LITR 5731: Seminar in American Multicultural Literature: Minority

Sample Student Research Project, fall 2007

Patricia M. Dixon

Literature 5731

Assimilation and Identity in American Culture:

A Modern Nightmare

Journal Project for Seminar in Multicultural Literature

The purpose of this journal is to explore the concept of assimilation of minorities into the dominant culture of American society with particular focus on the African-American and Mexican-American cultures.  It is the contention of the writer of this journal that the process of assimilation is complete in the individual members of these cultural groups and that it has been accomplished through the use of the media and other mainstream ideas from the dominant culture that have been accepted and integrated into both the Mexican-American and African-American cultures.

Has the total assimilation of the African-American and the Mexican-American living in this country already occurred? Is the assimilation of both of these groups into the dominant culture inevitable?  Does each of these ethnic groups support the assimilation of its members into the dominant culture which is based on individualism and independence?   This writer initially sought to explore the issue of assimilation using the literature selected for the semester in Literature 5731: Multicultural American Literature as well as other literature on the topic of assimilation. This writer believes that there is a pattern to the assimilation process that has not been detected before. Therefore, research has been expanded to include other information to assist with the basic understanding of the assimilation process.

Assimilation is such a broad topic that no paper would be complete with a working definition as a primary base for discussion.  So, I have posed the question: What is assimilation? 

The Merriam-Webster Online dictionary defines it as “1 a: an act, process, or instance of assimilating b: the state of being assimilated. 2: the process of receiving new facts or of responding to new situations in conformity with what is already available to consciousness.”[1] 

Assimilation is also defined as a state of change.  Similarly, cultural assimilation is the process of intense integration whereby members of ethno-cultural groups are absorbed into an established, generally larger community and loses many of its distinctive traits and cultural characteristics which make them similar to the new community.[2]

In order to give this topic the attention that it deserves, this journal will be constructed into three parts:  Part One will address assimilation from the standpoint of the African-American and Mexican-American literature read during the semester in Literature 5731: Seminar in Multicultural Literature. Part Two will address assimilation in conjunction with the Dream Speech of Dr. Martin Luther King, the American Dream and its modern revision or “New American Dream”.  Part Three of this journal will discuss the results of a survey performed to assess the assimilation of modern day African-American and Mexican American individuals.

Research for this journal will consist of review of three books or articles on the topic of assimilation with corresponding sections of application to the argument of total assimilation.  Previous semester research essays and journals will be reviewed and utilized to support or refute the major theme of this journal.  Finally, portions of the texts from this semester’s readings will be used to illustrate the tenuous position of the individual who has assimilated into the dominant culture within their respective cultural environments.  These tools include: “The Slave Narratives”, “The Song of Solomon” by Toni Morrison, “Bless Me, Ultima” by Rudolfo Anaya, “Love Medicine” by Louise Erdrich, “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents” by Julia Alvarez, and “The Best Little Boy in the World” by Andrew Tobias.

Throughout this process, an attempt will be made to show that the assimilation of both of these ethnic groups have been accomplished, but it is in the expression of that assimilation that individual members of these groups meet with resistance from within the African-American and Mexican-American cultures respectively, as well as from the predominant Caucasian culture of America.

Part One

The examples of total assimilation begin with Fredrick Douglass in the Classic Slave Narratives.  Fredrick Douglass was assimilated into the dominant culture of America in his day. He writes, upon hearing the opinion of his master concerning his learning to read (the media of the time), “I now understood what had been to me a most perplexing difficulty—to wit, the white man’s power to enslave the black man.  It was a grand achievement, and I prized it highly.”[3]  Douglass understood something that aided his assimilation.  He understood that learning to read could help him win his freedom, but never does he seek to leave America.  He wanted the same things that other white men in America were entitled to: to earn and make a living for himself and his family.  It was never his choice to abandon America or the ideals of American freedom.  He does, however, learn even after his freedom that he cannot express his assimilation because of the prejudice of those around him.  He was prevented from plying his trade and had to work as a laborer because of prejudice.  “I went in pursuit of a job of caulking; but such was the strength of prejudice against color, among the white caulkers, that they refused to work with me, and of course I could get no employment”[4] 

