Thoughts on an ORT (1 Viewer)

[ammyyy]

Just wondering if this poem is a good ORT for Belonging? I'm also having trouble with language techniques.

Be good, little migrants
We’ve saved you from starvation
war, landlessness, oppression
Just display your gratitude
but don’t be heard, don’t be seen

Be good, little migrants
Give us your faithful service
sweep factories, clean mansions
prepare cheap exotic food
pay taxes, feed the mainstream

Be good, little migrants
Use leisure with prudence
sew costumes, paint murals
write music, and dance to our tune
Our culture must not be dull

Be good, little migrants
We’ve given you opportunity
for family reunion
equality, and status, though
your colour could be wrong

Be good, little migrants
Learn English to distinguish
ESL from RSL
avoid unions, and teach children
respect for institutions

Be good, little migrants
You may fight one another, but
attend Sunday School, learn manners
keep violence within your culture
save industry for criminals

Be good, little migrants
Intelligence means obedience
just follow ASIO, CIA
spy on your fellow countrymen
hunt commies for America

Be good, little migrants
Museums are built for your low arts
for your multiculturalism
in time, you’ll reach excellence
Just waste a few generations.

 

[Njn]

Some stuff relating to belonging:

- the way the excerpt is written from the point of view of the 'Americans'. In this respect, you could see that from their perspective, the migrants are different, and don't really belong. I believe it would be an excellent text myself, mainly because you could compare the context of this poem with Skrzynecki's work. For example, in Feliks Skrzynecki, he didn't really belong all that well in the eyes of an "Australian", yet you can see through the poem that he still has a sense of belonging in his own perspective. You can easily contrast this with this text where it is written from the views of the 'dominant' social class (white Americans).

Some techniques:
e.g. imperatives "be good" "just display your gratitude"

demeaning descriptions "little migrants" "Museums are built for your low arts"

contrast "We've saved you from starvation / war, landlessness, oppression (also repetition)" with "don't be heard, don't be seen"



Just some examples for you, it's hard for me to simply list techniques without relating them to context.


From a context point of view, I would have loved to do this for my HSC, simply because I feel like I can easily make links to Skrzynecki with this text.

Hope this helped.


Out of curiosity, what is this text called and who is it written by?

 

[Readaholic]

The poem is called 'Be Good, Little Migrants' by Uyen Loewald.

 

[supercalamari]

Yes, I studied this poem in year 9 and I think it would be great for belonging.