Fictive Fragments of a Father and Son

Fictive Fragments of a Son

By David Mura

I enjoyed this story because it shows the difference in generations between father and son. You can see how as the years go by, some things may change while some things still may stay the same. The fact that the boy is growing up in America does change some things, however. For example, when he mentions discovering his sexuality, he also relates to the typical American boy. It seems as though he wants reassurance that he is fitting into the norm as everyone else in America.

            The speaker mentions the women that he views “must be more beautiful than Asian women, more prestigious.” This thought of his may be different then of his father or grandfather. However, you can see what the speaker has become adapted to. By being in America, he has new views on women, who are different then what his father or grandfather are used to.

            The speaker also mentions how he has it easier then his father had it: “the beating were no different from the long distances he had to walk to school or the work he performed in his father’s nursery. They were simply proof that my fathers childhood was harsher then mine.” This also shows the generation difference of growing up between his father and him.

            However, throughout this story, it is not guaranteed that some of these things occurred. Instead, the speaker is finding some of these things and making inferences. This also shows how a child can be curious about his or her parent’s lives of when they were younger. Overall, it amazes me to see the difference in generations between a father and son, and how growing up in America may have something to do with it.

Cats of Mirikitani

Cats of Mirikitani

I found the film Cats of Mirikitani to be amazingly powerful. I found it quite miraculous how Linda was able to find something in Jimmy to want to interview him and follow his story. It was nice to see one act of kindness do so much to someone. I was glad to see her offer her home to Jimmy in hopes that he would better himself. After seeing his potential in art, she knew that Jimmy meant well and after the 9/11 incident she could not bear to live with him living in the streets.

I noticed a parallel connection between Japanese Americans during the World War II and Muslims after 9/11. People are quick to assume and make insulting connections just from a person’s image. These stereotypes can be quite offensive, especially to innocent people. For Jimmy, he was told to “go back to his country” in which little did people know that he was actually born in San Francisco, California.

I never knew about the Japanese Concentration Camps and the conditions that these Japanese Americans were put in. Forcing them to give up their American citizenship and then returning it without notifying them was beyond cruel.

Jimmy continued to live the rest of his life hating the American government. He always thought that they were scheming to harm him in the long run. This caused him to be reluctant in having them help him find an apartment on his own.

I thought Jimmy was such a powerful man overall. Not only did he live through hell but was also able to remember every single memory from his younger years. I felt like the theme of memory played a major role throughout the story. He was able to cope with the pain of his memory through his paintings. I also felt as though visiting the Tule Lake was a sign of closure with Jimmy’s haunting past. By visiting such a devastating place, he was able to finally say goodbye to that chapter in his life and continue on with his life. I appreciated the fact that although Jimmy remembered everything in his life, he did not let that stop him from doing what he loved, which was painting.

At the end of the day, this made me realize that the American dream involves pursuing your destiny in life no matter obstacles may get in the way of that. Regardless of the harsh life Jimmy was given, he made sure painting stayed dear to him whether he made millions of dollars from it or not- do what you are passionate about and that is the American dream.