Analysis of The Oriental Contingent by Diana Chang

Postcolonial Analysis: The Oriental Contingent by Diana Chang
The 20th century was a great time in the history of migrations that happened around the world. In this century people recorded movement from one place to another. The movements were necessitated by the search for greener settlements of life. People of the Asian origin migrated to the U.S. and found themselves torn between their own culture and the American practices. This two contrary forces one of originality and the other new found, was fought by the Chinese generation that was born and raised in the American background. This battle of thought led Chinese Americans to an internal criticism between what they are by birth and what nature and consequence has forced on them, while their own identity is a puzzle they must answer. Today, Postcolonial criticism seeks to explore the colored people’s devotedness to classify and keep themselves as hybrids safe between their origins and the new unattainable foreign selves. This is to say that there is no point to mourn that we are a forgotten lot, abused and underdeveloped.
In her book ‘The Oriental Contingent’ Dianna Chang contrasts out the life character of two girls and how they relate to each other. She picks out the feeling of jealousy that is from one of the girls against her Chinese American counter part. Dianna depicts Connie as possessing feelings in being less to Lisa in posing as original Chinese. Connie is more of a person that allows critics to sway her by being submissive. This submissiveness makes her give way even when her own identify of origin and culture is at stake. She feels less and goes not to embrace that her identity is one among other cultures. Postcolonial criticism advances the notion of our otherness and our difference. It is up to us to stand out and own our identity.
Thoughts of being inferior if compared to Lisa haunt Connie even before their physical meeting. After the awaited meeting Connie sighed with relief from learning that her anticipated friend Lisa is more like her. The sense level of jealousy in Connie changed the perception that good things and opportunities are reserved for non-Asians who are particularly the white Americans. This notion and practice had been bred and watered by people of the Asian origin for long. In regard to Lisa’s Asian roots, they can locate Connie’s argument by the Asian clique who downgrades themselves and others of the Asian culture. But thanks to Lisa who lights them up when she props up her origin from within. Despite her birth and learnt cultures of the America, I find Lisa actions re-energizing and helpful enough in cementing a person and his identity. We have to irrespective of color come out and count ourselves as a people with dignity.
Connie notes Lisa who by style is wearing a kimono dress. This dress revives Connie’s confidence. Connie grasps this and feels opportunity has provided her with culture mate and self-assuredly makes her feel the warmth of race to meet her own kin. Connie’s personal sense of belonging was provoked by the dress and further re-energized when Lisa proceeded to initiate talk by introducing herself and also knowing the other person. However their contact, to Connie reveals that the...