Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Relevancy of the Pilgrim's Experience
First, read "An American Story" on page 34. Then take into account the experiences of the Dinh family from this story. In what ways might the Pilgrims' experiences be relevant to contemporary pioneers or refugees? Besides the Dinh family, what others can you suggest as relevant to the Pilgrims' experiences?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Dinh family and the pilgrims had many similarities although in different ways. Both the pilgrims and the Dinh family had to leave a place they had known for a long time and journey to the unknown. I think that both of the parties involved were afraid. They had no idea as to where they were going or where they would end up; they were just sailing into the unknown. The pilgrims had problems with their families, for example, many of them had died on the way to America and William Bradford’s wife had either fallen off of the ship or she jumped. The Dinh’s had family problems as well. They had been separated whenever most of their family left, and they did not become to be reunited with their whole family in Portland for another fifteen years.
ReplyDeleteThe Pilgrims had problems with the Indians and they had to set up a treaty so that they were sure that they were protected and safe. The treaty established that things should not be taken from the Pilgrims and that they should not be injured or else the Indians may be punished. In a way, Van Dinh had a problem with people as well. While she was in the Hong Kong refugee camp, she was never given an interview from the people that were responsible for the refugee process. After years of not allowing to be interviewed, Viet Dinh had sent a letter to The New York Times and they had published it in their newspapers in January of 1992. This letter was the only reason that the people in charge at the camp had finally agreed to interviewing Van. After interviewing, they had ound out that Van Dinh was, in fact, permitted to be of refugee rank.
The Pilgrims and the Dinh family both had to overcome adversaries. In the end, they were both successful. The Pilgrims finally found out somewhere to establish themselves and they were able to start homes and build families as well as gathering food and learning to live off of the land. The Dinh family was successful at applying themselves and living off of what they could to survive. There ended up being an architect in the family along with running a store, being computer programmers and going to college. These groups were both successful because they had persevered and followed their dreams and accomplished what they believed they could do.
I believe that there are many other types of stories that can be related to the pilgrims. Everyone who doesn’t know where they want to go in life can be related to them because they are all scared. Everyone will have struggles to confront and battles to be fought. They don’t know what will happen or where they will end up. There is, however, always the promise that if they set out and try to achieve what they want to do and strive for how they want to live, they will end up in good standing, and they will end up happy and where they want to be.
I agree completely with you. Both of these groups felt attacked in one way or another, and both of them persisted twoard what they believed was good. In the end, both the pilgrims and the Dinh family succeded.
DeleteMorgan, your sentence stating,"everyone will have struggles to confront and battles to be fought" is perfect for the stories we have read lately. In the end, everyone came out strong and on top. As long as life is lived to the best of your ability and you are happy, that is all that counts. Make your voice be heard in the process.
DeleteYour point of view is very strong. The way you described both the Pilgrims and Dinh family's harsh struggle shows how both families suffered, but were able to preserve. I believe your blog was very well written
DeleteThe dinh family and the pilgrims had it tough, but both persevered. They were both leaving places that they knew, to go to places they have never seen. The Dinhs were going to a refugee camp, and the pilgrims were leaving for an entire new continent. The feeling of the unknown is what drives the feeling of fear in human beings. This would have made both the Dinhs and the pilgrims very afraid about what they would encounter later on.
ReplyDeleteThe unknown wasn't the only thing that gave both of these groups of people problems. Other people gave them problems too. THe pilgrims had to deal with the Indians and Van Dinh had to deal with the refugee camp officials. The pilgrims were able to solve the Indian problem by drawing up the Mayflower Compact, and Van Dinh was able to solve the camp official problem by persistance and determination over time.
Both of these groups had lots of problems to deal with, but they bielieved that their situation would turn out for the good in the end, and through their persistance, it did. This is a good example of how we need to act and behave whenever things in life get hard, just persevere and keep on trying.
I think that there are lots of groups that could be put into the same "classification" as the pilgrims and Dinhs. Starting way in the past was the Israelites. The Israelites left persecution and slavery to leave for the promise land. This was just like the pilgrims leaving England and coming for the promise land of America. The Israelites had to wander about the desert for 40 years, just like the pilgrims, many of them lost hope and died. This theme continues around the world up to the present day, and it probably will continue. There will always be a group of people feeling attacked and treated unfairly. That group will leave off into the unknown, not actually exploring or expanding the frontier, but traveling into their unknown. As long as they persevere like the pilgrims and the Dinhs, they will find probably succede in the end.
