Alvarez 1

Arely Alvarez

Professor Batty

English 28

5 November 2018

To Assimilate or Not

Cultural assimilation has always been on the minds of immigrants coming to a new country.

Where to assimilate to the culture or not to. The choice of whether to assimilate or not can

change the way that immigrants go through living in their lives in their new home.If they stick

with their native culture, they feel alienated. On the other hand if they adopt the American

culture and abandons their native one, it causes a feeling of guilt. By having a mix of both

cultures they are making their own accurate identity.

There are many immigrants that believe that they have make the decision to fully immerse

themselves into their new culture. If the immigrant where to assimilate, then they would feel

more welcomed into the new nation. In Bharati Mukherjee’s “Two Ways to Belong in America”

she chose to assimilate to the American culture to fit in more. As Mukherjee saw it she was “I

was opting for fluidity, self-invention, blue jeans, and T-shirts, and renouncing 3,000 years of

culture,” (Mukherjee), as she assimilated she felt as if she had to renounce her heritage in order

to prosper in this new world. She did the most American things she could do to feel and fit in

like an American. Alike in “Immigrants and Inculturation” by Deborah A. Organ, Organ talks

about intercultural vision. Younger generations tend to assimilate more. Due to the fact that they

don’t feel not truly part of either Latin American or Anglo culture. Many parishes try to include

intercultural vision, a form of assimilation with religion (Organ). Many Latinos are religious, for
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many of the adults assimilating thru the church feels less forced. It is seen more as God’s will.

making it easier for older immigrants to assimilate. They feel as if God wanted them to

assimilate, putting the pressure of assimilation on them. While also helping the youth feel as if

they belong and no longer feel like an alien. By assimilating immigrants become less of an

outcast and feel more included. Many immigrants feel that if they enter a new culture they have

to be one of the natives.

While others choose not to assimilate to the country, many immigrants grip their cultural

roots closely to them.The idea of having to loose their culture is unbearable. Another example in

Bharati Mukherjee’s “Two Ways to Belong in America”, is her sister. Mira (Mukherjee’s sister)

feels the opposite about assimilation as Mukherjee. The idea of getting her American Citizenship

isn’t an option for her. “After 36 years as a legal immigrant in this country she clings

passionately to her Indian citizenship and hopes to go home to India when she retires,”

(Mukherjee) her sister feels as if she would lose a part o her if she where to assimilate. Which is

true, she would be saying bye to her Indian citizenship for an American one. Then no longer

legally being Indian. For her it’s a point of no return, and she’s not willing to make that turn.

That’s something that Mira doesn’t want to do, so she chooses not to assimilate. Also in

“Immigrants Shunning the Idea of Assimilation” by William Branigin, Branigin talks about the

communities created by immigrants. By living in a community on their own people they don’t

feel like outsiders. They all have common beliefs and have come to realize that assimilate is not

something they have to legally do. They bind together to make a home away from home. Yes

they learn English, but that is the extent of their assimilation. For those who cling in to their
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roots, they feel as if they would return to their homeland, while some make their new like their

old home. Some immigrants feel that if they lose their culture, they lose themselves.

The truth is that immigrants have the choose of both. A creation of self identity and firing

into a more specific niche. Feeling more welcomed because the world is becoming more

inclusive. It’s the best of both world combined. My parents assimilated but also didn’t assimilate.

They learned the language, got “American” jobs, became citizens, and that was the extent of

their assimilation. We celebrate holidays that aren’t celebrated in The U.S. We as a family speak

Spanish with one another. It hasn’t affected our life Rather it gave my brother and I am

advantage. The advantage of being fluent in two languages. If my parent where to fully

assimilate my brother and I would have been fluent in only one language. My brother and I

would not be able to communicate with our grandparents that never learned English, but yet are

still American Citizens. They even took their citizenship test in Spanish. That shows that you

don’t have to fully assimilate to become a citizen and leave behind your language.

Thanks to my parents and the parents of my friends, we have an unbreakable bond. My

friends and I share a language together, Spanglish. We call it our secret language because we can

only understand it, or if you speak Spanish and English. Another person that finds value in these

two languages is author Gloria Anzaldua in “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”. “Chicano Spanish

sprang out of the Chicanos’ need to identify ourselves as distinct people,” (Anzaldua), the

Chicano community didn’t want fully assimilate. But also for those who feel that they don’t

belong in the U.S. and in their parents’ native country. By creating a mix of Spanish and English

they created their own niche to self-identify. Making them feel more welcomed without having

to fully assimilate to the Algo culture and not having the pressure of abandoning their roots. It
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creates a peace of mind and helps reduce an identity crisis in the youth of immigrant parents.

In brief if immigrants stick with their native culture they feel alienated. On the other hand if

they adopt the Algo culture, abandoning their native one, it causes a feeling of guilt. But by

having a mix of both cultures immigrants are making their own accurate identity.When it comes

to assimilating into a new culture or not, it is better to do both.

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Works Cited

Anzaldua, Gloria. "How to Tame a Wild Tongue." Breaking Boundaries. Ed. Carol Comfort.

Upper Saddle River, NJ: 2000. 119-130 .Print

“Immigrants Shunning the Idea of Assimilation." Family in Society: Essential Primary Sources,

edited by K. Lee Lerner, et al., Gale, 2006, pp. 429-434. Opposing Viewpoints in

Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX2688300166/OVIC?u=lavc_main&sid=OVIC&xi

d=7b40f42d. Accessed 17 Oct. 2018.

Mukherjee , Bharati. Two Ways to Belong in America . 1998. Print

Organ, Deborah A. "Immigrants and inculturation." America, 10 Nov. 2003, p. 12. Opposing

Viewpoints in Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A109917684/OVIC?u=lavc_main&sid=OVIC&xid=2

19f9778. Accessed 17 Oct. 2018