American Son Author: Brian Ascalon Roley

1. American Son Author: Brian Ascalon Roley By: Jereme Umali and Josh Apostol March 1, 2013 ETHN 126

2. Brief Summary Part 2: Gabe runs away from home, meet Stone • Meets with mom and Aunt Jessica in Oregon Part 3: • Errands of Tomas and Gabe • Hangout between Ika and Gabe • Party at Tita Dina's House • Car incident with yoga mom

3. Rudy Guevarra's Article • Differs from the novel in a sense • Gabe and Tomas are not Mexipinos • Major points that relate to novel to consider: • Ambiguous identity with more than one culture • Often overlapped, overlooked, and marginalized • Must empower and define themselves, while continuing to redefine and challenge their identities, US dominant culture, negative stereotypes, etc. • Multiple passing - "both feet in both groups" • No multi-ethnic, mixed race groups are perfect • It is a continual process

4. Major Themes • Illusion of Power (relates to Identity Crisis) • Identity Crisis (relates to Illusion of Power) • Family Relationships

5. Theme #1: Illusion of Power

6. Illusion of Power • Colonialism/American Dream • U.S. militarism - meek Asian woman & abusive white American man • Tomas and his father fight when he visits - not present • Journey to America - different than those who are born here and Uncle Betino's Filipino nationalism, different epic between the Philippines and the US (Vicente Rafael) • “your mother had hopes” - burden of achieving is in her hands and that of her children dream not taken by Tomas and absence of father

7. Illusion of Power cont. • Masculinity (gender and racial identity) • Tomas, Gabe, and (slightly Uncle Betino) as "fatherly figures" • physical appearances/masculinity - White/Mexican - "positive" attributes through the main characters - Asian/FIlipino - "negative"attributes through the Gaze/main characters = observant, quiet, passive, down

8. Illusion of Power cont. • Tomas as the "Hypermasculine Mexican gangster" - lack of father figure? • Assumes responsibility for Gabe and Ika - consequences for them as well • To counter white heterosexual masculinity that marginalizes him, but disassociates him from the masculinity of multiracial Asian men • P. 39 - uses it as a defense mechanism to protect him from what he actually is versus what he is trying to be • Exerts himself by countering racial categories • Makes a new identity himself in "passing" - suppresses racial identity

9. Illusion of Power cont. • Becomes influential to Gabe and transforms him into someone like him from an emasculated Asian man to a hypermasculine man of color • “He’s been especially nice ever since we went down to Eddy Ho’s. Since then he has not beaten or picked on me in front of his friends…A couple of times he has even taken me with him to hang out” (171). • Found his new identity due to lack of father figure • Beatings of Eddy Ho and Ben • Gabe • wants to "pass" as white American and asserts it

10. Illusion of Power cont. • viewed as an American white son by Stone • P. 91 - mirror scene • Mischaracterized as a Mexican, does not like his Asian features • Void of father, male relationships > American Son[s] • “He [Tomas] looksforward again and seems to ponder this. He nods. He sets his hand on me and I tensebecause he has never done it this way before, but the gesture feels somehow familiar.Then it dawns on me [Gabe] that this is probably something that my father used to do to both of us” (216).

11. Illusion of Power cont. • Both new identities reinforce mother's identity still - Steals to provide - Beats to protect - Tomas's behavior is what Ika is afraid of - remind her of father's abusive/violent behavior • Self vs. Society • Internal/external conflict with US dominant culture and their always conflicting identities

12. Theme #2: Identity Crisis

13. Identity Crisis • Mixed race - internal and external • Choose one identity or the other or none

14. Identity Crisis cont. • Tomas • Moves away from that identity but forms a new one that typifies his being • Inferior racial identity • Patriarchal • Uses "passing" as a tool • "...is the son who causes...embarrassment by showing up at family parties...covered in gangster tattoos and his head shaved down to stubble and his eyes bloodshot from pot." • Love and respect mom, but love and protect her by turning his crimes into gifts • Different identities that being American means

15. Identity Crisis cont. • Gabe • Part 1: shy, timid, passive • "Still, I do not like having her pick me up from school. She is short and dark and wers funny-looking giant purple glasses that are trendy on other people's mothers but which do not match her brown skin tone." (30). • Part 2: exploration of identity - "white" vs. "Filipino" • "But it isn't near as bad as San Pedro, he says. Cambodians, Vietnamese, Laotioans." (84) and maid • Part 3: development of "new" identity • "I feel a rush not of anxiety but of confidence." (214)

16. Identity Crisis cont. • Ika • mother considers filling in void of father because he was not there to raise them as expected • fulfills expecatations of what US dominant culture expects of her and her character remains stagnant • attempts to leverage her status, however, she recognizes US exceptionalism, but fails to recognize her benevolent assimilation • internalizes, soft-spoken • her experience exceeded her expectations, life here reminds her of back home • absence of memory and erasure of history

17. Theme #3: Family Relationships

18. Gabe Towards Mother (Ika) • Progression of Gabe wanting to be closer to his mom • Part 3: Starts to think about how Ika feels and even do certain things for her • Examples: • Thinking about getting his mom flowers after mass (170) • Standing up for her in the store (180-184) • Wanting to help the mom's fender bender problem (ch 4, part IV and VI) • Part 2: Runs away from home • Calls her "our maid" in front of Stone (115) • seeing Ika cry after figuring it out

19. Gabe and Tomas In part 3, we start to see bright spots in the relationship between the brothers • Beginning of Chapter 3 • Pointing out each other's flaws towards the end of the book • resulting towards working together to help mom • It's not perfect, but improving

20. Ika Towards Sons (in Part 3) Gabe • Doesn't talk to him a lot, stays quiet, looks away from him • Acts more like "a maid" towards him Tomas • Welcoming to parties and mass • Pg 195 at the end of the party "longing" for both of them • The last letter from Uncle Betino

21. Discussion Questions • Is Gabe's life looking better at the end of the book? • Is Ika embarrassed about her sons? • Who do you feel more frustrated towards: Tomas, Gabe, or Ika? • Do you feel optimistic towards any of the three? • Do you relate to any of them? • How do Aunt Jessica and Uncle Bentino fit into these "family relationships"?