The Effects of Cultural Assimilation: Conformity vs. Unorthodoxdy

The Effects of Cultural Assimilation Conformity vs. Unorthodoxdy Cultural preoccupation is a complex and multifaceted process that first involves immigrants learning the language, ethnical norms, and agency expectations of the absorbing rescript, and further transplants in attitudes, or so it is explained by Dejun Su, Chad Richardson, and Guang-zhen Wang, in their bind, Assessing Cultural Assimilation of Mexi back the Statesns How Rapidly Do Their Gender-Role Attitudes Converge to the U. S. Mainstream? (764).Through step forward register and also manifest day society, ethnical assimilation is easy to be identified, thanks to the melting pot quality of North the States. Also, heathen assimilation is questi unmatchabled about the do it has on various groups of immigrants. Effects, such as the passing play of ones identity, the splutter to attain conquest in the in the raw nation, the loss of ones hitherditary pattern and unique background, competitiveness between fami ly and friends and stereotypical divergence in society, are demonstrated in varying degrees by the past and present generations of immigrants from the countries of Mexico, japan and the kernel East.Throughout history, Mexican immigrants have continuously crossed the boarder into the States for the chance of a new life. However, coming to a new country inevitably has its consequences, and the carts of assimilation are always present. During a time of vast immigration of European citizens into the United States, Mexican immigrants were not so much(prenominal) of a concern throughout the whole country.Katherine Benton-Cohen supports this report in her denomination Other Immigrants Mexicans and the Dillingham Commission of 1907-1911, by explaining that, Unlike Nipponese immigration in Californiawhich had set international diplomatic maneuvers in motion, in this blockage American officials gener each(prenominal)(a)y viewed Mexican immigration as a topical anesthetic labor issu e, not a national or international polity question (39). As a result, the Mexican immigrants were not so rapidly as to forget their ending, but as long as they were volition to work for small wages, this resistance did not b different Americans.Benton-Cohen also tips out that While the Mexicans are not easily assimilated, this is not of very slap-up importance as long as most of them return to their aborigine land later on a short time(Benton-Cohen, 38). This resulted in the do that the Mexican immigrants were unable to attain higher wages, or to gain success in America. However, new personal effects came into account as time went on, and more Mexicans continuously moved to America. Compared to past Mexican immigrant challenges, present day effects have drastically changed.As the population of Mexican immigrants has grown overtime, so has the attending and concern towards their living and adaptation to a new country. It is believed that in the article The Kids are (Mostly) Alright Second-Generation Assimilation written by Richard Alba, Philip Kasinitz and Mary C. Waters, that In general, the second generation is doing much reveal than its parents in educational improvement and is less concentrated in immigrant jobs (763). However, this does not justify the fact that the pressures of cultural assimilation are much more developed in todays society than in the past.Alba then goes on to point out that The overwhelming absolute majority of the second generation is completely fluent in English only most of its members have not reached parity with native whites, and galore(postnominal) be intimate racial discrimination (Alba, 763). This statement goes to show that the newer society of Mexican Immigrants let that resisting cultural assimilation, is a salienter risk than when the older generations came to find meagerly jobs. some other example of the effects the newer generation must face, would be the struggle to be successful in school.In the arti cle, Immigrant Families and Children (Re)Develop Identities in a New place setting, the author, Mariana Souto-Manning, talk about a young Hispanic boy she had in class, and the effects of his mothers attempt for cultural assimilation had on him. When Souto-Manning meets to discusses the boy, his mother confesses, I decided to give him an American name so that no one would know he is Mexican. So that he would have a bring out chance to be successful in school than his brothers (402).Based on experience, she plan that by changing the boys name from Idelbrando to the American name Tommy, she could save him from the cultural assorts that might hinder his schooling experience (Souto-Manning, 402). However, she also left him endangered to the effects of cultural assimilation that are the loss of ones identity, and the loss of ones hereditary pattern and unique background. Idelbrando is not the only Mexican immigrant who has been effected in this way. In fact, it is common for many M exican immigrants to change their name, but it doesnt stop there.If the stamp that cultural assimilation makes it easier for Mexican immigrants to become successful, then the immigrants would need to change much more than their names going as far as to suck up their own last to the side and fully assimilate to the American agriculture. Another example of complete cultural assimilation and its consequences, would be in exuberate Kogawas Novel Obasan. In this novel, the main character, Naomi, and her Japanese family are faced with the discrimination and cruel treatment of Japanese-Canadians that was practiced in Canada at the time of populace Was II.Still, throughout all the hardship and pressures of conformity she was faced to go through, Naomi managed to forestall much of her Japanese roots that were apart of her since birth. At one point in the novel, Naomi points out the differences in her and her brothers lunches and describes,My lunch that Obasan made is two dampish and s ticky rice balls with a salty red plum in the center of each, a boiled egg to the side with a tight-fitting square of lightly boiled greens (182). In this description, it is evident that Naomi the Great Compromiser accustomed to her Japanese upbringing.On the other hand, Naomi explains that Stephen has peanut-butter sandwiches, an apple, and a thermos of soup (Kogawa, 182). therefore emphasizing that, unlike Naomi, her brother Stephen does not hold substantial to his Japanese culture, and falls to the pressures of cultural assimilation. Naomi then goes on to explain how She Obasan mends and re-mends his Stephen old socks and garb which he never wears and sets the table with food, which he often does not eat. sometimes