When believing about in-migration. most persons imagine all different types of cultural groups going to a separate land off from their ain. Most imagine America. Immigration. throughout history. has occurred within all types of ethnicities. When taking a closer expression at the persons populating in America. it is evident that everyone is non precisely like one another. Assimilation becomes a popular word used when discoursing migration. and both positives and negatives come along with it.
Two theoreticians that discuss the significance of assimilation in their Hagiographas are Stephen Steinberg in his book. Cultural Myth. and Milton Gordon in his book Assimilation in American Life. They discuss issues sing assimilation and how they affect the state as a whole. A fresh written by Chang-Rae Lee titled. Native Speaker. gives specific illustrations as to how the assimilation procedure affects others and the migrators themselves. as besides described in both Steinberg and Gordon’s books.
In Steinberg’s book. Cultural Myth. he discusses with his readers the issues sing cultural individuality and assimilation. This is presented and explained in the chapter titled. The Atrophy of Ethnic Cultures. He foremost talks about the thought of the “melting pot” and how it should non be analyzed lightly. He gives a quotation mark from John Higham that says. “Loud averments of pluralism about constantly betray frights of assimilation” ( Steinberg. 59 ) . This means that minority groups that try to keep their cultural traditions may. in fact. hazard assimilation by making so.
Another point he brings to the surface is that when looking back at second or 3rd coevalss of a specific minority group. these people still can associate back to their original traditions and civilization individuality. He so says. “But can the same be said of the new coevals which has known merely the Americanized version of the original civilization? ” ( Steinberg. 60 ) . This is an obvious prevailing issue when it comes to continuing 1s civilization.
An illustration within the novel. Native Speaker. would be when Henry. the chief character described as a Korean immigrant. explains the history with his male parent. His male parent. life in America. would garner with friends and take part in ggeh’s. or “money nines. ” Here they would win money and finally. that is all that mattered to the Korean group. The displacement from typical Korean traditions to having all this land and money in American became a huge transmutation. Henry says about his male parent. “In America. he said. it’s even difficult to remain Korean.
” These changes from one cultural experience and tradition to another can be lost really rapidly and potentially ne’er be replenished. Throughout both Steinberg and Gordon’s composing. they both have similarities and differences when sing assimilation. Gordon negotiations about these “ethnic meetings” which refer to assimilation. Throughout Gordon’s chapter titled. The Nature of Assimilation. he gives a legion sum of definitions from theoreticians and authors that differ in assorted ways.
In an essay that Gordon leaves the writer anon. in this chapter defines assimilation as “the procedure by which different civilizations. or persons or groups stand foring different civilizations. are merged into a homogeneous unit. Here Gordon negotiations approximately assimilation as positive. whereas Steinberg takes a different attack. Steinberg suggests that assimilation is non ever a positive facet merely because it can ensue in the loss of a cultural individuality. This is present in Native Speaker because Henry continuously tries indulging himself into American civilization.
He can non to the full carry through this. which basically consequences in his married woman. Lelia. go forthing him in the beginning of the novel. As there are differences within Steinberg and Gordon’s readings. they do hold upon their apprehension of the nature within assimilation. Gordon says that cultural behaviour alterations “may take topographic point in the civilizations of either one of the two groups. or there may be a mutual influence whereby the civilizations of both groups are modified” ( Gordon. 62 ) .
Steinberg agrees with this statement because he suggests that the changing of one’s civilization is at high hazard when incorporated into a different civilization. He says. “The cultural crisis merely begins with the fact that the nucleus elements of traditional civilization have been modified. diluted. compromised. and eventually relinquished” ( Steinberg. 62 ) . Both authors describe this deficiency of individuality in one manner or another. Assimilation is evident in any society. particularly America. Peoples of different backgrounds continuously seeking to come together to make one state is a important facet in society today.
Steinberg. Gordon. and Lee all discourse how assimilation has issues when it comes to continuing 1s cultural traditions and individuality. What they all convey to readers nevertheless. is the fact that the meeting of civilizations will everlastingly be indispensable and inevitable. Works Cited Steinberg. Steven. The Cultural Myth: Race. Ethnicity. and Class in America. Boston: Beacon Press. 1978. Print. Lee. Chang-Rae. Native Speaker. New York: Riverhead Books. 1995. Print. Gordon. Milton. The Nature of Assimilation. Oxford University Press. 1964. eBook.