Likewise, Olaudah Equiano was assimilated into the British culture. Equiano states of himself in a letter to one of his patrons:

“That your memorialist has resided in different part of Europe for twenty-two years last past, and embraced the Christian faith in the year 1759.  That (he) is desirous of returning to Africa as a missionary, if encouraged by your Lordship, in hopes of being able to prevail upon his countrymen to become Christians; and your memorialist is the more induced to undertake the same, from the success that has attended the like undertakings when encouraged by the Portuguese through their different settlements on the coast of Africa, and also by the Dutch; both governments encouraged the blacks, who by their education are qualified to undertake the same, and are found more proper than Europeans clergymen, unacquainted with the language and customs of the country.”[5] 

After he gains his freedom, he desired to return to Africa as a missionary.  Never does he seek to regain entrance into the culture that gave birth to him. He became a literate, civilized, cultured Englishman.  This is always the view of himself that is depicted.

Similarly, in the “Song of Solomon” by Toni Morrison, Pilate Dead is prevented from total assimilation into either the dominant Caucasian culture or the African-American culture because of her lack of a navel.  She is viewed as something to be avoided.  Many times she is asked to leave a place or situation due to the prejudice or fear of others.  Finally, she learns to accept herself, but this places her firmly outside of both societies. She wants the society of others, but it is refused her so often that she ultimately gives up. The niche that she inhabits is one of her own, but it is forced upon her by others that refuse to allow her to express her assimilation. 

“It was the absence of a navel that convinced other people that she had not come into this world through normal channels; had never lain, floated, or grown in some warm and liquid place connected by a tissue-thin tube to a reliable source of human nourishment.  Macon knew otherwise, because he was there and had seen the eyes of the midwife as his mother’s legs collapsed.  And heard as well her shouts when the baby, who they had believed was dead also, inched its way headfirst out of a still, silent, and indifferent cave of flesh, dragging her own cord and her own afterbirth behind her.  But the rest was true.  Once the new baby’s lifeline was cut, the cord stump shriveled, fell off, and left no trace of having ever existed, which, as a young boy taking care of his baby sister, he thought no more strange than a bald head.  He was seventeen years old, irreparably separated from her and already pressing forward in his drive for wealth, when he learned that there was probably not another stomach like hers on earth.”[6]

Unlike his sister, Macon Dead assimilated fully into the dominant culture of America.  He assimilated so well that he is viewed by the other African-Americans in the book as no different from “Mr. Charley” or the white man.  This is clearly seen when he tells Guitar’s grandmother that he must have his money or he will put them out on the street.[7]  He is portrayed as a cold, hardheaded business man without compassion.  This view of African-Americans who use their business acumen to succeed is a common stereotype within the African-American culture.  Macon is the ultimate “sellout” because he has forgotten “where he came from” in the opinion of the other African-Americans in the book. He had lost an essential compassion that separates him from the residual African culture which embraces community and interdependence.

There seems to be more divergence within the Mexican-American culture when it comes to assimilation.  Young Antonio Marez is encouraged to assimilate by becoming a priest throughout the novel, “Bless Me, Ultima.  However, there is a lot of intercultural rivalry for possession of Antonio’s future.  His mother does not want him to become like his father—one of the hated vaqueros of the llano: “They were an exuberant, restless people, wandering across the ocean of the plain”[8]  Antonio is expected to fulfill his mother’s dream and become like her brothers. He will be “a man of the people and, perhaps, a priest”[9]  His future has been predetermined by his family.  This is the path that he must follow without deviation.  Even in his dreams of his brothers, Antonio is cast as the boy-priest who has the power to release them from their tormented afterlife.  Always, his role is that of the priest even in the games that he is forced to play with the other children.  When Florence rages against God it is into Antonio’s eyes that he glares his challenge.  “I have not sinned! he shouted, looking me square in the eyes, challenging me, the priest.”[10] 

