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2018 Midterm2
(assignment) Sample Student Midterm2 Answers Part 1: Essays on Immigrants, Minorities, and New World Immigrants |
LITR 4340
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Carrie Hutton
Assimilation and Resistance: Surviving America’s Society
When reviewing and addressing immigrants and minorities in a dominant
culture we look at the American society as a model. Our country, the United
States of America, was founded on one group of people’s perspectives. This
perspective is a dominant European culture and what people believe to be right
and how people should function economically, socially, and educationally. There
are a set of standards that society has deemed appropriate to follow in America.
The history of America and the individuals who call America home define society
today, but the history of immigrants and minorities helps us to better
understand assimilation and resistance into the dominant culture. Immigrants and
minorities either assimilate or resist the dominant culture and sometimes the
dominant culture resists the immigrants and minorities.
The narratives we have examined, the history of Old World Immigrants, New
World Immigrants, and Minorities, and the course objectives we have studied are
key to understanding why some groups of people are more willing to assimilate
and why some groups of people are more resistant to assimilate into a culture
that has defined rules for acceptable and unacceptable attitudes and behaviors.
When immigrants come to this country, they believe in the theory of the
“American Dream” and that America is a country of perpetual hope. What
immigrants don’t realize when they arrive is that society will expect immigrants
to conform to the dominant culture’s standards. They will have to adjust their
culture to fit someone else’s standards. Immigrants are people who move
willingly to a place. Some immigrants can be referred to as “Old World
Immigrants” because they are attempting to escape the old world by traveling to
the new world. The term Old world is derived from the areas in the Eastern
hemisphere, not including Africa. According to objective one, Immigrants are
individuals who have come to the New World in search of a better life for
themselves, searching in essence, for the “American Dream”.
Minorities are individuals who live in the United States but have a history of
their ancestors being forcefully removed from their home country. Examples of
minorities are Africans, Natives, and some Mexican Americans. These individuals
have a past with the dominant culture that is violent. Their ancestors have a
history of involuntary contact and exploitation. These minorities did not choose
to leave their home country, they were kidnapped or forced to move and this past
history has stayed with minorities throughout history.
New World immigrants have identities of
both minorities and immigrants. New World immigrants voluntarily immigrant to
America, but their ancestors were previously exploited throughout history giving
them an identity of a minority, as well as, an immigrant. New World immigrants
come from countries derived in the Western Hemisphere and consist of
Mexican-American, Hispanic, and Afro-Caribbean individuals. New World immigrants
are more ambivalent to embrace the dominant culture’s way of life because of
their proximity to their home country. These immigrants usually immigrate for
economic opportunities, not necessarily because the United States is better than
their country. The proximity to the United States allowed New World Immigrants
to be a witness to imperialism throughout North America and South America giving
them an identity of a minority and immigrant.
To exemplify the dominant culture, old world immigrant, new world immigrant, and
minority narratives, literary devices are used throughout narratives. Similarly,
symbolism is used to represent an object or person and give a literary meaning
to that object. For example, the color white is used throughout narratives to
symbolize the United States’ dominant culture; giving that dominant culture the
perception of being pure. Whereas, in some narratives the immigrant or minority
has been described as dirty; giving the perception that the immigrant is
unkempt. Many symbols are used to give meaning to a particular subject without
saying it outright. By using literary devices, like symbolism, a meaning can be
magnified by connecting to the reader’s background knowledge.
Old world immigrants come to America voluntarily in search of a better
opportunity for themselves or their family. In the story,
The English Lesson, a young immigrant
girl, Lali, is married to an older man named Rudi, who is representative of the
old world. She works in her husband’s restaurant with another young immigrant
named William and the two form an inseparable bond. This bond between Lali and
William show the new world overcoming the old world. Lali and William’s bond is
formed over assimilating by learning English and the drive for a better job.
Although Lali and William are starting to assimilate they keep some of their
heritage and culture. Primary objective two is evident in the English teacher,
Mrs. Hamma, she is a symbol of the dominant culture. She is accepting of all
students, but she favors some immigrants more than others, like the educated
Polish immigrant. Mrs. Hamma is representative of American culture and society.
Mrs. Hamma is symbolic because she views her students how the dominant culture
favors or accepts certain immigrants over others.
Immigrants who come to America in search of the “American Dream” are
often segregated or resisted by the dominant culture. This is evident in the
story, Soap and Water. This narrative
depicts a young immigrant lady who works in a laundromat and attends college in
hopes to achieve her degree. According to primary objective one, this immigrant
has changed her cultural identity to assimilate into the dominant culture’s
society. She is disappointed when her degree is rejected by the dean, Miss.