I agree completely with what you have to say about the experiences. The Israelites was a great example of someone that had to through hardships like the Pilgrims. I like how you say perseverance will make you succeed. I will try to remember that for as long as I can.
DeleteJess, perseverance was the perfect word to use for this situation. With staying strong and believing, anything can be done and you will have lived your life in a highly respected way. That is exactly what all of these people did.
DeleteI personally like that you mentioned perseverance. Trying something and never giving in to any obstructions is the only true way to succeed. If you never try something; you will never know how it would have ended. Any of these people could have given up, but they did not give up and they continued.
DeleteJess, I agree with you completely in the sentence, "As long as they persevere like the pilgrims and the Dinh's, they will find probably succeed in the end." With perseverance, and staying strong you can accomplish anything that you set your mind to.
DeleteThe Pilgrims and the Dinh family had many of the same experiences throughout their time of adversity. It was so hard for the Pilgrims to leave the land that they most cherished and have to go a country that they knew nothing about. The Dinh family felt the same way except they had to go to a refugee camp that they knew absolutely nothing about. Both groups of people have battled adversity and share great stories in history.
ReplyDeleteThe Dinh’s and the Pilgrims didn’t only have to face the adversity of adapting to a new culture; they didn’t know what kind of horrific experiences would lay ahead. Indians were what plagued the Pilgrims. The conflicts eventually got so bad that a treaty was the only way to solve the problem. The treaty basically stated that both would drop weapons in case of another conflict occurring. The Dinh’s didn’t have it much easier. Van Dinh, the oldest of the Dinh siblings, was in the refugee camp and couldn’t even get an interview with the guards to prove she didn’t belong there. By staying strong and believing, however, she made it through the hard times.
Both of these stories would work out great for a person that didn’t know where he or she was headed in their life. They would be very scared of what lay ahead. The person has to stay strong and fight all the way to the finish line and great things will happen to them and their families.
I believe that everyone in this world will have an experience that the Pilgrims or Dinh family had. In some point in a person’s life, they will have to make the choice of whether they want to try something new or if they want to back away and stay where they are at. If they choose to try something new, I believe that they will be happy with their experience in the long run.
Andrew, I enjoyed your point of view on the Pilgrims not only having to deal with adapting to a new culture, but the Indians as well. I liked how you compared it to Van Dihn not being able to get an interview. Both the Pilgrims and the Dihn family stayed strong and had a strong faith, which made them able to continue on through all of their hard times. This made me think about how I must persevere and not give up in my own life.
DeleteAndrew, I really like the part about trying something new in life. As humans, we should be curious about what we are here on earth for. We should want to try new things and not be afraid of the outcome. We can only learn from our mistakes and I think that is what the Dinh family and the Pilgrams did. The Dinh family had to take a risk in coming to America and hope that is was the right thing to do. The Pilgrams had to learn how to find food and build sturdy homes. They had to hope that moving to America and leaving England was the right thing to do. I think that you did a good job of expressing how good things happen to those who work hard.
DeleteExactly, all people go through things like this in their life. We all have struggles. We all have hardships, and we all have disappointments. It is the way that we deal with them that matters. All the characters in these recent story that succeeded, not failed, were people that strived for what they thought was right, and they didn't care who or what stood in their way.
DeleteI have to agree with the things you are saying. Leaving everything behind like these people did to go somewhere they knew nothing about has to be very difficult. I also like how you mentioned some of the problems they ran into. What these people did was not easy but they never gave up hope and that is how they made it through their ordeals.
DeleteWith the stories we have read lately being taken into account, each person personally struggled due to leaving comfortability to enter unfamiliar territory. In our stories, this physically meant moving to a new country. In our own lives, I believe we can relate to this in a different aspect because there are many things we have to confront in our lives that takes us out of our comfort zone.
