Loss of cultural identity in Anne Tyler's digging to America

America is a country which shelters people of different origins. People from different countries, including Iranians too, immigrated to America for various reasons. Only the political developments between America and Iran, such as the Iranian Revolution, the Iranian hostage crisis and finally September 11th attacks strained the relations between these countries. As a result of the developments, especially after the September 11th attacks, America incriminated Iran, an Islamic country. Owing to America?s inclusion of Iran in the ?axis of evil?, Iranians have been treated with prejudice. Research shows that, Iranians, who are in a difficult position on account of this negative attitude, experience hardships in their social lives, feel estranged from their identity and alienated from their own culture.The objective of this thesis is to study how Iranians distanced themselves from their own cultural identity, on account of the emerging negative Iranian image, and tried to adopt American identity in Anne Tyler?s novel, Digging to America. This novel of Anne Tyler?s is important in that it addresses the identity crisis resulting from the impact of Western prejudice.