Countless numbers of immigrants came over to the United States many generations ago, in order to pursue the “American Dream”. Mary C. Waters specializes in studying immigration and ethnic trends, and wanted to research how connected American citizens of foreign descent were to their ethnicity. In Waters’ writing, she talks about how she interviewed many third-generation Americans of European descent in order to determine how closely tied they were to their ancestors’ ethnicity in the late 20th century. Out of the two theories of integration, being the pluralist theory and the assimilationist theory, Waters takes a new middle-ground standpoint on something she calls “new ethnicity”. Waters concludes that with passing generations, American immigrants …show more content…
Waters took notice of how interesting it could be to study some of these people and how the new landscapes and environments can have affect on their original beliefs or practices. Waters finds that throughout generations of immigrants and then descendants that individuals are most likely to take on her proposed theory of “new ethnicity/Dime-store ethnicity.” Her research was performed in the late 20th century and was strongly reinforced by what I found within my interviewing process in the present time of the 21st century. Ethnicity is an extremely important and apparent factor in our society that some overlook far too easily. It surrounds us everyday and can teach us an immense amount about the world. It is extremely interesting to observe all of the people that have taken on the title of “new ethnicity” without even being aware of it because it brings everyone in the area closer through similar practices and leaves room for one’ ethnicity to remain unique with their original ethnicity still being apparent. Waters did a great job of demonstrating the prevalence of her two proposed theories and through my interview it is obvious that these theories are extremely observable relevant to the present
Everyday the future in America looks brighter for the issues dealing with race and identity. Brave souls are not letting racism, class discrimination, or sexism hold them back anymore. Furthermore, the fight for a balanced society that pushes for equality is on the horizon. As we close on an era, based on purely the skin of the person, we need to analyze the impacts of the Ethnicity paradigm and Class paradigm on politics of the 20th century. Race and Ethnicity are used interchangeable in everyday conversation, however; they are not the same.
However, the fact is that most Americans have the impression that Hispanic immigrants are perceived as a threat for not assimilating into the American mainstream, more so into the Anglo-Protestant values. Why is that? Is it for fear that the Spanish Language may overrun the country? Similarly, Neil Foley, author of, Mexicans In The Making of America, asks the same questions, why fear? In his prologue chapter, Foley makes a point by proving the fact that in the past, Mexican immigrants were not a concern but were, “ let in to provide the labor force for the rapidly expanding economy”(2).
According to the Pew Research Center, our generation is more likely to get married to someone from a distinct culture or race than our previous generations. These statistics show that of the 3.6 million adults who got married in 2013, 58% of American Indians, 28% of Asians, 19% of blacks and 7% of whites have a spouse whose race was different from their own. According to these statistics, 4 in 10 people have a mixed race background and classify as multiracial. Indeed, even Naomi agrees with the fact that “Racial mixing will become increasingly common” which contradicts her own argument of race that “people will hang on to racial identity for dear life because that's what their father and grandfather did” (Riley). The arguments that Riley makes by saying that people are unlikely to be around others from distinct cultures are disproven by the fact that more interracial marriages are occurring.
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
Sara says, "I remember once asking my dad if he felt like he belonged in America. He said he didn't know. He said he always felt like an outsider, like he was always observing but never really participating" (Saedi 4). This demonstrates how difficult cultural assimilation can be for some people, particularly those who have strong ties to their cultural heritage. Sara's father's experience demonstrates how cultural assimilation is a difficult process, with individuals facing unique challenges based on their cultural background and personal
Immigrants come from unique backgrounds and ethnicities, but all came with the dream of a better future. Americans who settled in the United States previously resented the Asian newcomers. Asians were barred with several legislations in the past to become citizens, which revealed disunity among the American population. Debates on the current immigration problem demonstrates distrust of other cultures and religions. Individuals seeking opportunities cannot enter the United States because some Americans believe new immigrants may be threats.
Ronald Takaki a renowned pioneer in the field of ethnic studies has over the years authored numerous books on diversity in American society. As a grandson of Japanese immigrants who became the first black studies professor at UCLA, Takaki for many years has continually tried to bridge cultures and ethnic groups in the United States. In his book “A different mirror: A history of multicultural America”, Takaki addresses the idea of multiculturalism in our society, and also talks about how for many years we have been told to acknowledge the notions that the core principles of our nation uprooted only from one group rather than a contribution from other various cultures as well. The ‘master narrative’ posed by Takaki describes the growing
The “discovery” by the United States that Europe had inferior and superior races was a result of the large amount of immigration from southern and eastern Europe in the late nineteenth century (Brodkin, 1994). Before this wave of immigration took place, European immigrants had been accepted into the white population. However, the European immigrants who came to the United States to work after 1880 were too numerous and too concentrated to scatter and blend in. Rather, they built working-class ethnic communities in the United States’ urban areas. Because of this, urban American began to take on a noticeably immigrant feel (Brodkin,
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.
Assimilation is usually meant to indicate what happens to immigrants in a new land. However, “rejection, loneliness, discrimination—these were the byproducts of living in the United States” (Ghymn 37). In Marilyn Chin’s essay on assimilation “How I Got That Name,” the speaker acquaints the readers how she got the American name “Marilyn.” The tension between the two cultures is evident, for the speaker is treated as “Model Minority.” Her race and ethnicity define her; in fact, the stereotypes inscribed with her race restricted and cage her significance in the society.
As a result of their emigration, America was now viewed as “multiethnic and multiracial” and “defined in terms of culture and creed” (Huntington 1). On the contrary, when people traveled across the border from Mexico, their culture was not so widely accepted. Mexican traditions and values were seen as a “serious challenge to America’s traditional identity” (Huntington 2). The “original settlers” of America were incredibly open to people travelling from Europe, but when people came from Latin America, they were
This stereotype overlooks the challenges and diversity within immigrant communities, reducing individuals to a single narrative. It fails to acknowledge the differences and struggles that individuals may face on their journey of assimilation and cultural identity (Marchetta, 1992). In contrast, Josie's grandmother represents the stereotype of an incompetent and unassimilated immigrant. This stereotype undermines the contributions made by immigrants and overlooks their resilience in embracing their new home while preserving their cultural heritage. It reinforces a narrow and limited view of immigrants and fails to recognize the richness and complexity of their experiences (Marchetta, 1992).
“The Immigrant contribution” and “The Quilt of a Country” are two essays that share a similar focus, however, they cover two drastically different sides of the topic. Both of them share the main idea that America is a country made up almost entirely of immigrants. Kennedy’s essay, “The immigrant Contribution”, focuses on how immigrants have affected our country, whereas Quindlen’s essay discusses how people of many different cultures coexist and work together. The essays both concentrate on immigration in America and how immigration has shaped and molded our culture. The two authors describe the many different aspects of immigration in immensely different ways.
Ethnic Notions: Divided From The Start The film 'Ethnic Notions ' illustrates various ways in which African Americans were impersonated during the 19th and 20th centuries. It follows and shows the development of the rooted stereotypes which have generated bias towards African Americans. If a film of this kind had such an affectionate influence on me, it is no surprise people adopted these ideas back then. The use of new and popular media practices in those days was more than adequate in selling the black inferiority to the general public.
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. A country as powerful and influential as America is within industry, politics, and socioeconomics cannot be abstract in definition.