Whiteside, who symbolizes the dominant culture. Her degree being rejected is
symbolic of the dominant culture’s rejection of her in society because of her
appearance, unkempt. The dominant culture is symbolized often in narratives by
the color white, Miss. Whiteside, giving the image or purity. This immigrant
passes through stage three of the immigrant narrative, in that, she is resisted
and this is comparable to the minority narrative, but this discrimination in not
lasting. The young lady in this narrative was trying to achieve assimilation
into the dominant culture but was rejected; she had to go to extra lengths and
continue to work hard to accomplish the “American Dream”.
Similarly, to the immigrant narrative is the “Model Minority” narrative,
or “Ideal Immigrant”. The “Model Minority” is not a minority, but is an
immigrant who comes to the New World voluntarily and works hard to assimilate
economically and educationally. The “Model Minority” usually consists of Asian
Americans who are, according to Dr. White, “positively stereotyped”.
Jewish Americans in early America are also considered model minorities
because they worked hard to establish American lifestyles while keeping their
Jewish identities and becoming educated. These individuals are positively
grouped because of their willingness and drive to assimilate into the dominant
society, but they still retain some of their cultures.
“Model Minorities” are immigrants who
come to the New World in search of a better life for their family. An example of
a “Model Minority” is portrayed in the story,
What Color Would You Like, Ma’am? In
this narrative, an Asian family owns a nail salon in America, which is symbolic
of partial assimilation and capitalism in the dominant culture. Their son,
Thien, is a Senior in high school and is driven by his family to go to college
to become a doctor and support his family. When a nail technician is sick and
can’t come into work, Thien’s mother asks him to come work for her. This is
representative of the “Model Minority” because their family traditions and
support are still intact while they work very hard to achieve their success’ and
assimilate. Family support is representative throughout model minority
narratives. According to objective two, Thien’s parents are representative of
first-generation immigrants because they are less willing to assimilate than
their son. According to primary objective one, Thien is representative of a
second-generation immigrant because he still has his family connections and
traditions but he has an identity that is American as well. Thien still holds
some of the old-world values that reside in his family and he assimilate to the
new world through the interactions with his friends.
Immigrants and “Model Minorities” equate money, education for some, jobs,
language, and stability as a bridge of exchange which eventually leads to
assimilation. Immigrants do not stay immigrants, they eventually become
Americans.
The contrast to the immigrant and “Model Minority” narrative is the minority
narrative. These individuals are “True Minorities”. According to objective
three, minority stories are different than immigrant stories; immigrants
voluntarily move and minorities were pushed out or forced in. Minority
narratives describe a group of individuals who were forced out of or into an
area or country. African Americans, Native Americans, and some Mexican Americans
are minorities. African Americans were brought from their countries forcefully
by other people during the slave trade. An example of this forced movement is
the Middle Passage; slaves were placed in horrible and dangerous conditions
during the middle passage and then forced into slavery. Native Americans were
forced West by people settling their homelands in America. They were forced to
endure the Trail of Tears and if they survived they were forced to live on a
reservation. Minorities are individuals who will fight to preserve their
heritage and culture. Minorities are usually resistant to assimilation because
their ancestors endured years of manipulation and hatred, so if they assimilated
they might think they were accepting the past.
Historically, minorities did not immigrate to America to experience the American
dream; to the contrary, they were forced to move and endure a life in the
American nightmare. An example of a Minority narrative is
The Narrative of Olaudah Equiano, The
African. This narrative gives a vivid account of the narrator’s journey, his
trip across the middle passage, and his life in slavery. This narrative gives a
glimpse of the terror these individuals endured and why minorities today might
be so resistant to assimilate to the dominant culture. Equiano states, “… and I
was now persuaded that I had gotten into a world of bad spirits, and that they
were going to kill me.” (Ch. 2, para. 16). The use of the term “bad spirits” is
a symbol to describe the white men aboard the ship and the nightmare he was
about to endure. Slaves did not choose to leave their countries and work like
immigrants did; they were forced to work for someone else’s needs.
Another example of a Minority narrative is
The Lesson. In this narrative, a
group of young African American children, living in a Ghetto in America, are
tutored by an educated African American woman named Miss. Moore one summer. This
is another example of resistance to assimilation and introduction into the
dominant society they do not comprehend or understand. In this narrative, the
children are resistant to Miss. Moore because she has an education. Miss. Moore
takes the children to a part of town that they have never been to or
experienced, the epitome of the dominant culture, a society of expensive toys
and expensive clothes. The children resist this culture, an example of this is
when one of the children say, “White folks crazy” (147). The part of town Mrs.
Moore takes the children to is a symbol of the dominant culture. Everything the
children see in this part of town are very expensive which symbolizes capitalism
in America’s society. The children look at the dominant society and may think
they do not want to be a part of this culture.
