Sylvia Krzmarzick
Immigrant Literature
Dr. Craig White
April 19, 2001

Assimilation of the Immigrant and Resistance from the Minority

Stage three of the immigrant narrative is quite similar to the minority experience, especially when dealing with discrimination and exploitation. However, a demarcation exists between the immigrant and minority experience where assimilation is concerned. These narratives veer from each other for several reasons: the social contract with America in regards to the American Dream and the ability of immigrants to become acculturated before assimilation can take place. Therefore, after analyzing numerous immigrant and minority texts a trend takes place whereas immigrants are more able to overcome stage 3 of the narrative more easily, whereas minorities are not.

Faith and belief in the American Dream can be directly related to the ability to assimilate into the dominant culture. For the purpose of this paper, the American Dream encompasses a mythic, almost religious, vision of America. In "2G," perhaps Sonia Pilcer says it best. "America! Everyone chanted the magic word of passage" (202). The symbol of the Dream entails embarking on a journey to the "Promised Land" or America, working hard in the ‘free’ country, and realizing a measure of success not available in the old world. This narrative gets complicated when dealing with immigrants and minorities. The symbols of America, such as the Statue of Liberty, interweave themselves into the American Dream concept. Primarily, it is the consistent faith in the Dream and the different social contract with America that enables immigrants to be more successful at assimilation than minorities.

The belief in the Dream in the face of discrimination and alienation is common in the immigrant narrative. It should be noted, however, that true assimilation for the immigrant typically does not take place for the first generation. However, it is the transference of the belief in the Dream that further enables assimilation to take place for the second and third generations in spite of hardship. In Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska, Berel Bernstein realizes what it takes to realize the American Dream when he declares, "In America everybody got to earn his living first" (48). However, it is Sonia’s belief that success is attainable that keeps her going in the face of dislike from her peers, pressure from the patriarchy, and extreme poverty. "Longing for the higher life," Sonia moves away from her family (161). Furthermore, "great dreams spurred [her] feet" as she begins school (161). However, an education is much more difficult than she thought it would be. After her first night of school, she comes home feeling defeated and deflated. Instead of becoming dejected Sonia tells herself to "Stop all this sensitiveness, or you’re beaten already before the fight is begun" (164).

This determination in the face of hardship is seen again in the Yezierska short story "Soap and Water." While dealing with the harsh realities of discrimination from her professors at college, the narrator defines herself as an "unlived visionary immigrant [that] hungered and thirsted for America" (109). The narrator is unable to find "America" (or the Dream) "in the sweatshops" (109). However, she is not thwarted for long when she declares:

Even though Yezierska makes a direct reference to being "oppressed," which can be likened to the minority experience, she overcomes obstacles that arise while focusing on the power of the American Dream. This fact exemplifies the role that this intense and fervent faith has on the immigrant in the ‘shock‘ stage of the narrative. The persistent belief in the American Dream, despite overwhelming despair, is a major factor that assists immigrants in becoming assimilated in spite of discrimination and prejudice.

While immigrants and minorities both face discrimination, it is the minority’s social contract with America that makes assimilation difficult at best. Frankly, the American Dream has a catch. John Wright notes that the simple fact that there is "discussion over what to call [African-Americans] reflects a continuous debate over black people’s place in American Society" (qtd. in Coser 8). Furthermore, Coser notes that "progress and development often mislead blacks in search of the American Dream" (74). The elusiveness of the American Dream for minorities is often reflected in their narrative.

This is especially evident in "The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara. At the end of the trip to Macy‘s, Sugar declares, "this is not much of a democracy if you ask me. Equal chance to pursue happiness means equal crack at the dough..." (145). Sugar can spot the inequity and the difference in opportunity for her. Therefore, Bambara used the dominant cultures’ words against them to punctuate the fact that the American Dream of equality has is not so easily fulfilled for African-Americans.

The Dream with catch is also seen in the Native-American narrative "American Horse" by Lousie Erdrich. Towards the end of the narrative, Albertine begins to feel the Dream coursing through her as she "felt the same kind of possibilities, . . . she felt so light and powerful at that moment" (204). However, in the end, Albertine is beaten into submission and her son is taken away from her. The social contract that Albertine has with officials in this fictional work does not enable her to overcome discrimination to assimilate. Instead, her dreams are crushed and taken away from her because she is Indian.

