The Ethnic Identity Crisis and Acculturation in Shakir's "Let's Dance"

Abstract

This study aims at investigating the ethnic identity crisis and the problems of acculturation and enculturation in Evelyn Shakir's "Let's dance." The study will present a close reading analysis of Shakir's story highlighting the problem of constructing the ethnic identity for the protagonist Nadia who suffers from the lack of her parental support and divorce. Additionally, the study presents the problems that most Arab American young adults suffer from when living in America such as the confusion of belonging to the Arab and American culture, the American negative media stereotypes about Arabs, and the conflict between Arab and American ethnic and cultural traditions. The study concludes that the parental problems and conflicts negatively influence the construction of Arab American young adults' ethnic identity and acculturation.