Another example of a minority narrative is
American Horse. In this narrative, a
Native American mother, Albertine, is trying to protect her son, Buddy, from
being taken away by the American Government. The social worker, Vicki, is a
symbol of the dominant culture with her cleanliness and deodorant. Immigrants
are more likely to trust the government if their children are taken away.
Immigrants have hope that their children will be returned. The Native American
minority, in this narrative particular, do not believe Buddy will be returned,
so Albertine fights and resists. Minorities have close family bonds and
traditions. If one of their family members are removed or taken away their
cultural structure and traditions are disrupted. The following quotation
describes the cultural disruption beautifully, “Vicki tried to hold Buddy fast
and keep her arm down at the same time, for the words she’d screamed at
Albertine had broken the seal of antiperspirant beneath her arms” (220). This
quotation is a symbol of how the removal of this child disrupted Albertine and
Buddy’s culture and way of life and how the American culture didn’t look so
clean and pristine anymore. Resistance to assimilation is one of the differences
between immigrants and minorities.
Some narratives overlap the model minority, minority, and immigrant boundary.
One example is the narrative Sandals in
the Snow. This narrative is a story of a family who willingly came to
America and partially assimilated into the dominant culture but kept some of
their own heritages. They have a family structure and support, they are
educated, they keep their family values of respect. For example, the way they
cook and wrap their hair also relates to an immigrant narrative. Although this
is story mainly compares to a model minority and immigrant narrative it can also
relate to a minority narrative. In school, one of the students asked to touch
one of the Ihedigbo children’s hair. This situation placed the child in a
minority situation that may have made her want to resist assimilation. The
situation regarding the child’s hair is also representative of the “color code”.
At this moment, the child realized that the other children in the school looked
at them differently. The title of the story,
Sandals in the Snow, is symbolic to
how the children feel in their predominantly white neighborhood. Although, they
were raised with strong family support, traditions, and education the children
still feel the need to “fit in” with their peers.
Sandals in the Snow
is overall a model minority and immigrant narrative. They are an
Nigerian-American family who educated themselves. They are partial to assimilate
into the dominant culture. The Ihedigbo family kept their family traditions and
cultures, but they did not resist assimilation completely like minorities do.
They do not want to be altogether like the “cookie cutter” American. They value
their family heritage and traditions that they brought with them.
Similarly, to the Old-World immigrant and minority narratives is the New World
immigrant narrative. New World immigrants identify both as immigrant and
minority. New World immigrants do
come voluntarily to the United States in search of a better life or an economic
opportunity. New world immigrants also relate to minorities because of the
exploitation their ancestors endured at the hands of explorers. For example,
Hernan Cortes and Spanish explorers decimated and exploited the Aztecs in early
exploration. Also, Mexican-Americans suffered the same as Native-Americans did
to some degree. Americans swept their lands and the Mexicans who lived in those
lands were forced off and the land was confiscated by Americans. The proximity
of these immigrants’ home country to the United States gives the New world
immigrant a constant reminder of the horrors their ancestors endured. The
proximity of the United States to their home country and the past historical
contact makes New World immigrants less willingly to assimilate to the dominant
culture.
An example of a narrative addressing the merging of these two identities,
immigrant and minority, is The Distance
Between Us. In this narrative, the father has gone to America from Mexico in
search of a better life and has left his children at home in Mexico. The father
has been away so long that the younger children only know him by a photograph
and what they have envisioned in their mind. The children live with their
Mother, Aunts, and Grandmother creating a strong family support system at home.
The Mother has no desire to give up her life and move to America.
When the father arrives back in Mexico he brings his American wife. He
has intermarried which is a trait of an immigrant assimilating to the dominant
culture. This narrative is representative of a minority narrative because of
resistance the dominant culture might have towards them.
Throughout the narrative, The Distance
Between Us, symbols are relevant of the dominant culture. The first symbol
representing dominant culture is, “…a pair of golden arches…” (102), this
represents the image of consumerism and money that is evident throughout the
United States. America is also symbolized in this narrative by talking about
“Disneyland” (103). Disneyland is a symbol of the dominant culture because it is
a brand that children from all over the world hear about. Disneyland represents
the “American Dream” and consumerism. Only if you come from a family that has
money will you get to experience Disneyland. Similarly, if an immigrant is
supported and educated, they will have better access and acceptance in the
dominant culture’s society.