ReplyDeletePilgrims came to America to start a new life, but over half of them died due to disease, malnutrition, and the cold. Some even commited suicide because it was nothing like they had imagined America to be. The Dinh family had to leave their old lives behind for a refugee camp, and had to stay strong throughout the whole ordeal. Later, Viet Dinh found closure when her article was published in the New York times about her experiences.
Everyone faces struggles in their lives, but a positive attitude is what makes or breaks a person. My favorite saying is, "behind the clouds, the sun is still shining." This quote can get anyone through any situation because even though something may be tough right now, it won't last long. Putting up with some clouds will eventually give you an amazing sun.
Nicole, I completely agree with your last paragraph. If a person has a positive attitude, they will be far better off than a person with a negative attitude. Even if they have struggles, a person must overcome them. Your saying was also a perfect fit for this topic. It is really quite inspiring.
DeleteNicole, I also agree with what you said on how getting through hardships is easier when going into it with a positive attitude. I also like the quote you put in your last paragraph. It is so true. I also believe that when you deal with hardships, the clouds, eventually God will give something good out of it, the sun.
DeleteNicole, your positive outlook on life is a great way to look at difficult situations. The Dinhs and the Pilgrims needed attitudes like yours to survive through their struggling transitions from their normal, everyday life to a new life in America. The quote you love fits into their belief for a better life perfectly.
DeleteI really like the quote in your last paragraph, Nicole. The journey may be a difficult one, but in the long run it will be completely worth it. Having a positive attitude can get you through the hardest situations.
DeleteNicole, your interpretation on the topic was very unique; instead of taking literal examples of people who faced struggles, you made me look into my own life, recalling times of struggle in my life. Your quote was very inspiring for those afraid to step out of their comfort zones. So in a way, we are all Pilgrims, facing struggles in our own lives.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI really thought your quote in the last paragraph was very inspirational. It ties in with the story we just read very well and with our own lives in general. It makes perfect sense because if you keep a positive attitude then everything will be okay in the end. This story is a great example of this.
DeleteThe Pilgrims and the Dinh family both have overcome many adversities in their lives. The Pilgrims left their country on a ship and had no idea where it would take them. When the Pilgrims arrived they had no idea about the land they were on and the only people that were there were the Indians. They didn’t get along with the Indians at first, and communicating with them was difficult. Although the Pilgrims had each other, they couldn’t communicate with the people who were familiar with the land. They were practically alone. This is the same with the Dihn family. Being refugees, they had fled their country. When they made it to America, they had no knowledge of the area, could barely communicate with anyone, and had little money. They were practically thrown into an unfamiliar territory. Both the Pilgrims and the Dihn family probably felt an enormous amount of fear. I feel like because of the fear they pushed on. They knew that there was no turning back for them. If they let the fear get the worst of them, they would have never survived. Because they didn’t give in to these fears they were far better off.
ReplyDeleteWhen the Pilgrims left their country, they may have left family behind them. They could have been too nervous to make the journey, or unable to. Even if they made the journey, they could have died on the ship because of the many diseases. This is similar to the Dihn family because Viet Dihn’s father and his older sister had to stay behind in Vietnam. The Dihn family had to leave knowing that they couldn’t be together. They didn’t know what was going to happen to them, so they may have never seen each other again.
There are other groups that probably feel this way, such as a student moving to a new school in a new town. They don’t know anyone there and they aren’t familiar with where things are at in the town. Going into school on the first day without knowing who they will talk to might be hard for some people. They probably feel a large amount of fear. This experience could be relevant to both the Pilgrims and the Dihn family.
Rachel, I like how you brought up the point that the Pilgrams couldn't communicate well with the Indians. They had to learn their language and that is scary. I like how you said that both groups felt alone at times because they only had a small group of people to talk to. I also liked your comparsion of going to a new school for the first time and moving to America. Not knowing anyone is hard and you have to be willing to meet new people and listen to their advise. This is what the Pilgrams did with the Indians and everything turned out for the good.
DeleteRachel, I agree with you on how many new students have to push through the first day of school if they had recently moved into a new town. I also believe that after people move into a new area and meet new people the hardships they deal with will be passed once they get used to the area like the Pilgrims did.
