosaic or the salad bowls are favored at present, a mixture though with the individual elements still differentiatable. Digging To America is on the subject of genuine Americans, 1st and 2nd generation immigrants and the latest and unique arrivals and how they survive with each other.

Discussion

Digging to America by Anne Tyler is a character-driven story. If truth be told isn't a plot however the theme in relation to how people from different countries move and inhabit in the U.S. and bit by bit get used to to the American way of living, is highly sensitive, as are the equivalent themes of individuality, family, identity, loyalty and friendship. The author deftly analyzes relationships within the perspective of friendship and family and skillfully passes on how cultural identity takes part into and, mostly, changes these relationships. Tyler looks at the notion of “otherness” for immigrants attempting to settle in and what it denotes to be dissimilar. Jin-ho and Susan are not the only characters who have immigrated to the United States from some other country. Sami's mother and currently Susan's grandmother, Maryam Yazdan grew up in Iran. She came to the United States only 20 to tie the knot with an Iranian man preferred by her family (Tyler, 2006). Jin-ho and Susan adapt without difficulty to the life in America in view of the fact that they are babies with the devotion and support of their friends and family. Quite the opposite, Maryam, even after staying in the United States for more than twenty years and still has not accustomed. She is not actually contented with American life or with the actions or deeds of the people of America. Maryam seems to feel uncomfortable and awkward around majority of people counting Sami, her own son. Sami more or less completely refutes his Iranian inheritance and has for all time wanted a totally American lifestyle. The sadness of Maryam is just about blatant in some scenes where Sami is flippant of his heritage and Iranian culture. However, Maryam does not attempt hard to get used to, mostly criticizing the behavior of Americans. The author adeptly depicts the variety of human emotions and sentiments with her characters in this story.

The story originates from Baltimore, the summers of 1997when two families convened atthe airport expecting two baby girls, they have adopted from Korea, Brad and Bitsy Donaldson have got their entire tribe with them, all decked out with buttons "DAD", "MOM", "GRANDPA" (twice over), "GRANDMA", cousins, uncles, aunts, the other ...