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2016 Midterm1
(assignment) |
LITR 4340
American Immigrant Literature Model Assignments |
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Amber Boone (Amber Isbill)
Key Elements of Assimilation
For my web highlights selection, I have chosen to write about two midterm
essays: “Resilience: It’s what defines us,” by Tracie Estrada, and “Human
Relations Meet on Money,” by Cesar Cano. Additionally, I will also examine the
final research report, “What is ‘White’ and Why?” by Dorothy Noyes. I chose
these essays, because each one provides a unique viewpoint over the class
readings, and each writer adds valuable information that aids in the analysis of
these narratives and key terms, especially concerning assimilation. Estrada,
Cano, and Noyes all take a different approach to the process of assimilation,
and together, they help to note themes that are often overlooked.
In “Resilience: It’s what defines us,” Tracie Estrada highlights the
element of choice in relation to assimilation. She describes immigrants and
their oftentimes willingness to assimilate, saying, “immigrants coming to the
United States enlist into an unspoken agreement, a social contract which states
that if you obey the laws of the land the system will work for you.” Due to
this, immigrants often place a high importance on following the law, and doing
everything laid out by the system. I think this is an interesting point, because
it demonstrates why immigrants are more readily accepted by the dominant
culture, and it illustrates an important aspect of assimilation. In her essay,
Estrada also contrasts this point with the minority narrative, where she points
out that their “stories often depict a dominant culture that has no place for
them.” I like the way Estrada words this proposition, because it pulls at the
readers heart and helps to generate an understanding in regards to minorities
and their resistance to assimilation.
Cesar Cano, in “Human Relations Meet on Money,” addresses the importance
of money and how it aids, or hinders, the process of assimilation. He points out
that “immigrant narratives focus on the need of money to fulfill the American
dream, while minority narratives view money as a necessity to live, not buy
their way into society.” His point is very straight-forward, and it provides
another important distinction between immigrants and minorities. The relation to
the dominant culture between each group is different, and I think Cano brought
some key insight into the concepts we discuss in class.
“What is ‘White’ and Why?” by Dorothy Noyes was the most powerful essay
in my opinion. In it, Noyes takes on what I believe to be the most overlooked
aspect of assimilation: the dominant culture. What exactly is the dominant
culture these immigrants are assimilating into? What defines the culture
oppressing minorities? Objective one states that “this group is often hardest to
identify because of their ‘unmarked’ status: often identified with whiteness but
also middle-class modesty, plainness, and cleanliness.” Noyes, however, takes on
the challenge of identifying it, and she asks, “What happened that allowed one
group as varied as the European immigrants were and are, to be transformed into
a large, homogenous group defined as ‘white?’” This question seems to be the
elephant in the room, and although Noyes explores why the dominant culture is
associated with ‘whiteness,’ she never really finds her answer. Her research,
however, provides an interesting story, and it also begs even more questions
about the dominant culture. Her insights really led me to question this entire
notion, and it is a topic I would like to further research.
In their essays, Estrada, Cano, and Noyes help to illustrate the process
of assimilation, resistance, and the dominant culture. Each writer provides an
important perspective on immigrant and minority literature, and their points
help to expand the conversation of assimilation. Noyes’ piece was my favorite,
because she tackles the dominant culture, a concept seemingly undefinable.
Estrada’s stress on the element of choice in migration and how it affects
assimilation is a point that it obvious and commonly discussed in class, but
nevertheless, it needs to be addressed, and I think she discussed the topic
beautifully. Cano’s sociological perspective on how money influences the
immigrant and minority narratives is quite interesting, and it led me to
question what other factors might be at play within the process of assimilation.
Together, these essays provided an interesting approach to an important topic,
and each one has led me to ask even more questions, fueling my desire to learn
more about this topic.
