Cultural clangs are one of the specifying Markss of the early centuries wherein racial. cultural and cultural difference are the most debated issues. Long before the entryway of globalisation in the planetary scene. different nation-states did non truly hold the opportunity of doing close relationships with their adjacent provinces particularly when their civilizations are the exact antonym of theirs.
And for this ground. they tried to insulate themselves from other states ( or at most have communicating or slightly have indirect relationship toward other provinces that have about similar civilization and tradition ) so as to continue their cultural heritage. Fagan ) But upon the eruption of WW1 and WW2. civilization. race and ethnicity became one of the polar monetary values that changed the universe construction and order. On the other manus. the happening of the said universe wars and the debut of the construct of globalisation were non the aboriginal root of such cultural clangs. Even during the clip of the constitution of the first civilisations in about all parts of the universe. struggles that were defined or motivated by cultural battles were already overriding. Hence. there is this historical beginning of the said job.
Culture. Race and Ethnicity Culture is considered as a manner of life. It implies that whatever adult male does or acts or believes it is its civilization. Traditions and imposts are subsets of civilization. Even before an person was born. there was already a defined civilization to which he was already belonged. This civilization was given to him by either his parents or his environment ( or even both ) . Having this fact. a individual can non truly state that he has chosen a peculiar civilization for himself. But what is truly true is that he was anticipated to accommodate his parents and/or his environment’s civilization.
And merely as he progresses or as he grows up that he exposes himself to other civilization and attempts to do some alterations on his obsessed civilization. Therefore. one can be influenced by other foreign civilizations. And that he can absorb those civilizations as he pleases. But the original cultural that he owns can non truly be thrown off. It sticks to one individual every bit long as he lives. ( Bolaffi ) Race defines how man’s biological. sociological and cultural characteristics are structured. Be it an American. an Asiatic or a European.
But among the races that which suffers a batch are the races of the Blacks ( the Africans ) . During the battle of the Black-Americans sing the bondage issue. they were perceived as the race that which is the most inferior ( for they believed so that the criterion for high quality can be measured through the colour of the tegument ) . As a consequence of such construct. the Blacks were severely maltreated and their self-respect was truly degraded. Historically. the Blacks received the most numbered and outstanding manifestations of racial favoritism. ( Bolaffi )
Ethnicity comes into the image as subset of civilization ( as stated earlier in this paper ) . It goes with the thought that every person is either belonged to a individual group which has the same association and individuality as that person or has a two or more cultural beginnings. That which is really apparent in the construct of ethnicity is the belief that there is this one individual historical beginning that is common to all those members of a peculiar cultural group. And as subdivision of civilization. it entails traditions and imposts every bit good as patterns and beliefs that are sole to each cultural group. ( Bolaffi )
Now imagine when one tries to perforate a peculiar civilization that is defined by a singular and specific race and ethnicity. Surely. clang of cultural differences and political orientations will originate. But such adaptation to different civilizations and varied imposts and traditions is non truly impossible. As mentioned earlier. one can specify his civilization by either accommodating his parents’ civilization or by accommodating his environment’s civilization. However. the latter airss much battle and unfavorable judgments non merely for persons but besides for nation-states ( particularly those that suffered from colonialism ) .
On the Novel: Mona in the Promised Land The novel was all about a miss named Mona ( a half Chinese and half American ) who was become so beguiled with the Judaic society that she declared that she would change over herself into Jew. Such was the struggle of the narrative. She was Chinese-American and yet she wanted to belong herself in the Judaic tradition and belief. That is the really thing that signaled her ain struggle with her male parent. ( Jen ) Mona situated herself into a big circle of people. She was with Americans. Chinese. Nipponese. Blacks and Jews. She learned and discovered many things about the different civilizations that her comrades and circle of friends have.
