Trina Silva

To Assimilate or Not Assimilate? That is the Question: Comparing the Minority and Immigrant Narrative

Immigrants and minorities came to America for separate reasons in what is deemed as the “American Dream” and the “American Nightmare.” Minority and immigrant narratives have many things in common such as the goals one has of being educated/literate and achieving economic success. Differences in the two types of narratives however, are very important to understand as well due to the origin of how the two different groups became a part of American society.  It is also imperative to remember that the Native American culture is included in the American Nightmare as well and that the American-Indian narrative is just as important as a minority narrative as the African-American story.

Immigrant narratives tell a story of people that willingly decided to leave their old world for a new one. These immigrants were well aware that the place they were going would be different and that there would be life adjustments and sacrifices in order to assimilate to the dominant culture. Sometimes change would mean having to give up parts of their culture to fit into their new world society, for instance in “A Wife’s Story”, Panna has assimilated and does not wear traditional Indian dress while living in America yet when her husband comes to visit her she makes a point of dressing in her tradition dress because that is what he expects.  In “Silver Pavements, Golden Roofs” Aunt Pratima and Jayanti go for a walk in the street and are wearing saris and Indian shoes and get lost, they end up being attacked by two boys of the dominant culture because they are dark skinned, perhaps if they were dressed more like the dominant culture that would not have occurred.

Many early immigrants had an advantage over others since they were of European descent and blended in with the dominant culture easier than darker skinned immigrants. The dominant culture is often identified by their whiteness which is considered as part of their “unmarked” status. In the case of Pratima and Jayanti they are seen as marked not only because of their skin color but because they are dressed in traditional clothing of their home country which is seen as a sign of resisting assimilation. The “color code” plays an important role in how easy it can be for an immigrant to assimilate to the dominant culture. The lighter a person’s skin is the easier it is to blend in and be accepted by the dominant culture. Intermarriage is often seen as a way for a race to assimilate quicker to the dominant culture and to disassociate themselves from their own culture so they are no longer seen as “marked.”

The minority narrative differs from the immigrant narrative, distinctly because in the minority narrative the people did not willingly choose to come to America or become a part of the dominant society. Consequently, the minority narrative does not revolve around just the “American Dream” but on the “American Nightmare” as well.  The “American Nightmare” refers to the Native American culture and what they went through. The Native American’s homeland was taken over by European immigrants and a new way of life was forced upon them. The African -American minority story has similarities with the Native American story since they were forced to leave their homeland and exploited to the dominant culture. The African-American narrative, unlike the immigrant narrative, is a story of struggle.  Because the minority narrative is a story of exploitation it is not surprising that they are less willing to assimilate. Immigrants came to America knowing they would be making a new life for themselves while minorities did not, so they keep holding on to their cultural differences as much as possible.

While the African-Americans and Native Americans are the least-assimilated immigrant groups they are still making obvious attempts to assimilate. Take for instance the poem by Patricia Smith, “Blonde White Woman.” In the poem’s first stanza, the narrator mentions “reams of straightened hair” and “bleaches for the skin” this speaks volumes on how influential the dominant culture is to minority cultures. In order to fit in with American society your hair must not look “ethnic” and your skin must be lighter. The color code is obviously apparent in the poem which is is full of vivid images and color that is used to describe the dominant culture such as “white”, “pink”, “candle flames”, “circles of blood at their cheeks.” In contrast to Smith’s poem Chrystos’s poem “I Have Not Signed a Treaty” gives the view of assimilating from the Native American prospective.  Her distaste for the American culture is evident; Chrystos has no desire whatsoever to have anything to do with the dominant culture. Chrystos’s view is not shared by all Native American’s however, which is seen in “The Man to Send Rain Clouds”, the Native American’s in this narrative are accepting of certain things from the dominant culture such as clothing (he is buried wearing Levis) and of some religious things such as holy water, yet they are not completely comprehending why the dominant culture considers some things important (207). Kristen Bird in her essay, “Stages in the Immigrant and Minority Narrative,” explains that Native Americans as well as African-Americans are “more transcultural, less accepting of the dominant culture’s infringement and more loyal to their own culture.”

Acceptance of certain things from the dominant culture is inevitable for the most part in an ever-changing society that is a “melting pot”. Most immigrant and minority cultures are accepting of the dominant cultures values of literacy and education and while the minority narrative is not the same as the immigrant narrative the same goals are desired. The goal to be free, educated and successful seems to be a commonality shared regardless of how they arrived in America. This is seen in the “Narrative of Olaudah Equiano” when he learns to read and reads his bible and also when he buys and sells things to turn profit. Equiano wrote his own “rags to riches” story; his own “American Nightmare” is turned into an “American Dream” which can be paralleled with that of Andrew Carnegie.  Minorities often meet assimilation with resistance due to the social contract that is offered; they can join a society that is often discriminatory and opposes them and also requires them to give up their culture.  Immigrants are offered a contract to work hard for their dream and it will eventually come true and they are coming knowing the risks of assimilation.