Assimilation is encouraged only in accepted forms throughout the novel.  Never is Antonio encouraged to think in terms of what he wants.  The focus in always on doing what is expected of him.  There is no question of deviation from the expectations that his family had for him.  Antonio has been forced into the idea of life in the priesthood and everyone in his community expects this future of him even though he does not really want to become a priest. No one knows his deepest secrets.  Like the speaker in the novel, “Best Little Boy in the World,”[11] he has learned to hide his true self from others. It is height of irony that the other children force him into the role of playing priest and then they beat him up for doing what a priest does when he “absolves Florence of his sins” [12] during their game.

This kind of family upbringing and expectation would make attempting to assimilate into a different culture that idolizes independence and individualism difficult.   Clearly, Antonio’s identity is tied to his family’s expectations of him and ostracism from them through the pursuit of other ideas and ideals would likely be difficult if not impossible. “When he asks Florence if he is going to confession and he replies, “No, I cannot eat God”. Antonio’s response to Florence is, “I have to.””[13]

This is similar to the expectations of Corinthians and Magdalene Dead.  Their futures are not clearly mapped out, but they are expected to adhere to the wishes of their father, Macon Dead, even at almost forty years old.  When Corinthians decides to have a relationship with Freddy, it costs her in terms of her family.  She is ostracized and separated from them because of her decision.  Unlike Antonio, her familial relationships are sterile and empty and she makes the break with her family in order to find a measure of happiness.

It is evident from the literature that Mexican-Americans are given some signals that assimilation is acceptable as long as it does not conflict with ties of family and community.  Differing opinions are not easily accepted. 

Part Two

            Assimilation into the dominant Caucasian culture of America is difficult for many reasons, chief among them, that the American Dream, which was once defined as Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, has changed its face since those all important words were written.  The American Dream used to be living a life that reflected the trueness of the individual—whether that meant living in the wilds as a backwoodsman or setting out in a wagon train to explore new territories.  Today, the “New American Dream”, fueled by the media, seems to be based solely on socio-economic (SES) advancement.  Everywhere media shows abound focusing on getting ahead, being number one and, of course, making more money.  This is the version of the American Dream that Macon Dead embraces to the exclusion of all else, even happiness.

            This modern nightmare has left African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, and even Native Americans with life in pursuit of money rather than the traditional values that sustain a culture and its people.  The modern focus of assimilation tends to be getting the best of everything no matter what you have to do.  The once traditional values of home, family, and morality seems to have escaped all but a small minority segment of the population (ex. Christians, the Amish, etc.) who seek a return to these values in the face of growing mockery. 

In “Bless Me, Ultima”, the children have a warped view of what Christianity is and does and they punish Antonio with a severe beating for not conforming to the group consensus to give Florence a penance.  For Fredrick Douglass, Olaudah Equiano, and Mary Prince this dream was to be as free as the Caucasians that they were forced to serve as slaves.  Their dreams were to have life, liberty, and to pursue a traditional, moral family structure (their assimilation). 

Today, 21^st century African-Americans, Mexican-Americans and Native Americans are in pursuit of the “New American Dream” which is based solely on SES.  Many have left behind the traditional value systems of their ethnic groups, which focus primarily on community and interdependence, for a system that focuses on me independence and individualism. 

