new country motherhood intergenerational trauma W r i t i n g

PART ONE: PICK ONE (200 WORDS)

• OPTION 1
  Research myths or misconceptions that some people may have about refugees.  What are these misconceptions?  How does Bui challenge these misconceptions in chapter 7? Be specific as to what myths she dispel, referring to specific events in the chapter.
• OPTION 2
  Refer to Chapter 8. Write a diary entry from the perspective of Ma by pretending you are her and speaking in the first-person “I”.  In your diary entry, highlight a few of the major events that you experienced, including details like what transpired and how you felt throughout the whole ordeal.
• OPTION 3
  Review the quotes below. Explain the context for each quote (what’s happening/has happened up to that point in the story), and describe the significance of the quote in terms of the message the author is trying to convey in these scenes.
  • “Don’t be such a REFUGEE! Eat it in a bowl with some milk!” (p. 285)
  • “This – not any particular piece of Vietnamese culture – is my inheritance: the inexplicable need and extraordinary ability to RUN when the shit hits the fan. My Refugee Reflex” (p. 305)
• OPTION 4
  By the time you reach Chapter 10, you will have completed the journey into Thi’s past and arrived at the present moment where she reflects again on motherhood.  What does she realize in regards to her relationship with her mom?  What conclusions does the author reach in terms of who she is and what she hopes for her son to be?

PART TWO (150-200 WORDS)

Bui packed A LOT in her graphic memoir.  On which one of the following topics did you gain the most insight (or did your perspective change the most) as a result of reading her narrative? Explain your response in 150-200 words.

• refugees fleeing their native countries
• cultural identity as a result of moving to a new country
• motherhood
• intergenerational trauma (trauma passed down from parents to children)

Do you recommend others to read this book? Who? Why?  If not, why not?