Chinese immigrants experience much more hardship compared with what they contribute to the society. It seems that every immigrant needs to suffer a lot of bias and hardship in America because of cultural difference. Culture shock leads to many misunderstandings and causes conflicts. That is easy to understand. However, Chinese immigrants are treated unfairly because more complex reasons. These reasons include historical problems, Chinese-American cultural differences and competitive level (include education level and English level also the specialize skills). For Chinese immigrants, they contribute a lot of America society both in the technology and economy according to the public affairs television; however, many Chinese-Americans think they are “living in the jail” with no civil rights.(Public Affairs Television, Between Two Worlds) signal phrase
However, in order for one to truly understand the arguments made by the authors they must also understand the context behind these arguments; therefore, knowing how the individual authors’ definition of bilingualism lets the reader truly absorb what points they’re trying to make and why.In Espada’s essay, he defines bilingualism as a way for a person to remain in contact with their different cultural identities. There are many areas in the essay where the reader could interpret this definition from. However, the most significant piece of evidence appears at the beginning of the essay where Espada mentions his friend Jack Agueros’ analogy to describe his bilingualism “English and Spanish are like two dogs I love. English is an obedient dog.
The ability for people to look at a situation from a different perspective is vital in today’s globalized society. Diversity is the most important, core attribute we each share that gives us the ability to assess new situations through our diverse backgrounds and upbringings. Unlike Patrick J. Buchanan’s argument in his essay titled “Deconstructing America,” diversity is a necessity in America’s culture as opposed to the burden it is described as. Conversely, Fredrickson 's essay titled “Models of American Ethnic Relations: A Historical Perspective,” illustrated a more precise version of American history that disproves Buchanan’s ethnocentric ideologies. Buchanan speaks of diversity on a narrow, one-way street. His imprecise interpretations
For a long time I believed cultural assimilation plagued non-native cultures in America. Names became Americanized and people left their native languages at home. It is easy to see how anyone could feel pressure to blend and adapt. Being in a new country and having to learn new things all at once can be overwhelming. Upon reading “The Chinese in All of Us” by Richard Ramirez, I learned that the blending of cultures is not forced. He speaks of multiculturalism and how learning from other cultures is inevitable. It doesn’t matter whether you’re Hispanic or any other nationality because we are what makes America whole. It does not mean that you will lose your culture, pride or traditions. It is possible to blend with others and still maintain
As the situation currently stands, there is no problem with the presentation of Asian American as a unified experience. This unification of all Asian Americans in America’s eyes – especially those of white Americans – can be seen through two lenses: the treatment of past immigrants and the beliefs about current Asian Americans. In his article The Centrality of Racism in Asian American History, Ronald Takaki states, regardless of Asian Americans’ contribution to the development of the American West, when “one hears Americans tell of the immigrants who built this nation…one is often led to believe that all our forebearers came from Europe.” America does not want the Asian American portion of its population to be recognized because the fact that the ‘Orient’ assisted with the building of the United States is contrary to all standing American and emphasizes the indebtedness of America to the Asians to crossed the ocean to supplement their economy. Primarily, Americans viewed Asian immigrants as “clannish, rigidly attached to their old country and old culture” or in other words as a group which cannot possibly be assimilated
While the two immigration groups discussed are about one and a half centuries apart, the reactions of political figures and the general public are highly similar. In the 19th century, the United States federal government sought to curtail alien labor and immigration through legislative means. In contemporary times, legislators and the executive branch has been seeking to accomplish the same goal through executive and legislative actions. The motivation behind these actions have remained relatively unchanged in both instances.
Accordingly, the ideals of America used to be we were many ethnicities, all blended into one, but now we are a bunch of discordant ethnicities living in one country under one name just with different groups. Two essays on this topic are A Quilt of a Country by Anna Quindlen and The Immigrant Contribution by John F. Kennedy. JFK regarded that “everybody is an immigrant or the descendant of an immigrant” (JFK page 23). Quindlen characterized that “America was held together by a notion that all men are created equal and that America is made up of bits and pieces” (Quindlen page 13-14). America transpired a unique nation made up of different parts.