DeleteTo live life in fear of the unknown has to be one of the worst things in the world. This is what happened to the Dinh family when they were traveling to America. Viet Dinh, along with his mother, four sisters, and a brother, left for America on a small fishing boat. His father and sister were left behing in Vietnam and they would all be reunited fifteen years later. As I read this story, I couldn't help but to feel bad for the Dinh family. I couldn't imagine life without my family. Not knowing if they are dead or alive would make anyone go crazy. I was very happy to hear that they were all reunited and all have a nice life in America. As I campared the story of the Dinh family to the Pilgrams' journey to America, they share a lot of similarities. They both traveled to different countries and didn't know what to expect. The Pilgrams had to endure long, harsh winters with very little food. The Dinh family only had $200 and had to use it to buy winter clothes in order to stay warm. I think it took the Dinh family awhile to feel comfortable in Ameica because they had to learn a new way of life, but it was worth it. They had better education oppurtunities and had a better chance to express their own views. The Pilgrams had to experience death of colony members and fighting with the Indians. In return, they ended up making a treaty with the Indians, which allowed them to get enough food for everyone and how to use medicines to stay healthy.
ReplyDeleteI think that the Pilgrams journey might be related to immigrants that travel to this country every year. America seems to not like immigrants because they come for better job oppurtunities, but they are really just looking for a better life. I don't know why Americans have to be so mean to people from other countries. Everyone in the world just wants to live a life where they don't have to worry about food, clothing, or shelter. As a developed country, we should welcome the chance to change lives and make a difference in the world. The Dinh family had that chance and now the entire family is successful. The Pilgrams are the ones that started the original colonies and what would be America. We should have respect for everyone and it shouldn't matter where they come from.
Camille, I like the use of personal opinions and references in your discussion. When you mentioned the thoughts of losing your family, it connected me to what the loss of my family would do to me. I also like your opinions on the immigrants entering the country. The Dinhs and the Pilgrims were looking for better opportunities in our harsh world, just like today’s immigrants. I like your input on how everybody deserves a chance at a better life.
DeleteFear. Camille, you are one hundred percent correct about how both the Pilgrims and Viet Dinh family felt. The unknown is a frightening thing. In fact I believe that many people stayed in fear instead of overcoming it. Both the Pilgrims and Dinh family share one very important thing: courage. This courage helped them achieve freedom.
DeleteCamille, what you say about fear is completely true. The feelings of both families reflect one another. Also, I agree with your opinions about the attitude of Americans towards immigrants being cruel and undeserving are very much true in today's society.
DeleteWhat the Pilgrims coming over to Boston had experienced, was much like what the Dinh family had to go through. Both the Puritans and contemporary pioneers experienced many hardships and difficulties that they had to overcome during their journey over to a new country. They also had to overcome illness and leaving their beloved families. Other people such as past immigrants had to deal with many of the same issues that the pilgrims did. As a result, many people from the past and present have to go through hardships such as these.
ReplyDeleteThe Pilgrims experienced coming to a new world where they knew no one. Many of them had died due to unfamiliar illnesses. This must have scared the puritans. Many of them had to leave their families in order to move on and start a new life with new beliefs in God. This meant that they would have to make a new settlement and start a new colony. That journey must have been an amazing yet nerve racking experience. These experiences that they had gone through is very relevant to what other contemporary pioneers have to go through. They both have to move to awhile new area where they may not know anyone. They would have had to leave their family and friends in some cases. Therefore, people who have to start a new life have to push through many difficult choices.
Other people like the Pilgrims that had to go through similar hardships would be immigrants that had came overseas to Elis Island to start over. Many of these people where of Irish cultures. Although there where many other different cultural ethnicities there. Many of these people where separated into groups depending on their cultural views and heritage. Depending on their health, however, they would either be sent to groups with the same cultural views if they are healthy, but if they were in bad health they would either be put into a hospital for help or they were turned away. People were given jobs depending on their experience in past jobs. This would have given them a better life, but would have been a tough experience for them to deal with. Therefore, both the immigrants who came over seas and the Pilgrims both had to push through many of the same hardships, but in the end it allowed them to start a new life.
In conclusion, the Pilgrims, the Dinh family, and the other immigrants all had to experience going to a new country to start a new life with new views on life. They all had to overcome the issues with illness and leaving their family for a new and healthier lifestyle. In the end they all dealt with hardships and overcame them.
