1. Describe the ACCULTURATION level of at least 2 main/lead film characters. Elaborate as to which factors led you to make these determinations for each character (14.28 Possible Points). 100 word minimum between the two Character #1 Nia Vardalos plays the lead role of Toula Portokalos who is a second generation Greek-American. Toula seems to have gone through micro acculturation over the years growing up in the United States. However, she doesn’t go through macro acculturation until Toula’s mother convinces Toula’s father to let Toula go to college. Toula begins to change her appearance by fixing her hair, wearing makeup, and changing the way she dresses. Her behavior changes as she makes friends at school goes to work for her aunt and…show more content… Toula experienced racism as a child when the “blonde hair pretty girls” (as she calls them) asked what she was eating and laughed at and mocked Toula when she told them what it was called. Greek women were to marry, have babies and cook for everyone until she dies. Gus calls Toula old at thirty several times. Gus called Ian “Xeno”. Gus also states that there are two types of people in the world: Greeks and people who wish they were Greek. Ian’s parents ask Toula if Armenian is close to Greece while trying to remember what ethnicity Rodney’s previous secretary is. It turns out that the secretary is from Guatemala, but Ian’s parents confused all three ethnicities, which implies that all people who aren’t white must all look alike. Toula’s grandmother Yiayia is always yelling insulting comments about “Turks”.
What purpose do you think it served in this film? Please elaborate. These examples of racism and stereotyping were incorporated into the film to demonstrate the barriers that exist between different cultures. It represents the disparities that various ethnic groups are faced with when trying to start a new life in a different country. It also shows how difficult it is for immigrants to assimilate to a culture when they are not welcomed with open arms. Some of these stereotypes are meant to be light-hearted and used for