Brave Expatriate New Worlds: Migration and Acculturation in Betty Shamieh’s Roar and David Henry Hwang’s FOB

المؤلف

Helwan University

المستخلص

Migrations usually carry feelings of apprehension and confusion, combined with a need for adjustment. Many expatriate societies have had to struggle with living between different worlds. Informed by migration studies, this interdisciplinary article combines readings in drama and the social sciences in order to analyze the way in which the experiences of expatriates are mainly attempts at forging new worlds. In Betty Shamieh’s Roar (2005) the Arab American family has attempted to integrate their original culture with the American culture, however, the relationship between the old and new worlds remained in conflict. On the other hand, in David Henry Hwang’s Asian American play, FOB (1980), the conflict is between the assimilated Asian Americans who have already been living in the host country and those newcomers, the “Fresh off the Boat”. Most immigrant characters in the plays, whether first or second generation, face consequences of dislocation and thus demonstrate degrees of cultural and linguistic appropriation as they articulate their identity narrative whether of assimilation, separation, integration or marginalization.

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