The Wishing Well
Anzinga Low
Dr. Peter Bailey, Faculty Mentor
McNair Research, Summer 2004
I wrote The Wishing Well so that I might address multiculturalism in America. It is witnessed through the eyes of a Chinese American male in the 1960’s. I wanted to articulate the play in dramatic terms because I felt that the issues of race and ethnicity needed a new medium of expression. In dramatic form I could address the problems of cultural hybridity, the concept of Other, and American ideologies such as meritocracy, all through the complexities and interactions of one character. I took Chinese familial customs and juxtaposed it with the issues listed above. My exploration came to certain conclusions about race, ethnicity, and cultural hybridity in America . I found that race could shape one’s destiny/life in America; to abandon one’s cultural heritage is to be cut off from one’s destiny. In conclusion, I feel my research is important because it addresses issues that are still alive in America.