Linda Chavez: Should Immigrants Assimilate?
Between 1790 and 1920, the United States used assimilation to shift Native-American culture into Euro-American culture. Americanization policies stated that when Natives learned Americas customs and values, they could combine their culture with American culture and have a peaceful transition into society’s majority. However, after the Indian Wars, Native American children were sent to boarding schools where they were forced to adopt the English language and other cultural aspects of the new America and leave their own traditions behind. The question of whether assimilation should be encouraged is still debated today.
In 2008, Linda Chavez wrote an article for Tucson Citizen, “Immigration policy’s goal should be assimilation”, and in 2009, Laura Marcus participated in a debate under the question, “Should immigrants assimilate?” Chavez, an author and talk show host believes that to be a “successful” immigrant, assimilation is important. Marcus, a student at Yale during the time of her debate, argues that to ask an
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However, it is possible for them to find common ground based on them both being able to see the difficulty as well as willingness for immigrants to adapt to American culture. Also, they both are able to see the importance of American values and beliefs.
Both Chavez and Marcus discuss the effects that assimilation could have on immigrants. Marcus mentions self-fulfillment and how it is hard to attain “without a robust culture that provides structure, meaning, and purpose…” She also speaks about the importance of identity and compares holding on to culture to cherishing an heirloom. Chavez on the other hand feels that encouraging assimilation by giving “incentives for learning English before they (immigrants) get their green card” and holding immigrants who wish to join the military at a higher priority given they have “requisite English and educational
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