Exploring Asian Voices

Download or read book Exploring Asian Voices written by Barbara Stanners and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: EXPLORING ASIAN VOICES explores literary and media texts suitable for Asian Studies within the secondary English Curriculum. Texts about Asian places, people, events and traditions give historical information as well as how their culture has been represented over time. Asian poets, writers and film makers often examine issues of migration, exile or the refugee experience and the traumatic emotional impact it can have on those who experience it first-hand. Similarly, Asian memoirs, autobiographies and diaries frequently deal with the hardships of coping with war, poverty and social injustice. The voices that are heard can be confronting but are often also inspirational in their desire to promote social and cultural reform and freedom. Cultural adjustment and assimilation problems are other recurring themes in many Asian texts. This is not surprising with estimates that as many as twenty million Asian migrants have left their homelands to settle elsewhere. Studying such texts deepens historical and cultural familiarity and builds empathy through identification with often youthful protagonists. They can also increase student appreciation for virtues such as resilience, courage and determination in overcoming physical, cultural and language barriers. The rich literary history and diversity of Asian texts offer students many opportunities to broaden their learning and communication skills