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The Arrival And Growing Up Asian In Australia

Decent Essays

‘The Arrival’ by Shaun Tan and ‘Growing up Asian in Australia’ edited by Alice Pung, explore the different experiences of migrants when moving to a new and foreign culture. These texts discuss the broad and individual stories of migrants, including the many positives aspects of migrant life, as well as the many negatives and hardships that are faced. In this essay I will endeavor to discuss the similarities and contrasts between these two texts in regards to the difficulties migrants face when moving to a new country and assimilating into into a new culture. When migrants relocate they often struggle with language and communication barriers, which creates many limitations for them. Migrants may also have difficulties with being accepted by …show more content…

In “The Arrival” the man struggles to communicate and must rely on basic hand gestures and drawings to convey even the simplest things. It prevents him from completing simple tasks, conversing with others, and finding a job. This causes him distress and worry, unable to know whether he will make it through another day and still be able support himself and his family back home. Such a language barrier creates many limitations for the migrants in both ‘The Arrival’ and “Growing Up Asian In Australia’. Although, in the story ‘Chinese lessons’, language holds a more important place in the parent’s hearts as it not only a form of communication, but also their way of connecting with their past and with their children. In ‘Chinese Lessons’ Ivy’s parents came to Australia with nothing but their language as a reminder of their homeland. They would have faced many difficulties stemming from their lack of communication, yet they decided to never let go of their native language. It was important to Ivy’s father that she learn his language because it was his way of “ensuring he would still be able to connect to his past.” As a child, unable to understand this, Ivy remained reluctant to learn and was never truly close to her parents as a result. Language, being so powerful, can grant or take away opportunities, and connect or distance two

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