Answer TWO of the
following:
Q1: According to the
essay, how could an immigrant from Afghanistan become “Hot Tamale Louie” within years of arriving
in the US in the early 20th century? Why did no one know who
he was, or where he came from?
Q2: The racial laws of the
late 19th century/early 20th century were very vague and often deeply
discriminatory. According to the essay, what groups were denied citizenship on
racial grounds? What did it mean to be “not white,” and conversely, what does
it mean to be “Caucasian”?
Q3: On page 238, Schulz
writes “sometimes a story about leaving turns into a story about staying.” In
general, why are immigrants so successful in America, particularly the various “Khans” who settled here
from Afghanistan? If we use Zarif Khan as an example, what
accounted for his seemingly miraculous prosperity?
Q4: At the end of the
essay, Schulz warns us that “nativist nostalgia is a fantasy” (242). What does
she mean by that? Why are people like Bret Colvin deluding themselves in a
fantasy of what used to be, and what should be again? Why does Khan’s story
prove to us that things were never they way we think they were, and in general,
were often a lot worse?
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