I'd agree that Canada is not a "melting pot," yet cannot fully submit to the idea that we are a "cultural mosaic"-a policy we Canadians love to celebrate. I enjoyed Christina and Joanna's presentation in their deeper analysis of the hybrid breed of "Bananas." Being a "Banana" means holding westernized beliefs and values-in essence, being white but disguised as Asian. If, culturally speaking, "Bananas" are yellow on the outside and white on the inside, does this not entail that Canadians are a homogenous group?

The very existence of the "Banana" category has a special meaning. It is an identifiable population that defines itself according to the (lack of) knowledge of one's own ethnic culture, language, customs, and beliefs. We can't blame ourselves for being distance to our ethnic backgrounds, but we can acknowledge circumstances that have inhibited our knowledge of our roots and perhaps seek other ways, if desired, to overcome these knowledge barriers.

Often, the situation of "Bananas" occur because parents or grandparents choose the less repressive, tolerant North America to raise their family. With the mingling of white or other westernized counterparts, what often is the case is assimilation. It's no longer "cool" to be Chinese. It doesn't help that the only Asian person you see on television is the marginalised smart Chinese boy with huge glasses. Who wants to play Chinese chess, a game so primitive it uses marbles, if Nintendo is available?

May-ying, the mother of Hing in The Concubine's Children, is considered a foreign woman in China because of her non-submissive attitude toward her husband, Chan Sam. On the other hand, the people of Chinatown plead for May-ying to let go of the traditionalist ways of punishing Hing. Although Hing excels at school, the academic achievements are an outlet for Hing rather than derived as a result of May-ying's motivation or encouragement. Perhaps May-ying is proud of Hing's abilities in school in a largely white institution because it reflects Hing's potential of also being viewed of as a foreign woman-a woman of higher class.

The point I want to bring up in reference to the issue Joanna stands against is the hyphenated Canadian identity. (An example of a hyphenated identity is an Afro-Canadian, or a Chinese-Canadian.) To paraphrase Joanna's rhetorical question asked in class, "Why must people persistently ask what nationality we minorities are, not content with an 'I'm Canadian' answer?" The issue of the hyphenated identity doesn't seem to affect me as harshly as it does for Joanna. It may seem grossly superficial but perhaps the questioner wants to learn about another ethnicity which is just as much a part of the national identity as the white settler's. In this view, the questioner is actually quite progressive in thinking. Joanna discussed that it seems identifying oneself as "Canadian" is not comprehensive enough for a majority of the population unless you are Aboriginal or Caucasian; a hyphenated identity is required. I argue that it is exactly this problem that makes the hyphenated identity necessary. Until the popular discourse surrounding who is defined as "Canadian" (a citizen or landed immigrant) rather than an Aboriginal or Caucasian person evolves, I'll identify myself Chinese-Canadian.