Title	Author	Themes	Summary
Two Old Women	Velma Wallis	Betrayal Courage Survival Friendship	This story is about two old women who were abandoned by their tribe during a brutal winter famine. When they were left alone, they worked hard to collect and dry fish for themselves. The story shows the merciless way of life of nomadic Native Canadians.
My Dungeon Shook: A Letter to My Nephew	James Baldwin	Racism Sexism Classism	By writing a letter to his nephew, Baldwin aimed to make white Americans aware of the painful realities of African-American life, looking inward to examine the psychological damage of racism and the search for black identity and self-realization.
The Woman Warrior: Memories of a Girl among Ghosts	Maxine Hong Kingston	Intergenerational differences Cultural mismatches Women’s position/Male dominance Racism & stereotyping Living in between	The story represents the experience of a young educated woman who was born to a Chinese family. On the one hand, the mother used to tell the story of a swordswoman, a Chinese strong woman. On the other hand, she expected her daughter to accept old Chinese traditions, being submissive and silent. In addition, the story is a mixture of fear, resentment, displacement and disappointment. It shows how many Chinese American families are torn between two worlds without really being part of any of them.
The Joy Club: Growing up Asian American	Amy Tan	Intergenerational differences The challenges of cultural translation The power of storytelling The problem of immigrant identity Sexism Control over one’s destiny	The Joy Club includes six stories that represent the intergenerational conflicts between Chinese mothers and their American-raised daughters, experiencing mismatches that stemmed from cultural differences. The traditional Chinese values of obedience, criticism and hiding emotions clash with the daughter’s American ideas about being independent.
A Conversation	Pauline Kaldas	Living in between Dependent culture vs. independent culture	The story is about an Egyptian couple who left Egypt and immigrated to the United States, revealing their intimate struggles with identity and place. The wife appreciates the possibilities of America, and the husband is tempted by the desire to return home, embedded with loss of their homeland, but he embraces both cultures. Their conversations portray the differences in mentality, style of life and culture in both countries, which shape the attitude of the wife.
Nada	Judith Oritz Cofer	Working class struggles The American dream/illusion Cultural, social and religious conflicts	This story represents the struggles of Latino working-class people. The author talks about the story of Dona Ernestina, a Latino woman who lived in the same apartment complex in New Jersey with other people who immigrated to Mainland America from Puerto Rico. This community tried hard to maintain their Hispanic culture and ideals, keeping strong social relations among themselves in the complex and planning to go back to their original Island, Puerto Rico when they would retire. Dona lost her son to the Vietnam War shortly after the death of her husband and refused the flag and medals that the government people brought. After that visit, she received a flag and medal, which she returned to the government. The story ends with the mother giving away all her worldly possessions, most of which were made of plastic, and later committing suicide.