Emma, what you said about different cultures and races is very true. Some of the cultures still face some of these problems today. Most of them we don’t even know are going. The same goes for the people with new jobs. These situations all relate to the Pligrims and the Dinh family in many ways.
DeleteThe Pilgrims and the Dinh family have many different characteristics and qualities in common, but the theme that probably jumps out most in the situation of these two groups of people would probably be their fear. Trying anything new can be a very terrifying process, but the Dinh family and the Pilgrims had to suffer their fear in a very complex situation. Neither of the groups new where they were going to truly end up. The groups did not know what the new country of America would bring for them. They had high hopes for the native land, but had wandering imaginations from good to bad for the new area. The Dinhs’ were separated from each other, not knowing if they would ever see each other again. A mother with only six of her children crossing half the world does not seem very promising. The conquering determination that held the father, Phong Dinh, and the eldest child, Van Dinh, to reach America is the only thing that kept these two going to try to reconnect with the rest of their family. The idea of me losing my own family drives me crazy just thinking about it. The final reconciliation of the family helps people to realize that everything does happen for a reason and there is a God that saves the good-hearted souls.
ReplyDeleteThe Pilgrims share in some of these ways. Whether we realize it or not, the Pilgrims had to leave their families and friends behind to start their new lives, only taking some of there loved ones with them. Just like a situation of a mother leaving her newborn baby for the first time, this would create true separation anxiety. Both groups faced unknown conditions, with Pilgrims traveling in harsh winters and the Dinhs using their only money for winter clothing. However, with this travel, the two groups learned about adjustment and compromise. The Dinhs’ had to conquer the English language while the Pilgrims had to adapt to Indian customs. Education played a big role in the lives of both of the groups, with the Pilgrims needing to learn about farming and irrigation, while the Dinhs’ needed education to reach the careers and goals that they now hold today.
The Pilgrims could compare to new students. After receiving new transfer students, exchange students, or school-combination students throughout the years, I have come to notice the fear that is instilled a child’s face on their first day. It is joining a group that is used to each other and may have known each other all of their lives. This compares to joining a new country that is used to its’ own customs and having people with similar ideas and ways of life surrounding. Fear would be present right away for the student. Being separated from the old and introduced to the new takes time and patience, but good can always come about.
Carli, I think that what you said about having fear is very true. Coming to a new place and hoping that it is everything that you hear it is would be very scary. Also how you said that both groups had to start over completely by learning new langue’s and new skills. I think this all fit into how you talked about fear.
DeleteCarli, I really like the way you compared the Pilgrims to new students! That was something I didn't even think of, but you're very right. And as Hayley said I agree with what you said about them being fearful. I think it'd be pretty hard not to be afraid in a situation like that!
DeleteThe Dinh family and the Pilgrims both faced some of the same adversities. Although they were not exactly the same the general idea was there. The Pilgrims had to get up and move from their home lands. They had no clue what to expect or if they would even make it. A lot of them had to leave their families. Even though some did not want to they saw the journey as one sent to them by God. The Dinh family also took a small boat and sailed away from their homeland. The Dinh family left behind a sister and their father. They didn’t want to but it was the only good way to do it. Also the Dinh family didn’t know if they could make it all the way without being captured or something happening to their boat. When both of the parities finally made it to America they had to start all over again with hardly anything. The Dinh family only had 200 which they spent on coats. The Pilgrims only had what they could fit on the boat with them.
ReplyDeleteDeath was another issued they shared. A lot of the Pilgrims on the way over died. Many people lost a lot of family members on the way over. Also the first winter a lot of them passed away to because of the extreme cold and sicknesses. The Dinh family worried about what had happened to their father and oldest sister. Finally the father escaped from a refugee camp and managed to make it to Portland with the rest of his family. There worrying did not stop. Their oldest sister still had not made it over. There was a time period of about 15 years before they finally knew if she was okay or not. These are just two of the biggest ways the Pilgrims and the Dinh stories are similar.
There are many experiences in life they can relate to these of the Pilgrims and the Dinh family. Many of us will encounter them and it is up to us to decide what we will do. Some may choose to do something new and to go to new places while others may pick to just stay put. I personally think that picking something new will be beneficial in the long term like it was for the Pilgrims and the Dinh family.
