Seminar paper from the year 2006 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 2,3, University of Freiburg, course: Ethnic Novel in American Literature, language: English, abstract: IndexI. Introduction 1II. Pocho2.1 Background to the Novel 22.2 Territorial Obscurity 22.3 Education 42.4 Richards Relation to his Parents 42.5 The Dissolution of the Family 6III. Mona in the Promised Land 93.1 Background to the Novel 93.2 Monas Relation to her Parents 9IV. Conclusion 13V. BibliographyI. IntroductionThis term paper deals with two pieces of American immigrant literature of different culture,political background, time and setting. The novel Pocho by Jose Antonio Villarealpublished in 1959 was the first Chicano novel. It was written primarily for an Anglo-American audience in order to explain the life of a Pocho. Villareal wrote the novel withoutany guideline as no one had entered this political vacuum before.1The novel Mona in the Promised Land by the Chinese-American writer Gish Jen publishedin 1996 introduces us into the multicultural life of the predominantly Jewish New Yorksuburb of Scarshill in 1968.I will show in this term paper that despite the many differences in the two novels there alsoare many commonalities and parallels what life and the problems between the twoprotagonists and their parents concerns. I will furthermore try to present in detail that thefamiliar sorrow in both novels is closely connected with the complex conflict of generationswithin two cultures, as well as the protagonists search for identity that results from this.In the first part I will analyze Richards changing relationship towards his parents.In the second part I will show that also Mona despite her completely different background andenvironment faces similar problems which finally lead to the break up with predominantly hermother. Furthermore I will expose that Mona and Richard share common interests and ways.At the end of my work I will finally compare the parallels but also show differences betweenthe two novels.II. Pocho2.1 Background to the NovelThe term Pocho is an expression for a Mexican who is born and raised in the United States.It is used with an abusive connotation to describe Mexican Americans in the USA. Pochosare often perceived by Mexicans to be badly-educated and without a proper sense of culture.Jose Antonio Villarreals novel Pocho is set after the Mexican Revolution of 1910 whenmillions of Mexicans migrated to the USA in order to get work by the so-called firstBracero-Program. [...]