            In his “I Have a Dream” speech during the late 60’s, Dr. Martin Luther King embodies the essence of a different dream: it is a dream that encompasses the racial unity that drove African-Americans toward a movement that ended segregation and set them on the path to ending discrimination.  Dr. King’s dream was one in which all people could live as a unified group without prejudice or dissention.  The Christian African-American community that he represented in those years was unified behind him just as the Muslim community was unified behind Malcolm X.  It was a country-wide unification for the most part and was, in actually, what slaveholders in earlier times most feared; black men with the power to unite African-Americans and infuse them with the knowledge of their own power as a group.  It is no wonder that both he and Malcolm were assassinated.  They embodied all that America feared and continues to fear: loss of power and control over those they consider to be minorities. 

            The “New American Dream” pits minorities against one another while making them envious of each other.  The clearest example of this is Macon Dead in “The Song of Solomon”.  Macon is viewed throughout the book as no different from “Mr. Charley” and, yet, the others in the book seem to, at once, envy and pity him.  Guitar has nothing good to say about Milkman’s father, but when he learns about the gold that Pilate supposedly has he wants it for his own purposes.  And later, when Milkman arrives in a strange town with his city clothes and attitudes, he is resented and attacked by other lower SES blacks who resent the fact that he can simply purchase a new car without effort.

In “Love Medicine” Albertine is encouraged to assimilate but with mixed signals as to her appearance: she looks white, but her mother constantly tells everyone that she was “raised an Indian.”[14]  Misunderstanding and fractures in communication abound among the characters in this novel.  Clearly, it is the loss of traditional values and interpersonal communication that was once the mainstay of Native American culture that these people lack and is the cause of so much despair.  Like the African-Americans, their cultural traditions were forcibly removed by the dominant culture when their children were put in schools and not allowed to speak their own language or learn the traditions that make them Indians. Again, they were forced to shed a lifestyle that focuses on community for one that embraces individuality.  Are these the costs of assimilation for any minority group? And are they worth the final price that is paid in terms of loss of self and identity?  Assimilation is often viewed as a positive move for any ethnic group seeking entrance into another culture, but does the dominant culture of America provide substance for all that is lost to the minority group that assimilates?  Is what is gained of more value than the traditions and connections are, more often than not, lost and never revisited by the generations that follow?

Part Three

            The source that I will use to assess the assimilation of the 21^st century individuals is a survey that I have constructed and will administer to the Literature 5731 class of participants on a voluntary basis. Survey participants will also be sought in Literature 5033 as well as a group of African-American and Mexican-American high school teachers to widen the number of participants. This survey has been constructed with questions to assess the assimilation of the individual into mainstream American ideas and attitudes. 

The survey will consist of fifteen multiple choice questions. Survey questions are designed to determine the level of assimilation of African-American and Mexican-American students into the dominant culture based on similarity of ideas held in conjunction with those of the dominant culture of America. These ideas include: the American Dream, ideas related to children/family, community connections, personal values as opposed to cultural values, social and economic values, media influence, and personal evaluation of level of assimilation.  Survey participants and information will remain anonymous for the purposes of this journal.  A copy of the survey tool will appear at the end of this journal following the works cited section.

SURVEY RESULTS SECTION:

            A total of 60 survey questionnaires were completed.  The ratios of surveys completed were as follows: one- fourth or15 surveys were completed by Mexican-American women, one-fourth or15 surveys were completed by Mexican-American men, one-fourth or15 surveys were completed by African-American women and one-fourth or 15 surveys were completed by African-American men.  The ratios of surveys completed by Mexican-American to African Americans were evenly split between populations and genders.

            By and large, the result of this survey indicated that middle-class African-Americans feel themselves completely assimilated into the dominant culture while, lower socio-economic level (SES) African-Americans believe that their assimilation is hindered by white America. African-Americans on a lower SES tend towards assimilation into a

 Pop-culture ideal of what African-Americans are supposed to be rather than address the reality of their situation.  For example, African-American teenagers show a tendency not to pursue an education because it is considered “trying to be white” to show intelligence. While upper and middle-class African-Americans embrace education and intellectualism as a means to escape the predominant stereotype of the “dumb nigger”. 