At any rate she appreciated those civilizations. Bing a Chinese-American she knows good that her cultural beginnings were slightly in struggle. Nonetheless it did non sabotage her will to populate the life that she wanted. The narratives that were revealed to her by the Black people inspired her to be proud of her race. Unfortunately when he became so much in tuned of the Judaic religion/tradition. her life became so much criticized non merely by other people who used to sit with her and have negotiations but besides of her ain household – particularly his male parent.
Although their household – her female parent and female parent and herself – was more distinguished as Chinese. her male parent wanted her to move and project herself as a full-pledged American. Americanisation became her father’s mundane reminder for her. As a consequence. the construction of their household. their beliefs and patterns and their characters were Americanized. And that was her parents’ privation. However. even if she was born in American she refused to feign and move like a true-blooded American whom she was truly non. She tried to detect her ain civilization.
But his did non intend that she would hold to throw away her original civilization and entirely encompass a foreign civilization. This merely suggested that she would set up her ain preferable civilization or belong herself to her chosen civilization and would non seek difficult to be person else merely to suit in with other criterions ( like that of the American attitude ) . The flood tide of the narrative was when Mona eventually declared to her parents that she would change over herself into the Judaic faith. Her male parent was wholly against such transition. Her household particularly her male parent believed that the being a Jew would merely do her life suffering and inferior to others.
Her male parent believed that the American civilization was the most superior civilization even with that of their Chinese civilization. He mentioned the full things that the American civilization brought into this universe like those of the more and recent technological promotions. Yet. Mona did non flex with that debate. The novel revealed the undeniable function of faith in determining the civilization of a peculiar person. As what was described in it. Mona found the Judaic faith as more like of her ain rules and beliefs.
She absorbed the Judaic philosophies and patterns the manner she wanted. It did non go difficult for her to understand and appreciate the Judaic tradition since she was at first exposed to different civilizations. But the really thing that made her decide to do herself belong in that Judaic faith is that she was in the Jewish community such that their influence was truly resistless. Not merely that. It was really difficult for her to lodge to her original civilization when all that she had was its exact opposite. The bottom line was that she pursued such transition and lived the Judaic manner.
The moral lesson of the narrative ( if it can be classified as one ) is that a peculiar thing does non truly guarantee you of the felicity that it could offer merely through its ticket or label. But what truly affairs is that you truly like that thing and that there is nil that pushes you to pick such pick. In short. felicity comes if a individual wilfully chooses it. Historical. Sociological and Political Issues The Americanization Since the coming of the globalisation period. Westernization. peculiarly Americanization was a large issue. What does it take to be Americanized?
And what is the tradeoff of going an Americanized individual? There is this large premise that America is the world’s most superior race. Bing the world’s exclusive world power. people regard American civilization to be the lone civilization that could give the people a better life ( merely like how Mona’s parents believed ) . Political stableness. great economic standing and supreme influence among states and provinces in the universe. are the features that best describe America. However. America is neither an ideal province nor a perfect sanctuary for all people. ( O’Dell )
America is branded as the runing pot of the universe ( world’s civilization ) . This is the topographic point wherein people of different races and different civilization can freely populate and prosecute their ends in life without being constrained. But that is merely a loose description. America certainly offers and provides the universe with so many things for development and advancement. However. isn’t it overgeneralization to state that American civilization is the best civilization among other civilizations in the universe? Let us state that American people do non truly claim such. However. other civilizations regard such thing as truth.
The consequence is that people in the universe idolizes and patronizes American civilization holding this construct that if they would seek to populate the American life so their lives would truly improved and they would populate in prosperity. But such is merely a misconception. A individual can do himself better and come on regardless of his cultural dispositions. and racial and cultural beginnings. But so it still goes with the thought that the society does non restrict its citizens to showcase their involvements. endowments and capablenesss every bit good as their personal beliefs.
In relation with the novel. Mona was constrained by her male parent and told that change overing herself into Jewish would do her life suffering. But so Mona believed that by his religion. her life would be at peace and would be secured. Choosing a faith is a right ( with mention to the Universal Declaration of Rights ) . And holding it as a right would intend that such would non severely affect the lives of persons. And such would non be used as criterion for looking at a person’s life. Possibly most Americans can non be termed as pure Americans.