he leaps up in the middle of nothing at all and goes off (Kogawa, 259).Sadly, Naomis explanation suggests that Stephen has gone as far as to abhor anything to do with his Japanese Culture. Another example of Stephens reluctance, is when Naomi asks Stephen what t here Aunt Emily is like, and he replies, Shes not like them while jerking his thumb at Uncle and Obasan ( Kogawa, 259). Additionally, this sort is an example of how cultural assimilation can effect the bonds of family and friends, and cause conflict between them. While the percentage of Japanese immigrants traveling to North America is ot as prominent as in the past, the Japanese culture is keep mum ever present throughout society. As well, after World war II, Japanese immigrants seemed less of a threat, and their cultural differences slowly became more congenial among society. However, the pressures of cultural assimilation are not completely eliminated for this culture. People of Japanese heritage living in North America, today, electrostatic feel the pressures of cultural assimilation, but mostly in the effect of stereotyping.For instance, in the article Japanese International Female Students Experience of Discrimination, Prejudice, and Stereotypes by authors Claude Bonazzo and Y. Joel Wong, it is acknowledged that Portrayals of Japanese culture and the Japanese in recent Hollywood movies such as The remainder Samurai, Lost in Translation, and Memoirs of a Geisha might play a role in shaping Americans perceptions and stereotypes of Japanese international students (paragraph 5).In other words, they believe that Americans may get the wrong impression of the Japanese culture, which create false myths and phantasmagoric stereotypes for people of Japanese culture. Bonazzo then goes to explain how Another common stereotype that Asians living in the United States encounter is the racialization of their ethnicity Americans have the tendency to protuberance Asians of different ethnic groups into one homogenous racial category by downplaying ethnic differences (Bonazzo, paragraph 16).Thus proving, that although the pressure to assimilate to the North American culture is not as strong, Japanese immigrants are now pressured with living up to false stereotypes that the consequences of over-assuming can create. Before September 11th, conflict between the cultures of Americans and optic eastern immigrants, mostly were the result of their clashing religious practices. While America is a country of religious freedom, the most common religion here was, and is Christianity. Likewise, the common religion practiced in the diaphragm East is Islam.However, although it is legally acceptable for Muslim immigrants to practice their religion in America, there was still controversy as to the acceptability among Christian Americans. For instance, in the article Islam in America, written by authors Ghosh, Abel, Lieblich, Scherer, Newton-Small, Dias, Steinmetz and Ford, a Christian preacher, Reverend Wayne Devrou, claims that The governmental objective of Islam is to dominate the world with its teachings and to have domination of all other religions militarily (paragraph 4).This idea, however, is not true, because it is often the case that Americans m isunderstand the religion of Islam, and in some cases, it is the Christian extremists who try to push their religion onto the Middle east immigrants. Gosh then goes on to explain how, To be a Muslim in America now is to endure slings and arrows against your faithnot just in the schoolyard and the office but also outside your place of worship and in the public square, where some of the countrys most powerful mainstream religious and political leading unthinkingly (or worse, deliberately) conflate Islam with terrorism and savagery (Ghosh, paragraph 12).This explanation illustrates the effects of Middle Eastern immigrants not assimilating, and the conflict is causes between the two cultures. whence on September 11th, 2001, the cause of conflict between Middle Eastern immigrants and Americans drastically changed. When a group of terrorist of Middle Eastern ethnicity, were responsible for the oddment of thousands and the devastation of the whole country of the United States, an idea called Islamophobia settled into the minds of many Americans.In his article, Confronting Islamophobia in the United States framing civil rights activism among Middle Eastern Americans, Erik beloved states that Islamophobia is a problematic neologism, and the one that is currently the most common consideration used to refer to bigotry, discrimination, policies and practices directed towards Islam and a racialized group of people that includes Muslims, which verifies that after 9/11 the discrimination of Islam is not the main focus of terrify Americans (402).Americans instead focus on the distinction of appearance that is particular to the Middle East race. Love also argues that, Islamophobia, in short, affects a racialized group of people- Middle Eastern Americans- /that, like any racialized group, is in fact comprised of an irreducibly diverse sight of individuals who identify with many different ethnicities, nationalities and religions which in other words representation that not all Middle Eastern immigrants are a terrorist or a threat in anyway to the United States (Love, 402).In fact, when first noticing the figurehead of a person of a Middle Eastern race, for some Americans, the word Muslim no all-night automatically comes to mind. Terrorist is the word that is now associated with this race, and because it all is based on the appearance of the race, no amount of cultural assimilation can extinguish this effect of stereotypical discrimination still present today.Furthermore, because the effects of cultural assimilation depend on the circumstance, the time period, the culture and the person, each output is different as to whether keeping a strong hold on to ones unique culture when pressured by a new environment is the right thing to do. Also, as time progresses, so does the idea that complete cultural assimilation is not necessary for immigrants to survive in a new country and more people are comely proud of their cultural background.In fact, on th e website, Thinkexist. com a quote by Donna Taylor can be found to support the idea that our country is no longer a melting pot where assimilation is the goal, but a great mosaic where each culture adds its uniqueness to make the whole better (Donna Taylor Quotes). Finally, although Cultural Assimilation is still present today, there is less pressure to conform to ones surrounding, and overall, there is a more open-minded feeling towards the blends and proportion of different cultures.