Dunham holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and a master's degree in communication. In the following essay, Dunham considers Alexie's story in relation to the impact of assimilation on Indian culture.
In Alexie's "Because My Father Always Said He Was the Only Indian Who Saw Jimi Hendrix Play 'The Star-Spangled Banner' at Woodstock," the narrator, Victor, uses the word "assimilation" to describe how attributes of one culture are adopted by another culture, often resulting in the destruction of the culture adopting them. He states:
On a reservation, Indian men who abandon their children are treated worse than white fathers who do the same thing. It's because white men have been doing that forever and Indian men have just learned how. That's how assimilation can work.
"Because My Father Always Said He Was the Only Indian.....
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