Monkey Dance and Laotian Daughters

            In Monkey Dance, we got a glimpse into the lives of Cambodian refugees who immigrated to the United States during the Khmer Rouge regime. Not only did we witness the economic struggles that the family faced, but we also saw the cultural conflict they had. Although their children grew up in America and adopted the more westernized ways, they still followed their parents’ wishes in preserving some of their traditional Cambodian practices even if they personally did not want to. In Linda, we see that she practiced traditional dance because her father founded the dance school, not because she genuinely wished to. Although she follows the traditional dance moves, we see that her dance mates fuse the cultures together when they break-dance during their Monkey Dance performance. We also see Sam’s own cultural growth when he practices gymnastics and is the only Asian on his team. Despite being the minority, Sam is not discouraged and continues to strive for success knowing that his family is depending on him. Through these Cambodian youth, we see how they juggle both cultures as well as meeting their parents’ and their own desires.

  In the Laotian daughters article, we learn about the efforts of these young women as they tried to assimilate into the US and build a better life for themselves. They realized the importance of learning English and earning an education even if their neighbors did not tolerate immigrant. In fact, even when their own peers questioned why the women tried so hard when it was “useless,” they only took it as encouragement to keep on going. However, these Laotians were not pleased with the current system either, especially with Proposition 227. The students’ frustration is understandable and as Lon said, it would be best to teach classes with a “mixed language” because that is the best way for people to learn and embrace both languages – and through this, both cultures (66).