The Pilgrims and the Dinh family both had to overcome a great deal of hardship to do what they had to do. Both of them had to leave their homeland because they were not wanted there. It took a great deal of courage to do that, since they had to leave everything they knew behind to go to a new and unknown land. Both groups seeking nothing more than being accepted by the people around them, and for possibly a better life.
ReplyDeleteThe Pilgrims left England because they did not like the way the churches were being reformed. The king of England ran the religion at the time and he did not have anyone above him in rank. He could have the churches ran the way he wants them to be for that reason alone. The people that were against this method were left with a harsh decision, stay and be prosecuted, or leave everything behind and start again. The Pilgrims left so they could worship in a manner they found more appealing than the accepted one in England. The long boat ride they had to take to leave was extremely grueling and not everyone made it across alive. The people that did make it had to turn the wilderness around them into a colony they could live in.
The Dinh family also had to escape from a life of harsh conditions and seek a better one. They escaped from Vietnam as refugees with less than the Pilgrims left with. When they did leave two members of the family were left behind which would severely tear the family apart considering one of them was the father of the family. Everyone of the family did eventually escape Vietnam and had much better lives than they would have if they stayed.
Not everyone could do what groups such as the Pilgrims or the Dinh family did. Both were essentially forced to resort to drastic measures just for the chance at better lives. They never had a guarantee that the plan to escape would work. They were fortunate enough that it did not end in complete disaster. It is very likely that fear wreaked havoc on all of them. Both groups had to make a very hard decision, would you leave everything behind just to be accepted by the people around you?
Tyler, you had very good points; the examples from the experiences of both the Pilgrims and the Dinh family were similar even though they lived during different time periods. It's hard to imagine leaving my home in search of the unknown; leaving my life, the lives of my family, and our futures up to chance. The question that ended your post truly made me think; would I really leave everything behind for the acceptance of others. In the situations of the two parties you discussed, they had no choice, and that choice was probably the hardest decision of their lives.
DeleteFreedom. In both the Pilgrims’ and the Viet Dinh family’s case, freedom is their goal. Both of these groups of people suffer greatly, but to them it is all worth it. America, home of the free, that is the key to strength needed to succeed. Both the Pilgrims and the Dinh family strive to live on the grounds of America. Their journey there is a struggle, but it is a struggle worth fighting for.
ReplyDeleteThe Pilgrims experience persecution about their Puritan religion. The Pilgrims decide that it is time for them to stand up for religious freedom by setting sail to a foreign land. Their journey by sea is challenging and many become ill and die. Another contribution to their journey is physiological: fear. The fear of the unknown land they are sailing to caused many Pilgrims doubt their prior decision to leave, but those whose faith was strong enough believe that God is guiding them to the promise land. Eventually they arrive and they learn how to live off the land with the help of the Indians.
Like the Pilgrims contemporary refugees such as the Viet Dinh family suffer from many of the same experiences. The Viet Dinh family also faces a long voyage. Sadly the Dinh family separated before their voyage. This separation causes great distress among this family as a whole. The members that are stranded in Vietnam continuously try to escape for 5 years (25times). The Viet Dinh family suffered from arrests and fear. Once all the Dinh family made it to America, eventually they all united.
Both the Pilgrims and the Dinh family used freedom as their drive to make it to America. Freedom is a wonderful thing that was accomplished by both these groups of people. Fear to them was indeed an awful feeling, but once they overcame this feeling they persevered.
Marla, I agree with your idea of freedom being what both groups wanted above all else. The freedom to worship and do what they think is right. Your comparisons between the Pilgrims and the Dinh family are all very true, and you make many good points, such as the suffering of both groups.
DeleteI like how you stress the idea of freedom. It is definitely true that all that they went through was worth it as their reward was great in the end. Perseverance was definitely key to their surviving and adapting to an environment that they knew nothing about.
DeleteThe Puritans, modern day pioneers, and refugees had very similar hardships. In all instances, it takes a long time and very hard work for people trying to escape from their home countries to come to America. Not only did they have to get here, they also had to learn a new way of life.