Assimilation is present is the narrative, “Like Mexicans”. This narrative is an
example of a New World immigrant narrative. This narrative is representative of
a New World immigrant narrative because of the strong identity to their culture
and traditions without them having to cut it off to fit in the dominant
culture’s parameters. The Mexican-American young man in this story decides to
intermarry a Japanese girl despite the urging of his mother that he should marry
a Mexican girl. When the man decides to intermarry, this is a way of him
assimilating to the dominant culture. Education and getting a career are
important parts of this story which is also another way these individuals
assimilated. The characters in this story relate to New World immigrants because
they also fit into the minority group. According to Soto, “For her, everyone who
wasn’t Mexican, black, or Asian were Okies” (301). This quotation is a symbol of
everyone who is considered an Okie, fits into the European class, and everyone
who is Mexican, black, or Asian, fits into the minority class. The older women
in this story have a separate identity from the Dominant culture. They have
resisted parts of the dominant culture to hold on to their own traditions and
beliefs.
Immigrants who come to America in search of a better life sometimes assimilate
which helps them to fit into the mold that the Dominant culture deems
appropriate. Sometimes an immigrant parent wants their child to assimilate, but
the parent wants to keep their identity rather than assimilate because of their
proximity to their home country. This is present in the poem, “Immigrants” by
Pat Mora. Throughout this poem the parents are enveloping their child in
American symbols, in hopes that the child will be accepted. The American flag,
hot dogs, apple pies, and blonde dolls are all symbols of the dominant culture.
The food, hot dogs and apple pie, are symbolic of the parents ramming “culture”
down the babies’ throat. The immigrant parents are hoping to “Americanize” their
child into acceptance. On the other hand, the parents want to keep their
heritage and traditions because they, “whisper is Spanish or Polish when the
babies sleep…” (line 8-9). The parents do not want to give up their traditional
identities
An example of a New World immigrant, Hispanic, narrative is the poem, “Coca-Cola
and Coco Frio”. This poem is set in Puerto Rico which is a territory of the
United States. This area was acquired by the United States from Spain during the
Spanish-American War. People who are born in Puerto Rico are born United States
citizens. Individuals who live here are immigrants because of their assimilation
into the dominant culture and minorities because they are resistant, in some
ways, because of the experiences of their ancestors. In this poem, a young child
is struggling with his identity of Puerto Rican and American which is why this
is a New World immigrant narrative, a mixture of minority and immigrant.
Throughout the poem, “Coca-Cola and Coco Frio”, symbols of the dominant culture
and traditional culture are evident. The refinement and consumerism of the
Coca-Cola is a symbol for the Dominant culture being ever present in this
culture. However, the Coco Fria is a symbol of the original tradition and
culture that use to inhabit this area before the takeover of the dominant
culture. Character by generation are apparent in this poem. The first generation
is depicted though a Great-Aunt giving the little boy Coca-Cola. The older
generation has partially assimilated to the dominant culture’s consumerism and
way of life. To the contrary, the little boy, who was raised on the idea of the
dominant culture begins to question this identity after drinking the Puerto
Rican drink Coco-Fria. This identity crisis allows the boy to fall into
second-generation classification.
An example of a New world immigrant narrative that represents the Afro-Caribbean
identity is “The Making of a Writer: From the Poets in the Kitchen”. In this
narrative, a young girl and her family live in the United States. While she is
growing, she listens to her mother and her mother’s friends use oral language to
communicate around the kitchen table. The kitchen is symbolic of creativity in
this family. In a kitchen you use ingredients to create meals, the main
character uses words as her ingredients to make stories and have a voice in the
dominant culture. The mother has a culture of spoken words and the daughter has
a culture of written words. The main character assimilates to the dominant
culture by going from the kitchen to the public library and reading great
western authors. Throughout her life in the library and in school her cultural
identity was suppressed until she found authors written by Paul Laurence Dunbar.
The use of Dunbar’s dialect allowed the main character to relive her moments in
the kitchen with her mother and reconnect to her roots. The main character can
identify with more than one culture which is another reason she is a new world
immigrant.
In this Afro-Caribbean narrative, “The Making of a Writer: From the Poets in the
Kitchen”, the characters are immigrants because they willingly came to the
United States in pursuit of economic opportunities, but their proximity to their
home country effects their desire to fully assimilate. This narrative is
representative of a minority narrative because of the color code. The dominant
culture may lump the characters into the African race. This is exemplified when
the Paule Marshall says, “…. I started asking the reference librarian, who was
white, for books written by Negro writers, although I must admit I did so at
first with a feeling if shame—the shame I and many others used to experience in
those days whenever the word “Negro” or “colored” came up” (88). This judgement
from the dominant culture will allow the characters to hold on to their identity
further and resist assimilation. The new world immigrant, old world immigrant,
model minority, and minority narratives help us to understand historical and
cultural backgrounds; the narratives also help us understand why immigrants
assimilate fully or partially and why minorities resist assimilation.