Do we only care about diversity in America when we’re amongst people of different races? In David Brooks, “People Like Us,” he explores this taboo topic, originally published in the issue of the Atlantic Monthly, 2003. In the first few sentences of the essay he states that perhaps there is somewhere in the United States that there is a really an area where people are diverse (62). But then again he has not ever been made aware of such an area. As Americans we should examine our communities, cities, and close nit circles, in doing so we can create a clearer depiction of what makes us more at ease with persons that we associate with. During his essay, Brooks shares an array of examples that show diversity isn’t as common as one would think.
Growing up under both the influence of his parents’ Mexican culture and his own experience of a more modern California, Richard Rodriguez seemed to have the best of both worlds. His Mexican lifestyle was the way of tradition and cynicism, and his California lifestyle was the way of defiance and optimism. However, as he writes in his book Days of Obligation, this clash between cultures only conflicted his feelings. Rodriguez’s acknowledgement of the age and the religion of California and Mexico allows himself to explore his identity struggle.
The validity of the perception that “the United States is a country made of immigrants” has been historically challenged by the government and those in power. In his book, Latino Americans: The 500-Year Legacy that Shaped a Nation, Ray Suarez provides a deep understanding of how the contributions and struggles by the Latinos in the past has shaped the present of this nation. To many “Americans,” Latinos are just new immigrants coming from their land in search of a better future. For those Latinos, however, leaving their countries, cultures, families and communities comprise the most significant sacrifice of their lives. As many other Latinos, my family migrated to the United States with the hope of a better future. My life-changing experience
Human tendency to categorize others extends to simple instinct. From the moment a baby is born, the first question already categorizes the baby: boy or girl. In Richard Rodriguez’s Brown: The Last Discovery of America, he addresses these ideals of categorizations, untangling arduous inner conflicts in the process. Due to his diversity, Rodriguez feels unwanted and omitted in his day-to-day life. Feeling uncategorized, Rodriguez journeys to discover new parts of himself and embrace them, as well as question societal norms. This complex work leads to conflicting feelings between the reader and Rodriguez. Rodriguez discusses categories which leads to his personal creation for all the misfits.
The United States of America, is known to be one of the richest and most powerful countries in the world. It has often been referred to by many as a global melting pot or as locals may say callaloo, due to the amassing of diverse ethnicities, cultures and nationalities. Within its borders, resides immigrants or descendants of immigrants from almost every region in the world, and each has in some way added to the American culture and way of life. America is known for its stance on freedom, it is a nation that values equality and justice, this can be noted in the last few words of their national anthem ‘indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.’ However, for many, high levels of economic and social inequalities are daily struggles, a battle that has been fought for decades to claim the most basic rights, in the pursuit of achieving the American Dream.
For generations, many Americans have seen their country as a haven for immigrants, a “melting pot,” of different cultures. These different cultures and traditions brought from countries across the world shaped the modern American identity, some would argue. While it is true many cultures from Europe, Africa, Latin America, etc. have contributed to molding the modern American society, immigration history is marred by resistance. Patterns in immigration throughout American history have created a culture de jour that is at the center for the most ardent opposition. From the Irish, to the Asians, and now Hispanics, it is easy to interchange the culture or race, while keeping the hysteria in any given decade from America’s past. The United State’s
In the nineteenth century, rates of immigration across the world increased. Within thirty years, over eleven million immigrants came to the United States. There were new types of people migrating than what the United States were used to seeing as well. Which made people from different backgrounds and of different race work and live in tight spaces together; causing them to be unified. Not only did they immigrate to the United States, there were cities all over the world attracting all sorts of individuals. In this essay, I will discuss the variety of people who migrated, why so many people leaned towards immigration, and why the majority of immigrants populated the cities instead of rural areas like their homelands.
America’s identity is defined differently by every individual. Ideally it was to be a place of freedom and acceptance, identified by its message of liberty and hard-work, however the question arises whether America is a melting pot in which only one culture dominates or it a mosaic of many peoples’ histories. America’s potential and true identity lies within its ability to assimilate and create a natural individualism despite race, class, and immigration standing.