Week 9 Notes

5/28/2019  

Unaccustomed Earth 

Dense 

Traditional 

Affluence 

Degrees/Advanced Degrees 

Literary fiction vs popular/genre 

Classic, serious 

Plot vs character development 

Forces a depth of understanding, deep relationships being explored 

Bollywood – Portmanteau of Bombay + Hollywood 

My Name is Khan 

• Main Character has Asperger’s, form of autism 
• San Francisco, November 2007 
• At airport, Khan mutters in Muslim, agent picks him out for inspection, mutters about missing flight to Washington D.C 
• Wants to tell President he is not a terrorist 
• Writes letter to Mandira, talks about childhood at dad’s garage 
• With mother, 1983 – Hindu-Muslim Riots 
• Gets bullied at school, Rizvan gets tutoring from Master Wadio 
• Rizvan gets noticed for savant talents, Zakir (little brother) gets ignored and angry 
• Zakir leaves for America at 18, lets rest of family know they will immigrate 
• Mother dies, Rizvan promises to make a happy life in America, at San Francisco 
• Washington D.C, December 2007 
• Hasina, Zakir’s wife, finds out about Asperger’s, Hasina uses camera to acclimate to new sensations 
• Zakir brings Rizvan to work as an herbal product salesman 
• Panics in middle of street, Mandira rescues him 
• Hair salon, Rizvan offers beauty products 
• Mandira talks about receiving barber training as reason for arriving to America 
• Sameer introduced (Mandira’s son), Rizvan talks about Mandira being divorced, Rizvan freaks at yellow jacket 
• Challenges Mandira to San Francisco trivia 
• Rizvan takes Sam to Discovery Museum, plays a word search game 
• We shall overcome, Mandira is moving to Banville with Sameer 
• Bowling Green Kentucky, 2008, Indian motel gets vandalized 
• Khan takes Mandira to see sunrise, marriage 
• Zakir threatens to sever ties with Rizvan if he marries Mandira 
• Mandira, Sameer, and Rizvan move to Banville, throw a wedding ceremony 
• Hasina arrives to celebrate, Mandira opens a hair salon 
• 9/11 occurs, religious obligation to donate percentage of earnings to charity 
• Rizvan starts chanting in Urdu, country wide retaliation against Islamic, Sameer bullied, Mandira’s business in the red 
• Hasina told to give up shawl, Rizvan comforts Zakir, Mandira gets a new job 
• Santa Fe 2008, wanting to meet the President, fails to meet him, wants to tell president about Sam 
• Families made with love and not just blood, Sarah’s husband, Mark, dies covering Afghanistan 
• Arizona, APril 2008 
• Reese stops being Sameer’s friend 
• November 27, 2007, 8:23 am. Last time Rizvan hears Mandira laugh 
• Sameer and Reese get beaten up at soccer field, Reese pulled away, Sameer brought to hospital, spleen rupture, monitor flatlines, Mandira grieves 
• Inspector Garcia wants to find the attackers, Mandira blames death of Sameer on marriage to Rizvan, will only return when he tells the president he is not a terrorist 
• Puts on Sameer’s shoes for the journey 
• Mandira’s having no room for love, only hate 
• Christain only charity for starving African kids 
• Prayer should not depend on the people or place, just belief 
• Wilhelmina, Georgia 2008, Mama Jenny’s son was killed in the Iraq War 
• Memorial service for veterans, gives a eulogy for Sameer, case will be closed after 6 months 
• Mandira refuses to close the case, confronts people at soccer field with a sign of Sameer 
• Distribute pamphlets at school 
• Rizvan at Los Angeles, mosque, hears oath of violence against unfair treatment 
• Rizvan defuses the violence, Path of Allah is love and compassion 
• President arrives at college campus, Rizvan is misheard for being a terrorist 
• College students decide Rizvan is the next project 
• Rizvan detained, story is rejected, story becomes covered later, psychologist tells Rizvan he is free to go after reporting Dr. Raisal Frehman 
• See Mandira drive out, Hurricane Molly hits Wilhelmina, wants to see Mama Jenny, arrives at the church 
• See Mama Jenny, Rizvan helps repair church, Wilhelmina gets news coverage, relief efforts arrive 
• Zakir and Hasina lead the procession 
• Perpetrators found and caught, Reece given leniency, Mandira lets go of hate 
• Mandira appears with Rizvan, Rizvan gets stabbed, Obama elected 
• Rizvan accomplishes his goal 

5/29/2019  

Next week Tuesday Bus leaves at 8:30, C-Lot 

Explore museum until 1:00 PM 

Eat at Harbor City 

Kanopy: East of Occidental 

No D&R next week 

Pot Luck Friday Week 10 1:00 Sem II B2105 

5/31/2019  

June 11, 1:00 PM eval conference 

South Asian Americans closing thoughts 

• Most immigrants were affluent and well educated 
• Women were expected to be married 
• 8 South Asian countries 
• Many were formerly colonized by European countries 
• Bollywood loves dramatic music 

Self-eval draft by Sunday night next week 

Talking points Friday morning 

Class notes