Becoming Latina, becoming Americana: shifting identities in Lara Rios’s chick lit

This article examines the process of acculturation in two female members of a Mexican-American community as represented in Lara Rios’s chick lit novels: Becoming Latina in 10 Easy Steps (2006, 2013) and Becoming Americana (2006). The examination of the two chick lit novels is conducted on a traje...

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Main Authors: Maryam Mazloomian, Raihanah M. M., Shahizah Ismail Hamdan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Pusat Pengajian Bahasa dan Linguistik, FSSK, UKM 2015
Online Access:http://journalarticle.ukm.my/9069/1/9255-27892-1-PB.pdf
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author Maryam Mazloomian,
Raihanah M. M.,
Shahizah Ismail Hamdan,
author_facet Maryam Mazloomian,
Raihanah M. M.,
Shahizah Ismail Hamdan,
author_sort Maryam Mazloomian,
collection UKM
description This article examines the process of acculturation in two female members of a Mexican-American community as represented in Lara Rios’s chick lit novels: Becoming Latina in 10 Easy Steps (2006, 2013) and Becoming Americana (2006). The examination of the two chick lit novels is conducted on a trajectory of ecological systems of development as well as in the light of the psychosocial attitude, self-image, expectations and assumptions about becoming Americana or the reverse. The two heroines who reportedly met each other by chance narrated the turning points in their lives, experiencing the developmental passages through which their attitudes, beliefs, intentions, feelings had been assiduously expressed towards age, gender, family, friends, job, ethnic background, as well as, the desire to become American and/or relapsing into being Latina. The article also points out that secure transition through the psychosocial developmental stages demands the trust in self, feminine power, and the culture within the surrounding society in diaspora. Furthermore, the deeper aspects of the host culture require ‘firm feelings’ and ’self-confidence’ as important constituents of becoming Latino-American.
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spelling ukm.eprints-90692016-12-14T06:48:53Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/9069/ Becoming Latina, becoming Americana: shifting identities in Lara Rios’s chick lit Maryam Mazloomian, Raihanah M. M., Shahizah Ismail Hamdan, This article examines the process of acculturation in two female members of a Mexican-American community as represented in Lara Rios’s chick lit novels: Becoming Latina in 10 Easy Steps (2006, 2013) and Becoming Americana (2006). The examination of the two chick lit novels is conducted on a trajectory of ecological systems of development as well as in the light of the psychosocial attitude, self-image, expectations and assumptions about becoming Americana or the reverse. The two heroines who reportedly met each other by chance narrated the turning points in their lives, experiencing the developmental passages through which their attitudes, beliefs, intentions, feelings had been assiduously expressed towards age, gender, family, friends, job, ethnic background, as well as, the desire to become American and/or relapsing into being Latina. The article also points out that secure transition through the psychosocial developmental stages demands the trust in self, feminine power, and the culture within the surrounding society in diaspora. Furthermore, the deeper aspects of the host culture require ‘firm feelings’ and ’self-confidence’ as important constituents of becoming Latino-American. Pusat Pengajian Bahasa dan Linguistik, FSSK, UKM 2015 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/9069/1/9255-27892-1-PB.pdf Maryam Mazloomian, and Raihanah M. M., and Shahizah Ismail Hamdan, (2015) Becoming Latina, becoming Americana: shifting identities in Lara Rios’s chick lit. 3L; Language,Linguistics and Literature,The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies., 21 (3). pp. 69-83. ISSN 0128-5157 http://ejournal.ukm.my/3l
spellingShingle Maryam Mazloomian,
Raihanah M. M.,
Shahizah Ismail Hamdan,
Becoming Latina, becoming Americana: shifting identities in Lara Rios’s chick lit
title Becoming Latina, becoming Americana: shifting identities in Lara Rios’s chick lit
title_full Becoming Latina, becoming Americana: shifting identities in Lara Rios’s chick lit
title_fullStr Becoming Latina, becoming Americana: shifting identities in Lara Rios’s chick lit
title_full_unstemmed Becoming Latina, becoming Americana: shifting identities in Lara Rios’s chick lit
title_short Becoming Latina, becoming Americana: shifting identities in Lara Rios’s chick lit
title_sort becoming latina becoming americana shifting identities in lara rios s chick lit
url http://journalarticle.ukm.my/9069/1/9255-27892-1-PB.pdf
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