Significance of John Wayne in the short story Grandma

jwayne.com/biography.shtml). One can believe that the influence John Wayne has on American society helps shape the way Vietnamese immigrants are treated in America. John Wayne has a deep love for his country and his patriotism is reflected through his movies (www.jwplace.com). He was active with the United Service Organization supporting troops in WW2 though Vietnam. John Wayne also actively speaks out about his Republican view on politics, and even is honored for his support of the American troops in Vietnam. He stars in a number of heroic movies in the late 1940's and 1950's in which the U.S. opposed Asian enemies. His appearance in over 15 films set in or dealing with Asia relates how the ideal American should view Grandma and all Vietnamese people. John Wayne has become, for Americans and those who watch his movies, "a symbolic male figure, a man of impregnable virility and the embodiment of simplistic, laconic virtues" (www.jwayne.com/biography.shtml). .
             The Vietnam War left many Vietnamese refugees looking for a better life in the United States. While it is not specified in the short story, readers can assume that this was the same time frame in which Grandma and her family came to America. As stated before, "the American dream was not all that good to Grandma" (20). This is probably due to Grandma's old age. The narrator explains, "She had been confined to the second floor of our big Victorian home, as her health was failing, and she did not speak English" (20). Often it is more difficult for an older adult to adjust to a new land, learn the language, and find a job. Grandma is left to soak in the new culture through television, limited observation, and most importantly her grandchildren. Historically in the United States, we employ a policy of assimilation of those who have come to our country. We therefore make it difficult for other cultures, economical and societal, to establish a place in fulfilling the American Dream.