Perhaps James Baldwin’s evaluation of the American Dream with a catch is most clear. In "from No Name in the Streets," Baldwin has "made it, and this making it entailed "the deliberate repudiation of everything and everyone that had given [him] an identity . . . (286). On the surface, it would appear that Baldwin has succeeded in assimilating into the dominant culture and realized the American Dream of success and apple pie. However, he goes on to note that the suit he is bringing to his friend is "drenched in the blood of all of the crimes of [his] country" (Visions 286). The line between the minorities and immigrants experiences with assimilation is elucidated with that statement. While it is feasible for minorities to have a level of absorption into the dominant culture, the social contract with the country is entangled in a web of history that cannot be ignored. Furthermore, it is this history of oppression and subjugation that inhibits full assimilation.

The persistent belief in the American Dream, without entanglements, is an integral facet of assimilation. However, for the immigrant, the ability to become acculturated into American culture is of equal importance. Gordon notes that "stage 1 [of assimilation] is acculturation, in which cultural patterns of the dominant group are adopted by the new or oppressed group" (qtd in Gollnick 12). Furthermore, immigrant groups or "microcultures" often indicate that they "have distinctive cultural patterns" that are not pervasive in the dominant culture (Gollnick 13). In the immigrant narrative, this concept of retaining traditional or old world values while adapting chosen new world mores is most often preserved through the first generation immigrant and reinforced by inhabiting an ethnic enclave.

It should be noted, however, that this "enclave" is different than that of the minority. The ability to acculturate or assimilate has little to do with their "enclave", as they are not actually insulated by their surroundings. Institutionalized racism and discrimination actually serve to keep minorities in ghettos or reservations. When speaking of perhaps the most famous minority ghetto, Harlem, Coser notes that ‘"there is no escaping Harlem" for a black person (75). She goes on to say that "the persisting heritage of colonialism shatters black communities: it is a war of centuries still raging against the black and the poor" (75). Therefore, as a result of continued oppression and a history that begins with forced participation, the "ethic enclave" is rendered a prison for the minority. It is oppressive rather than insulatory.

As mentioned, living in an ethnic enclave an essential component for the immigrant to be able to acculturate into American society, which is the first step in assimilation. In The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan, the first generation of Chinese immigrants lives various Chinatowns around the country, including "San Francisco" and "Sacramento"(90 &143). This environment provided a place for the new immigrants to begin to understand American values. Shan Qiang He notes that "the Chinese form various organizations within Chinatown to help take care of each other..." (47). This is a way for the new immigrant to keep traditional values while learning their new culture. The mothers in this novel represent the old ways, however, they do want what America has to offer. Therefore, they end up meshing the old with the new. Jing-Mei Woo’s mother wants her to become an American prodigy and looks to American magazines to find the answer. She would "present new tests, taking her examples from stories of amazing children she had read in" numerous magazines. However, she also wants a proper, obedient daughter with Chinese values. Perhaps Lindo Jong points to each of the mother’s acculturation the best when she says, "I wanted my children to have the best combination: American circumstances and Chinese character. How could I know these two things do not mix" (289)? The mothers are adapting to the new culture while still having a connection to the old. The insulation of acculturation then paves the way for the daughters to become assimilated.

The daughters in The Joy Luck Club move away from the ethnic enclave and live mostly the life of the assimilated American. This trend is also seen in Bread Givers. Sara, after having been away at college for some time looks back at her ethic enclave and speaks directly to the first generation immigrant when she states, "To them, my Hester Street world was a new world" (231). She realizes that the world of books and patriarchy are part of an acculturated world that her father lives in. Furthermore, the ghetto provides a place for her father to exist in that way. Krupnick notes that for the new immigrant there is a "preference for the warmth and loyalties" of the old traditions that contrasts with "the ambiguous rewards" that America has to offer (301). This preference leads first generation immigrants into an ethic enclave where they can preserve the traditional ideals while beginning to work within American culture.

Overall, in immigrant literature there are trends that break away from the experiences of minorities. The immigrant has a relentless faith in the American Dream that aids in overcoming discrimination in the shock stage of the narrative. Furthermore, the immigrant is able to acculturate into American society before fully assimilating by living in an ethnic enclave where their old traditions can begin to work within the New World mentality. In other words, the enclave provides a bridge between the old and new worlds. These experiences enable the immigrant to move into stage four of the immigrant narrative, while it seems that minorities are stuck as a result of generations of discrimination.

Works Cited