            Kitch in her journal on “Multiculturalism: Understanding the Middle Ground”, found that

            “The black student who values his education is often accused of acting white,             evoking the sense of anti-intellectualism that McWhorter sees as a core trait of the             African American community.  In order to be accepted, you must adhere to black           standards and buy into the idea that there is a “black psychology and white           psychology” which further separates African American’s from whites (75).  In             reference to this cult of anti-intellectualism, McWhorter recalls a classroom     experience, as a professor at Berkeley, in which he taught a history course in      black musical theater (95).  He found that his white students particularly enjoyed the historical material, whereas the black students slouched and appeared bored        throughout the historical lectures and only embraced what they already knew,             material beginning around the 1970’s (95-96).”[15]

            Conversely, Mexican-Americans felt that they had difficulties in assimilating due to mixed signals given to them by their ethnic culture.  They related that while they were encouraged to assimilate, however, when they embraced ideas of individualism and independence they faced ostracism from within their culture which embraces community and interdependence.  

In the book, “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents”, “Yolanda returns to the Dominican Republic to visit her family after several years in the United States.  Yolanda’s aunts ask her to tell what she has been doing with herself and ‘in halting Spanish, Yolanda reports on her sisters.  When she reverts to English, she is scolded, ‘En Espanol!’  The more she practices, the sooner she’ll be back to her native tongue, the Aunts insist (Alvarez 7).”   Moving to New York City in the 1960’s, Yolanda deals with the problem of assimilation, losing her native tongue being one of the casualties.”[16]

            Mexican-American also stated that they were often discriminated against within the dominant white culture in the expression of their assimilation, like African-Americans, when it came to intermarriage, pursuit of career, education, and opportunities for advancement in the workplace.  The process of assimilation is affected by many factors for both the group and the individual.  For the African-American it is tainted by a history of slave ancestry. 

            Similarly, for the Mexican-American it is defined by a history of warfare in which parts of this country were taken from Mexico.  This is the taint that follows most Mexican-Americans into this country.  They are seen as invaders onto soil that was lost by their country long ago.  The animosity shown towards most African-American and Mexican-Americans comes in the form of exclusion from acceptable working conditions, prejudicial beliefs, and, often, physical violence. But there are difficulties for any individual who seeks to walk a different line from that established by the mainstream ideas and ideologies of their dominant cultures. 

Kitch (2006) in her research journal, states:

            “We have all seen the person walking down the street, dressed or behaving in an      atypical way for his or her culture.  The white kid who embraces the hip-hop       culture is accused of “acting black,” while the black kid who dresses preppy and             embraces his education, is accused of “acting white”.  Mexican children are    caught somewhere in the middle, being accused by white and black cultures of          attempting to cross- over into their respective groups.  Even within their own          group, Mexican-American’s face discrimination if they don’t speak Spanish,           don’t speak English, or have lighter or darker skin tone.”[17]

Most of the research done for this journal show that African-Americans and Mexican-Americans are typically exposed to various problems when attempting to assimilate.  Professor Kevin Johnson, in his article on Mexican-American assimilation, writes:

“Even if a Mexican-American seeks to assimilate into the mainstream, the costs-which may be quite high often, outweigh the benefits. He or she must carefully navigate through a "ring of fire" in adjusting to life in the United States. Typically barriers such as phenotype (physical appearance), language, and surnames make assimilation extremely difficult. The diversity with respects to these characteristics within the Latino community results in a spectrum of assimilation potentials among the Latino population. Moreover, Latinos who can overcome the barriers and assimilate may internalize racism that elevates the status of Whiteness. At the same time, they expose themselves to criticism from both Anglos and their own community.”[18]

            Research shows that this information is also true among African-Americans as well.  However, the barriers for African-Americans differ.  They include: physical appearance (skin color and hair type), socio-economic status (SES), language (American English vs. Ebonics), and educational level.

