Imagining America: Stories from the promised land

by Wesley And Ling Brown

Thirty-seven short stories from 1900 to the present, written by some of our best authors—African, Asian, European, Jewish, Middle Eastern, and Native American—follow the waves of immigration into and migration within the United States. These stories are unique in time and circumstance, yet they address a common dilemma: how to reconcile America's mythologized "promise" with its more complex reality. New to the collection are Sherman Alexie, Michelle Cliff, Edwidge Danticat, Junot Diaz, Chitra Divakaruni, Jewelle Gomez, Thomas King, Bruce Morrow, Agnes Rossi, and David Wong Louie. They join Toni Cade Bambara, Richard Bausch, Marita Bonner, Nash Candelaria, Sandra Cisneros, Louise Erdrich, Mei Mei Evans, Oscar Hijuelos, Gish Jen, LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka, Kim Yong Ik, Monfoon Leong, Bernard Malamud, Paule Marshall, Nicholasa Mohr, Toshio Mori, Bharati Mukherjee, Mikhail Naimy, Tahira Naqvi, Gregory Orfalea, Grace Paley, Jeanne Schinto, Leslie Marmon Silko, Michael Stephens, Sui Sin Far, Alice Walker, and Hisaye Yamamoto—making this, once again, the most authoritative and useful multicultural collection available.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, School, Anthologies, Textbooks, Cultural

370 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1991

Reviews

[Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of fictional tales describing what it means to be American. Nobody comes right out and says it, but we can glance the essence through sideways looks and peaks under the cover. Not every story in here resonated with me, not every story was particularly enjoyable or interesting, but on the whole I enjoyed having this in my hands.

[Kathrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great concept, but concept is the only thing holding them together. A few of these were great. Styles vary widely with little to no intro context, so best used as a resource.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of stories proves that America is multi-cultural. Everyone that dreams of becoming an American has the opportunity to become American. Every one currently living in America no matter the legal status is an America. We are a nation of immigrants, we stole the land of the Natives, who we treated like ghost, we brought slaves from Africa, who we treated as cattle, we treated East Asians with this distant cold separation, and we treated Latinos Americans as if they are simply laborers who are at our disposals. We learn of their experiences, we see their experiences, we feel their experiences. They are Americans. Americans by the very definition cannot exclude groups based on their nationality or race because we are all immigrants. We are the land of immigrants. We are the culture of immigrants. We are all one with the land of America.

The only way we as Americans can pay for our crimes of our ancestors is too let every American have the opportunity to thrive. This will be a monumental task, but the first step will be listening to the stories of all kinds of Americans. As a second-generation Cuban American from my mom's side, I know about the immigrate experience from my grandparents. So we should not hate the immigrant but embrace them. That is the first step for this nation to heal.

Hence, why I give this book a 5 star. It is truly a lovely collection of stories of the American experience go read it.

[Barbara Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a continuing education course on immigrant literature that will start in a couple weeks. The stories are all good and each one can be read in a single sitting. My quibble is that several of the authors were actually born here and, while they might write about immigrants, they are not themselves immigrants. This is especially the case with Sherman Alexie who is writing about people whose families were here before the first European arrived. This is not the fault of the book, which bills itself merely as multicultural, at which it does a fine job.

[Ally Feldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of stories read for my Ethnic American literature course - a great curation of wonderful short stories. I loved most of them.

[Jeff Hobbs]

Read so far:

I. ARRIVING. In the land of the free / Sui Sin Far --2
The whipping / Marita Bonner --
*The English lesson / Nicholasa Mohr --
The German refugee / Bernard Malamud --4
*They won't crack it open / Kim Yong Ik --
A wife's story / Bharati Mukherjee --2
Silver pavements, golden roofs / Chitra Divakaruni --3
The blossoming of Bongbong / Jessica Hagedorn (NA)--
Children of the sea / Edwidge Danticat --3

II. BELONGING. His grace / Mikhail Naimy --
*Japanese hamlet / Toshio Mori --
*New year for Fong Wing / Monfoon Leong (NA)--
Seventeen syllables / Hisaye Yamamoto --2
The lesson / Toni Cade Bambara --3
The death of Horatio Alger / LeRoi Jones, Amiri Baraka --1
In the American society / Gish Jen --2
Near the end of the world / Bruce Morrow --
Don't explanin / Jewelle Gomez (NA)--
Hungry dog / Agnes Rossi --

III. CROSSINGS. The loudest voice / Grace Paley --4
The man to send rain clouds / Leslie Marmon Silko --3
*American horse / Louise Erdrich --
El Patrón / Nash Candelaria --
Thank God for the Jews / Tahira Naqvi --
*Gussuk / Mei Mei Evans --
*Barbie-Q / Sandra Cisneros --
Birthday / David Wong Louie --
Borders / Thomas King --
How to date a browngirl, blackgirl, whitegirl, or halfie / Junot Díaz --

IV. REMEMBERING. *Old West / Richard Bausch --
*Elethia / Alice Walker --
Visitors, 1965 / Oscar Hijuelos --
The disappearance / Jeanne Schinto --
The chandelier / Gregory Orfalea --
Five jack cool / Michael Stephens --
*To Da-Duh, in memoriam / Paule Marshall --
Election day, 1984 / Michelle Cliff --
A drug called tradition / Sherman Alexie (NA)--
***
*Immigration blues / Bienvenido Santos --

[Amani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive anthology that contains a wide range of stories about the immigrant experience. Grouped thematically (Arriving, Belonging, Crossings, Remembering), these stories explore the promise and disappointment of leaving one's homeland in search of a better life. Particuarly good are stories by Edwidge Danticat, Gregory Orfalea, and Sherman Alexie.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I taught some of the stories within this book to my high school students. Recommended for accessible reading regarding ideas of assimilation and acculturation.

[Leslie D. Soule · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good anthology of short stories about the "American" experience.