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2018 Midterm2
(assignment) |
LITR 4340
 American Immigrant Literature Model Assignments |
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Tammy Tran
Assimilation is Complex
The
definition of New World immigrants seems clear. They are immigrants in that they
voluntarily come to the U.S. but are like minorities in that they have been
historically exploited for many years. However, each writer in the Model
Assignments provides a unique comment on assimilation. I chose two midterm 2
papers by Kimberly Loza and Katie Morin and one report-in-progress by Cesar
Cano. All three papers relate to New World immigrants and assimilation in
interesting ways, making their analysis ripe for comparison.
Loza’s “The Mixture of the New World Immigrant and the Minority” discusses the
allure of assimilation and resistance that are characteristic of New World
immigrants. What first caught my eye in the paper was the quote from Loza’s
father, which went, “we didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us” (para.
2). It fittingly explains the sentiments most New World immigrants have for U.S.
interventions in their home countries, making them very relatable to true
minorities. Loza also notes the irony in assimilation trends for New World
immigrants especially in the poem “Coca Cola and Coco Frio” by stating, “It is
almost in a way a role reversal and he is more captivated by this native land of
his due to the natural drinks like Coco Frio while the people of that land are
more intrigued by Coca Cola” (para. 5). She suggests irony in that the narrator
wants to resist further assimilation by longing for Coco Frio while the people
not in the U.S. are assimilating by drinking Coca Cola. Loza also makes the
connection to a short story in which Da-Duh “was not only dreaming of the
American Lifestyle but, was concerned with her granddaughter fighting with
someone of the dominant culture” (para. 6). It is ironic that Da-Duh who lives
outside the U.S. would be shocked at resisting the dominant culture, while the
narrator resists assimilation even though she lives in the U.S. Loza suggests
the interesting trend that some people outside the U.S. may try to assimilate
more than those who are inside the U.S.
Morin’s “The New World Narrative: An Immigrant-Minority Hybrid” examines the
various degrees of assimilation among New World immigrants. She suggests that
New World immigrants want to assimilate, acculturate, and resist entirely. Morin
also comments on the intersectional identities in the immigrant narrative.
Drawing from Cisneros’s “Barbie-Q,” Morin states, “Although Barbie dolls
represent the values held by the dominant culture, those that have been this
badly damaged would have been thrown out by those belonging to the upper or
middle classes” (para. 4). She observes the intersection between immigrant and
economic statuses, which plays a part in their assimilation. In a way, the two
girls’ lower economic statuses are barriers to assimilation, which has also been
noted in Yezierska’s “Soap and Water” where the narrator is barred from
employment because she does not have the economic means to assimilate into the
“clean world.” Morin also points out that New World immigrants tend to embrace
acculturation, “a merging of multiple cultures” (para. 5). Her definition of
acculturation emphasizes the combination of cultures, another aspect of
intersectionality. In short, Morin fleshes out the identities of New World
immigrants to include other intersectional aspects such as economic status and
ethnic cultures.
Cano’s “Language: Unifying and Divisive Tool” details factors behind language
loss between generations of immigrants and their children. His use of a scenario
in the introduction pulled me right into his paper, because it was different
from what I expected an introduction to be. I could also relate to the scenario;
people have approached me a few times speaking in Vietnamese and I was always at
a loss for words because I did not know the language well enough. From the
paragraphs written so far, it seems like he is posing a dilemma experienced by
immigrants pertaining to assimilation. Cano states, “The reality at home speaks
Spanish and sings about tradition, work, family ties, and community. The reality
at school is an English one led by higher education, independence, modernity,
and assimilation. Which path to take?” (para. 3). In other words, the dilemma
experienced by immigrants is how much or if to assimilate linguistically. I
thought the sentence was very well thought out and the dilemma is explicitly
stated in this sentence for those who have not personally experienced this
conflict in their lives. I also appreciate Cano for later detailing the
consequences for assimilating and resisting using English as a primary language.
Thus, language is not only a pathway for assimilation but can also be used as a
weapon for resistance.
To
review, all three writers contribute to the discussion of New World immigrants
and assimilation in different ways. Loza reveals the irony that people outside
the U.S. may be on the road to assimilation while those inside the U.S. may
actually be resisting. Morin brings up intersectionality through the lenses of
economic status and culture to explore immigrant identity. Lastly, Cano
introduces the linguistic dilemma of assimilation, in which immigrants must
decide how much to assimilate and what consequences they are willing to take for
their decisions. Assimilation is much more complex than I had thought and I am
grateful to have read these writers’ works to learn more.