By appealing to their original civilizations. traditions and imposts. Americans can be seen as a really general signifier of civilization that which is besides comprised of different civilizations. The Chinese Principle Historically talking. Chinese was known as the chief land in Asia. Being revered and served by other states. It has been said that the Chinese people regard themselves as the supreme race in the whole Asia such that everyone should pay regard and expression at every Chinese with fear. China termed those states beyond its land as savages. It implies that China is the cardinal and the exclusive carrier of power and authorization in Asia.
However such construct about China was erased when it was attacked and conquered by the Western states. No affair how China received tragic experiences and great abuses from the Western vanquishers. China ne’er see herself as a conquered and defeated state. It preserves such rule by instilling in the heads of all the Chinese people the great and rich history of their Chinese civilization. It inspires every Chinese to be more proud of their cultural heritage even if their physical characteristics are truly different from the Western characteristics. However. non all Chinese remain loyal with such rule.
Some Chinese people consider accommodating the civilization of the other states so as to better their manner of life. In the novel. Mona’s male parent can be regarded as on of those Chinese people who would set aside his Chinese pride and self-respect in order to guarantee him a life of prosperity in the cradle of the American civilization. Well. it is non truly bad to accommodate to foreign civilization every bit long as it would non intend a re-identification of oneself. It means that every bit long as a individual accepts and recognizes his reliable beginnings while doing some alterations in his cultural belief it does non imply a entire denial of the original civilization.
Mona did non truly deny her Chinese heritage. She is even proud to be a Chinese. On the other manus. Mona did non see herself as a solid Chinese whose beliefs and patterns are confined with the antediluvian and traditional Chinese faiths. She instead saw herself as a individual whom can merely turn in the weaponries of the Judaic faith. For Mona. such transition was no large trade. But for her parents it was truly a signifier of unfaithfulness to her cultural heritage ( good. her male parent did non truly look as person who advocated Chinese rules and political orientations but more of a individual who wanted to do Mona a full turned-American individual ) .
As for the narrative. the Chinese side of Mona and her parent was non truly highlighted. It played a really small function that it could non be even considered as a chief beginning of cultural struggle that was apparent in the novel. Mona in the Arms of the Judaic Tradition Mona instead chose Judaic civilization and tradition than doing herself captive and lived the American civilization. For Mona. it was non if one was an American. a Chinese. a Black or a Jew. the most of import thing was that you know what is right and you did non step on anyone’s pes.
Populating in such rule she pursued her life the Judaic manner. Hebraism is the faith of the Jews. It is a monotheistic faith since it believes and advocates that there is merely one God. And this God is the supreme legislator of Torahs. He is the Divine Creator whom created the universe and its order. And that world committed wickedness against this Supreme Entity. The lone manner for them to be saved from those wickednesss is to be united with God by populating a good life – and that life is illustrated by the Judaic civilization. ( Sarna ) There is truly nil incorrect with Mona’s determination of change overing herself into a Jew.
Her personal belief and her religion can non truly be managed by other people but merely by herself. Her male parent was merely in resistance with her determination chiefly because he thought that if Mona would truly travel towards the Judaic manner of life. she might be lost because of her initial Chinese and American civilization. Having both Chinese and American civilization is truly a battle for any individual. It would be more complicated if one would include the Judaic civilization. and that is precisely what the clang of the civilizations suggests.
To stop this paper. the historical. sociological and political issues that can be drawn from the novel are truly directed toward diverseness and struggle among civilizations in the universe. There is truly no possible manner that civilization can be universalized or standardized. However. such cultural differences can be managed by merely paying regard to other civilizations that have different construction and tradition from one’s ain civilization. Merely so that people would truly decide such struggle sing the clang of civilizations.