Gordon (1964) provides a typology of assimilation to capture the complexity of the process, ranging from cultural, structural, marital, identificational, attitude-receptional, behavior-receptional, to civic assimilation. In Gordon's view, immigrants begin their adaptation to their new country through cultural assimilation, or acculturation. Cultural assimilation is, for Gordon, a necessary first step and is considered the top priority on the agenda of immigrant adjustment. However, Gordon argues that acculturation does not automatically lead to other forms of assimilation (i.e., large scale entrance into the institutions of the host society or intermarriage), or that acculturation may take place and continue indefinitely even when no other type of assimilation occurs. Ethnic groups may remain distinguished from one another because of spatial isolation and lack of contact, and their full assimilation will depend ultimately on the degree to which these groups gain the acceptance of the dominant population. Structural assimilation, in contrast, is the "keystone of the arch of assimilation" that will inevitably lead to other stages of assimilation (Gordon, 1964:8 1). Though vague about how groups advance from one stage to another and what causes change, Gordon anticipates, nevertheless, that most ethnic groups will eventually lose all their distinctive characteristics and cease to exist as ethnic groups as they pass through the stages of assimilation, eventually intermarrying with the majority population and entering its institutions on a primary-group level.”[19]

African-Americans have long since lost most of the distinctive traditions that were held by their slave ancestors, primarily, because these traditions were violently beaten out of them.  They were given new traditions: traditions of drunkenness, distrust, mistreatment, and hatred.  The loss of these traditions has left African-Americans without ties to their racial identity. Native Americans are in a likewise state to African-Americans due to forced assimilation.  However, they seem to be reconnecting to their history in a way that most African-Americans cannot. 

Unlike most Mexican-Americans who can and do retain ties to their homeland in Mexico, African-Americans have no tie to Africa because of the separation and isolation of slavery.  They have had no choice but to become Americans.  Mexican-Americans, however, have a choice.  They can relinquish their cultural traditions and assimilate or they can try to blend the best of both cultures into a unified and unique contemporary model for themselves and their children. 

            The conclusion here is that assimilation is a difficult process requiring strength in the individual who must oppose his cultural traditions in order to assimilate as well as to fight the many prejudices that are to be faced within the dominant culture.  However, it is to be hoped that whether one assimilates, or creates a niche of one’s own, like Pilate Dead, that those attempting to assimilate will become better people through the process. 

The writing of this journal has been an interesting exercise and it has made this writer question whether assimilation into a larger group to gain benefits from it are ultimately worth the sacrifices that one must make in the end.  In the cases of Antonio Marez, Macon Dead, Olaudah Equiano, and Fredrick Douglass, what did these people lose?  And did their benefits outweigh their losses? The answer is as distinct as the individual.  In the modern dilemma, the choices are even more difficult, often causing a rift between families that cannot be mended. Is there a solution?  Can the modern struggle be made less difficult through education and understanding the issues faced? These questions and many others like them will only be answered with the passage of time.

            Devon Kitch and this writer are in agreement when it comes to their views on assimilation.  Both writers tend towards “a form of assimilation that allows all of us to remain individuals while adapting to the cultures around us.”[20]  This is probably a fallacy. The human race, while it is many things, has not exhibited that it is flexible or changeable enough to fit the times and events around us.   However, it is my sincere hope that we as a species can learn and pass that learning on to the next generation and, perhaps, they will gain something relevant from the struggles of this generation and forge for their children the best of both worlds; a world that is accepting of the cultural differences that we all have while respecting each other as individuals.  If they can manage this, they will have gained something that is lacking in this generation.  In this way, whatever the individual choices that each of us makes, unlike Pilate Dead, we can face life free of needless prejudice, hate, fear, and misunderstandings. 

Works Cited

Alvarez, Julia. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents. Penguin, New York 1992

Anaya, R., Bless Me, Ultima. Tonatiuh-Quinto Sol Publications, Berkley, CA 1989

Erdrich, L., Love Medicine  HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. New York, NY 1984

Gates, H. L. Ed, The Classic Slave Narratives of Equiano, Douglass, Prince and Jacobs  New American Library: New York, NY, 2002.

