The following word list is a suggested springboard to individual or group activities for exploration of cultural discoveries. Examine them for their implied meaning in relation to culture. Make them a part of your spoken vocabulary and make a conscious effort to apply these suggested concepts to your daily social behaviors.
1. Find definitions for the words listed below and write them in the "notes" section of your Lit Log.
2. When you read the words below, what images or perceptions come to mind if you are taking a stand for or against emphasizing cultural differences among ethnic groups in America. (Open Forum)
3. Which words would you choose to convey your feelings about ethnic relations in this country. (Open Forum)
4. Take the challenge: If you were asked to make a speech to newly arriving immigrants, which of the following words would be useful to your persuasive argument for or against their application for citizenship to this country? (optional writing)
5. Use the words listed as V-III to make a positive statement about living in America. (optional writing)
V-I accept respect discover recognize know
attribute nurture empathize understand see
invite embody tolerate
V-II customs culture heritage traditions values
V-III ignore exclude discriminate stereotype segregate
Hands-on Learning
Directions: Choose one aspect of your culture with which you would like to familiarize others. Plan a short-term study which includes research information and a visual product which represents
the ideas you wish to share.(visual can be a model, written piece, music, dance, drama or art.)
HELLO, MY NAME IS SCRAMBLED EGGS Jamie Gilson
Meet Harvey, Tuan and Quint as they awkwardly teach and learn about each other's cultures. Watch these three twelve year old boys, who despite their obvious cultural differences ( language. religion, education,) each recognize and nurture their common learning interests, people skills and personal desires to create a friendship, which promises to last beyond the closing pages of this novel.
Author, Jamie Gilson writes a fascinating and recognizable story about a family of Vietnamese refugees, "Nguyens," who migrate to middle America- Pittsfield, Illinois " Pig Capitol of the world," according to Harvey Trumble, narrator, protagonist and member of the American host family. The story "...Scrambled Eggs," is a tale of two cultures. Each struggles through basic fears of cultural acceptance v. self preservation; of cultural assimilation v. cultural heritage and of fact v. fiction.
Synopsis
The story opens with the anticipated arrival of the Nguyens. Harvey and his family can only wonder what the Vietnamese family looks like, what clothes they wear, what foods they eat? For some time now, the town had been schooled on how to behave when the Nguyens arrive. Their greatest concern was that language would be an obvious barrier to their early adjustment to America.
Harvey would take care of that little problem. He would teach the child, Tuan how to be "American." Tuan would become his sole responsibility and his friend. This is Harvey's decision, Tuan is not given a choice in this matter. Tuan is told how to dress, what cool language to use, what foods to eat and what name to call himself so that the school children would not laugh at his Vietnamese name. At school, Tuan Ngyuen was Americanized as Tom Win.
Harvey's work may have been well intentioned, but lacked respect for Tuan's desire to maintain his own cultural identity. It also lacked any effort to learn about Tuan's cultural beliefs and practices. It seemed so easy to Americanize him and hope that he would soon forget about his war torn homeland. Finally, Tuan tells Harvey that he has made a decision to no longer be Tom, but he will learn about being American.
Quint's concerns run toward being ousted by the foreigners, Tuan and his working aged father. Quint's uncle, Wayne is looking for employment and suggests that Tuan's father is the reason he has been unsuccessful at finding work Quint takes his cue from Uncle Wayne who knows about "these" people. ( Wayne knows some of the popular myth, Harvey accepts it as fact.) They are secretly hoping that the Nguyens will not adjust well enough to stay in America.
When Quint discovers that his best friend, Harvey is spending all of his time with "the kid" (so-named by Quint) and that same kid is also his competition in math class, Quint decides he had better take matters into his own hands. He wants to maintain his status as math whiz of his class and best friend to Harvey. He decides to get Tuan (Tom) away from Harvey, so that he and Uncle Wayne can have some influence over him. As it turns out, Quint learns to like Tuan for the person that he is , rather than what he represents.
By the close of the story, the Nguyens move into their own house and find that they can buy foods with which they are familiar; the Church's newly sponsored Vietnamese family members are arriving; Harvey allows Tuan to speak on the sad memories of his escape from Vietnam to America; Tuan and Quint are working together in the accelerated math group; Quint's Uncle, Wayne finds a job; Mr. Nguyen keeps his job and all of Pittsfield is planning for the upcoming Thanksgiving Festival which will include, both American and Vietnamese foods.
