SHORT ESSAY ASSIGNMENT:

DUE: Wednesday, March 30, 2022

I. DESCRIPTION:

The short essay assignment covers selected materials featured in the 1st half of the semester. It must be typed, double-spaced, roughly 3-4 pages long, and feature 1” margins and 12 point font. It is worth 15 points.

[If you type more than 4 pages of text, you will not be penalized; I am just providing students with a rough estimate when I say “3-4 pages.” On the other hand, if you write under 3 pages of text, you are probably not developing your ideas in an effective manner, so I would not recommend that you turn in a two page paper.]

GRADING: The short essay is a formal writing assignment. In your paper, you are expected to 1) emphasize analytical over descriptive writing, 2) show originality and thoughtfulness, 3) integrate and elaborate on class materials, 4) observe rules of grammar, and 5) present a well-written, strongly organized essay. You should clearly state your thesis (that is, a central argument) near the end of your introductory paragraph(s); this will help strengthen your paper’s organization as well as provide direction for the reader. Finally, you should strive to explain the logic and rationale—the “why’s” and “how’s”—behind your thinking. For example, what is the “why” explanation behind your thesis, and “how” do you plan to demonstrate this as you analyze the artwork in detail throughout the body of your paper?

IN-TEXT CITATIONS

For this assignment, students can follow the simple and straightforward guidelines used for papers written in MLA Style format. [see ]

For quoted material featured in a film, you can list the film title, and the start & end time of where something is said or done in the film inside parentheses, like this: (Taqwacore 11:23 – 12:47).

For quoted material in a short story, you can identify the last name of the author and the page number of the quote inside parentheses, like this: (Bulosan 77).

LATE ASSIGNMENTS: Late assignments will be accepted, but points will be deducted for lateness at my discretion depending on how late it is turned in. [Remember my general rule: always better late than never.]

II. QUESTIONS / PROMPT:

Drawing upon examples of creative expression (e.g., film, short story, music, humor) featured in class as well as insights offered through other course materials (especially the week 5 articles on assimilation, the melting pot, and cultural pluralism), address the following interrelated questions: how do individuals in selected materials react to “being American” (or in cases involving recently arrived immigrants, “becoming American”)? Is such an identity static, as if the individuals in question followed a pre-existing rule book on how to be “American?” Or, is this identity treated as existing in a state of being “in-progress,” where “American-ness” is actively constructed and molded by individuals into a form that reflects a more personalized, rather than conformist, approach towards American identity? Please explain.

Discuss the following:

· Taqwacore: the Birth of Punk Islam (In your analysis of this film, discuss at least 3 specific scenes / events, explaining how they demonstrate the point you are trying to make in regards to your answers to the questions above. Focus your analysis on the South Asian American members of the Kominas / Noble Drew.)

AND, select 1 of the following 3 items to also analyze in your paper (along with the Taqwacore documentary)

· ITEM 2 – Resist and Exist’s song “Assimilation” (composed by Korean American immigrant singer-songwriter Jae Lee) and Chris Iijima / Joanne Nobuko Miyamoto / Charlie Chin’s song “We Are the Children” (composed by Iijima and Miyamoto) [Refer to at least 2 different sections of a song—for example, analyze key lyrics at the beginning and then key lyrics near the middle of “Assimilation.” Then, do something similar for “We Are the Children.” Focus your analysis on the perspectives of the composers as expressed in their song lyrics.]

· ITEM 3 – Tien Tran’s comedy routine featured in the video clip entitled “When the Teacher Doesn’t Even Try to Pronounce Your Name” [Discuss at least 3 different jokes. Focus your analysis on Tran’s content throughout the entire video (and not just the jokes related to her name).]

· ITEM 4 – Carlos Bulosan’s “Be American” [Discuss at least 3 specific scenes from the short story, explaining how they demonstrate the point you are trying to make. – Focus your analysis on the reactions/behavior of the fictional character Consorcio.]

[NOTE: For all of the above items, discuss and develop your analysis with as much depth as possible. You should back up some of your claims by directly quoting relevant lines of text or dialogue to add more nuance and refinement to your analysis while also making your point to readers more forcefully and persuasively.]

III. HELPFUL WRITING TIPS:

1. THESIS STATEMENT: The essay is an argumentative paper. You should place your thesis statement (i.e., a short 1-2 sentence statement that encapsulates your paper’s central argument) clearly at the end of your essay’s introduction. For more information on creating and developing a thesis statement, see the following helpful resource web pages:

a. “How To Write a Thesis Statement” (Indiana University)

b. “Thesis Statements” (University of Illinois Springfield)

2. QUOTING: quoting from the artwork (e.g., song lyrics, film, literary text) is encouraged so that you can add stronger emphasis to your overall argument, but there are some suggestions I have to prevent you from committing common student mistakes:

a. Introduce a quote that you use; explain to the reader why you are using it. When possible, you should avoid starting a sentence with a quote.

b. On Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

c. Framing Quotations in Sentences (pdf handout by Chelsea Jennings, University of Washington) ()

d. As a general rule for my classes, I encourage students not to over-quote because this conveys “lazy writing” (I am not the only professor who thinks this). 😊 Overall, try to ensure that roughly 70-75% of your essay’s text is in your own words, while 25%-30% can consist of quotes.

3. PROOFREADING: I suggest you proofread your essay several times before turning it in. You are encouraged to practice correct rules of grammar, spelling, and punctuation; I believe you will find the following web page helpful as you proofread drafts of your paper:

4. In short, a strong essay is well-organized, thoughtful rather than merely derivative, features claims that are clearly stated and fully supported with evidence, addresses opposing views when possible, and avoids illogical assertions. You want to place greater emphasis on analytical—not descriptive—writing when working on this argumentative essay. Descriptive writing involves the writing of what merely happens in an artwork; such activity can be achieved by summarizing or describing what happens in a poem, video, song, painting, and so forth. By contrast, analytical writing forces a writer to discuss how an artwork supports their thesis statement (a.k.a., central opinion or argument); such an approach involves persuasion (as in persuading readers of your thesis). [A useful analogy you might consider when thinking about this writing process might be to think about a typical criminal court case involving circumstantial evidence. In such court cases, lawyers need to persuade jurors that a certain person(s) is innocent or guilty based on non-direct evidence using reasoning and deduction. Yet, the innocent are sometimes wrongly accused and the guilty are set free, so great skill is required on the part of those organizing and explaining the evidence to ensure they achieve their goals.]

Additional tips when writing:

Book and film titles are usually italicized. Chapter titles and articles (from magazines, newspapers, and journals) are written inside quotation marks.

Be consistent in your use of verb tense. If you start writing the paper in past tense, then try to write in past tense throughout the remainder of the essay if possible. Avoid switching back and forth between past and present tense.

Avoid the use of contractions. [Most formal academic writing follows this rule.]

Strive for conciseness and avoid being wordy.

Try to focus on one main idea in each paragraph. Use topic sentences effectively to help the reader see with great transparency the logical direction and flow of content stemming from a main idea in each paragraph.

Excellent online writing resources you can reference:

For additional information on writing,

1. Purdue’s Online Writing Lab ().

2. UW-MADISON WRITER’S HANDBOOK ()

For further writing assistance, you can visit CSUF’s online.

The Writing Center offers 30-minute, one-on-one peer tutoring sessions and workshops, aimed at providing assistance for all written assignments and student writing concerns. Writing Center services are available to students from all disciplines. Registration and appointment schedules are available at the . Walk-in appointments are also available on a first come, first served basis, to students who have registered online. More information can be found at the webpage The Writing Center is located on the first floor of the their phone number is (657) 278-3650.