Gordon, M. M. Assimilation in American Life: The Role of Race, Religion, and

    National Origins Oxford University Press, New York: 1964

“Internet” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia Retrieved 4 Oct 06

     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet

Johnson, K. “The Melting Pot” or “Ring of Fire”? Assimilation and the Mexican- American Experience  Copyright 1997 California Law Review, Inc. Vol. 85, No. 5, pp. 1262-1290

Kitch, D., Multiculturalism: Understanding the Middle Ground Retrieved 30 Oct 07

http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/LITR/5731/models/projects/projects06/rp06kitch.

Morrison, T., The Song of Solomon Everyman’s Library: New York, 1977

McWhorter, John.  Losing the Race: Self-Sabotage in Black America  New York: The Free Press, 2000

The Merriam Webster Online Dictionary Retrieved 17 October 07

   http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/Assimilation 

Tobias, A., The Best Little Boy in the World  Ballantine Books, New York, NY 1975

Literature 5731Survey

Please read all questions carefully and choose the best answer.  All surveys are anonymous.  Only general survey information will be processed and included in the journal.

1.  Do you feel that you are living the American Dream?

a)    Yes

b)    No

2.  How does your culture view the concepts of liberty, justice, freedom?

a)      Available to all

b)      Available only to the wealthy

c)      An illusion

3. Do you want children?

a)      Yes

b)      No

c)      Already have children.

d)      Plan to have children in future

e)      Don’t plan to have children, but flexible.

4. How does your culture view children?

a)      Believe in large families.

b)      Believe in small families.

c)      Having a family is important in my culture.

d)      Having a family is not important in my culture

5. How does your view differ from that of your culture?

a)      My culture believes in large families and I don’t.

b)      My culture believes in small families and I don’t.

c)      I hold a view in total opposition to the view of my culture.

6. How does your culture view family and community connections?

a)      Great emphasis on family and community.

b)      Small emphasis on family and community.

c)      No emphasis on family and community.

7.  How do your views conflict with those of your culture?

a)      I believe in individualism.

b)    I believe in family and community connection, but not to the extent that my culture embraces.

c)    I support the values and traditions of my culture no matter what the personal cost.

8.  What most influenced your desire for an education?

a)     Your family.

b)     The desire for a better lifestyle.

c)      Your inner drive and determination.

9. What is the ultimate goal of your education?

a)     To provide myself with a better economic future.

b)       To provide a better economic future for my family.

c)       To realize a lifelong dream.

10.  How would you describe your current socio-economic status?

a)     Upper class

b)        Middle-class

c)       Lower-middle class

d)       Working class

11. Do you feel that you have assimilated into the dominant culture?

a)     Yes

b)     No. 

12. How are the things that you value more like the dominant culture than your culture of origin?

a)     I place a high value on my individualism and my rights

b)     I believe that anyone can make it in America; my culture inhibits this belief

c)      I hold beliefs consistent with my culture of origin.

13. How has the media influenced the values that you hold different from those of your culture?

a)     It has not influenced me.

b)        It has influenced me only in positive ways.

c)       It has influenced me only in negative ways.

d)       Its effects have been both positive and negative.

14. What do you value most about living in the United States?

a)     The opportunity for economic advancement.

b)     The freedom of the individual.

c)      Living here is no different than living anywhere.

15. How has your culture of origin sought to inhibit your total acceptance of American ideas and ideals?

      a)  My culture of origin uses ostracism from family and community.

      b)  My culture of origin uses social pressure to conform to its beliefs

      c)  My culture is accepting of my assimilation into the dominant culture.

      d)  My culture sends mixed signals which are confusing to me as an individual often urging assimilation as long as it does not effect my participation in my culture of origin.