ReplyDeleteBoth the Puritans and refugees were suffering from oppression in their home countries. Both groups were trying to escape from governments that were trying to oppress their political or religious views. While I’m sure it was very difficult for both the Puritans and the Dinh family to leave their homes and all that they knew, it was probably made easier by the fact that they had a choice to live while hiding who they truly were or living in the freedom that was offered by America.
Many die every year while trying to escape the difficulties caused by war, dictatorship, or simply oppression to the safety of America. This also happened to the Puritans. Nearly half of William Bradford's group died of disease and malnutrtion. Not only did they die on the ship from England to America, but many others died when they had already settled due to the harsh winter.
Not only was the journey difficult, assimilating into American culture would have been jast as difficlut for Puritans and refugees alike. While it may have been slightly easier for refugees to "fit in" with the American culture, it still would have been very difficult for to learn both a new language and a new way of life. For the Puritans, it would have been much more difficult. They didn't just have to "fit in" to a new culture, they had to create their own.
Getting along with the people that already lived in America was probably much easier for the refugees than for the Puritans. While there were translators, books, and classes to help develope the refugees English, there was no possible way for the Pilgrims to understand the Native Americans until the Indian came that spoke only very basic English.
Both of these stories help to inspire journeys of their own and help for people who were born American citizens to appreciate the difficulties that people face just to recieve what they already have.
The Dinh Family and the Pilgrims both encountered many difficulties on their journeys to America. They each traveled from their homelands, left behind some of their family members, and went to a completely new, unfamiliar place. They lost many family members and friends along the way. Sailing by boat across the ocean into the unknown would have been very hard. If the journey to America wasn’t enough, they then had to learn how to survive in new territories.
ReplyDeleteWhen the Pilgrims first arrived they had no idea what to expect. They could not communicate very well with the Indians, but they found a way to make a treaty with the Indians to keep themselves safe. This established that the Indians could not take things or harm the Pilgrims without punishment. Many Pilgrims ended up dying from diseases or suicide because America was not what they had imagined. Many of those that traveled over with the Dinh family had also died from malnutrition and diseases.
After becoming familiar with the area, they all had very successful lives. The members of the Dinh family all got good jobs. The Pilgrims worked with what they came with, and learned to use the land to their advantage and meet their needs. Both of these groups had to overcome many hardships. I think it teaches us all a lesson and many of us can relate to them. We all have to overcome many struggles in life. If you work for what you want, you will be successful in the end. The journey may be hard, but in the end it is completely worth it.
I like how you drew the similarties between the two groups of people, it really puts them together in my head. I also like the lesson you put in the end, it was something I really didn't think about.
DeleteFor countless Americans that have grown up in a country of freedom and few worries, reading about the hardships of others can be a true eye opener. As a student, growing up in a society where I am blessed with countless opportunities, I could never imagine living in fear on a daily basis. As political refugees, the Dinh family was forced out of their home country in fear. Every new day was a gift; a reward for the ability to survive the previous day, yet, still evokes the fear of what tomorrow could bring. This same idea could be said for the Puritans. These people had no idea what lied ahead for them at the end of their voyage; that is, if they survived this long journey. In life, everyone must take a journey, for some, the fear of the unknown separates them from others, leaving their own mark in history.
ReplyDeleteThe Dinh family and the Pilgrims went on a journey; they traveled to the unknown in search of freedom. The two parties left their homes as a result of their political views. Even though the Puritans left England for religious freedoms, in that time period, there was no division of church and state. Both groups traveled by some sort of boat over bodies of water. I feel that it had to have been hard for the Dinh family, and probably countless family members of the Puritans as well to have been separated. If I was ever in such a situation, losing one of my sisters or parents would have been devastating. However, both parties eventual relief in America. Even though the Puritans faced their journey long before the Dinh family ever existed, they experiences and struggles both groups had faced were identical.
The Pilgrims’ experiences can easily be compared to many other different groups of peoples. After World War II, many different groups of people came to America. After the war, Europe was in turmoil; there lands, destroyed, many people hid from persecution as a result of their religion and political views. For my family, the war was too close to home. I remember in eighth grade, talking to my grandfather, Renato Scacchitti, of his experiences from World War II. His father as a politician opposed Italy’s involvement with Germany, making life in L’Aquila, Italy, slightly rebellious. Along with my grandfather and his brother, my great-grandfather headed to America in search of work, leaving his wife and other child behind. It had to have been scary for my family, leaving Italy and their family behind in hope to reach the land of freedom, and they did. My family ended up finding factory jobs in St. Marys. My grandfather then became a mechanic the Air force, after becoming a U.S. citizen.
Just as the Puritans left their homeland in search of a new home, free of persecution, my family made the journey from a village in Italy to St. Marys, Pennsylvania. Fearing the unknown is probably one of man’s greatest fears; a fear that the Pilgrims overcome, paving a path for generations to come. Of course, almost all immigrants faced the challenges and hardships of leaving their home countries behind, but it seemed to work out for the Puritans, the Dinh family, and the Scacchitti family as well.
Every group of people that has to leave their home country and move to a foreign country faces some of the same problems as each other. Each group would obviously have the fear of the unknown. For the pilgrims they were together throughout their journey so they would have been a little more at ease, unlike the Dinh family who were attacked while on their journey and had fears to face of a much different kind then just weather and shelter, but of course these were important too.
ReplyDeleteThe Pilgrims were also attacked by the native Americans who lived in the land they’d settled. Luckily for the Pilgrims the Indians showed them exactly how to survive. This relates to Viet Dinh getting his essay published by the reporter to help bring his sister from Hong Kong. Although they seem very different they both show that the refugees and the Pilgrims had outside help in their plights.
The Dinh family was separated for long periods of time, often left with false hopes that they would soon be reunited with their family only to have that dream crushed by a boatman who didn’t show up. The Dinh’s had to fight hard to reunite their family. They had the advantage of modern media in their favor. The pilgrims just couldn’t complain to CNN that they didn’t have enough food and that they were cold, they also had to fight.
The pilgrims made their journey in search of religious freedom, which is still done to this very day. People all over the world are taking these journeys daily, but we’re not always aware of it. Some of these flights for freedom take place in countries we didn’t even know existed.
Other than the Dihn family there are countless others who’s experiences relate to the Pilgrims. Take, for example, the number of Jewish people who fled from their homes during WWII. Like the Pilgrims they had to leave everything behind. Unlike the Pilgrims many of them didn’t have somewhere to go, they just hoped they would find something to support themselves. Like the Pilgrims some had to literally start their lives from the ground up when they had nothing but the clothes on their backs.
The plight of people everywhere, from the Pilgrims to the Dinh family, are experiences that no person should ever have to live through. Humanity has turned on itself and there is no one anyone can live in peace if we continue to judge our brothers and sisters because of what color they are, what language they speak, and what they believe in.
I think that everyone has had change in their life, so we can all relate to it as well as refugees. The Dihn family and the pilgrims both had to move to new places far, far from their country. They both also had to leave behind loved ones. Whether that be friends or family. Refugees and pioneers both probably have to go to far away places and leave behind loved ones. We can relate ourselves to the pioneers by our religion. We are all on a spiritual journey discovering our faith in Jesus.
ReplyDeleteThe Dihn family went off in search of freedom. They were afraid in their homeland because of political views. These political views drove them away. The Dihn family shares the characteristic of courage with the pilgrims. Though they were driven away by fear, they had to have a lot of courage to move to a new place. These obstacles that the Dihn family faced mimic the obstacles we face in our own journey to Jesus. The devil is the tempter in our lives and we have to find ways out of it. I am very thankful for where I grew up in Ridgway Pennsylvania. Nobody is like that where I live, judging people so terribly that you drive them away. Out freedom is so wonderful and we should all be thankful for what we have now because some are not as fortunate as we are.
The pilgrims had no idea what was coming for them. They had no idea what languages the people around them spoke or what political views they had, they we just willing to get away from where they were before and they were happy. The pilgrims did have a hard time at first, America was not what they expected. A lot of them died of diseases and suicide from their hard times adapting to their new culture. The Indians were nice to them when they got to their land. The Indians helped them find shelter. They also helped them learn to survive food-wise. They helped them learn to hunt. They made a treaty with the Indians that was not as fair on their part, but it did have some fair ideas. The pilgrims were just happy that the Indians adapted to them.