Krisna Canapi

English 1 Friday. Hybrid class

Prof. Json Ong
December 9, 2010
America has attracted people from around the globe in the promise of a better
future. Upon their arrival, Immigrants then have to face the reality of fitting in a different
environment. Some are willing to sacrifice their culture and get themselves used to the
American culture; others find the comfort being around people they have cultural
similarities with. Some immigrants are also faced with bad situations about their culture
that they decide to completely remove it from their identity. Immigrant parents also had
difficulties dealing with their children growing in the American culture. Some of them are
worried that their children has forgotten their roots, and some are worried that their
children are not fitting due to their "skin color" or race. Immigrants have gone through a
lot in assimilating with the American culture. Throughout the century, Immigrants have
fought for their rights in a country were freedom is a big deal. Immigrants have fought
for equal rights for all skin color and diminish ethnic hierarchy.
Ethnic Hierarchy influenced immigrants to assimilate and conform, which created the
ideal of Melting pot; however, some either prefers to celebrate differences among other
culture other than their own, or totally separate themselves from a larger group.
Ethnic Hierarchy as an assimilation theory hinders races of non-whites to move
up the ladder of society, which results in unequal distribution of wealth and power;
moreover, the hierarchy invalidates every rights a person could have in a society.
According to Models of American Ethnic Relations: A Historical Perspective by George
M. Frederickson, the model of hierarchal dates back its roots in the conquest of Indians

and enslavement of Blacks during the colonial period. However, in the 19th century it
was also applied to Asians and European immigrants. The obvious distinction was always
between "white" and "nonwhite". The first immigration law was passed by Congress in
1790 which specified that only white immigrants were eligible for naturalization. This
created a crucial difference between Chinese sojourners who cant become citizen nor
vote and Irish immigrant that can. But as soon as immigrations restriction has relieved,
the status of new immigrants were improved as a result of their political involvement,
economic and professional achievements. However this relief only benefited Europeans,
not the Black and Asians, due to the hierarchy being based exclusively on color, "The
whites" , Americans or people with European descent. Due to the exclusiveness, the
legacy of white supremacy survives and continues on in the US in the early and late 60's.
This assimilation theory has managed to survive through the years. In "Foul Shots" by
Rogelio Gomez, tells his past experiences on the discrimination and prejudice in an
educational setting. He and his teammates felt as if the "white boys' teams from the
North side are superior to them solely because they are "White". Later on the essay, an
incident where one of the white boys from tossed a bag of Fritos to their team had
changed his life. They're failure to respond to their disrespect made the them feel inferior
and weak. Gomez felt that he should've fought back but he failed to do so. Not standing
up for racism not only stores the idea but also belittles equality. However to break a
cycle, people must start to stand up for their rights, and apparently nowadays, we have
managed to gradually exclude racial bias.
Anglo conformity as an assimilation theory forced immigrants to assimilate into
the American culture, which has stripped them from their original identity; however

anglo conformity is not always forced but chosen by an individual. America has attracted
every race around the globe with its promise of a better future. Immigrants move in
America bringing with them their families to hopefully break the chain of poverty that
they are experiencing back home. However, being in an unfamiliar place brings fears
which is why they have to force themselves into accepting a culture and stripping their
own .In able to feel belongingness, they have to immerse themselves into the American
culture. Adapting and participating includes celebrating American holidays, civic rituals
and most especially the English language. According to Gordon,

It is quite likely that

"Anglo-conformity" in its more moderate aspects, however explicit its formulation, has
been the most prevalent ideology of assimilation goals in America throughout the nation's
history. Whites judged the improvement of minorities and citizenship was granted on the
basis of how closely one compared to Anglo race. A perfect example of a conformist is a
writer named Eric Lui. Eric Lui gave up his race identity for what white people are
predominant of. Eric Liu wants to imitate the traits that white people posses, such as
power, influence and life at ease. Throughout his essay Notes of a Native Speaker, he
clearly put the "white race" on a pedestal. However, Lui conforms not forcedly but
willingly. He stated "I never asked to be white. I am not literally white. That is, I do not
have white skin or white ancestors. I have yellow skin and yellow ancestors, hundreds of
generations of them. But like so many other Asian Americans of the second generation, I
find myself now the bearer of a strange new status: white, by acclamation. ". At the
beginning of the essays he also included a list of ways that can distinguish him as living
the "white" life. The Asians might considers him as a banana for him, he describes it as
"honorary white Willingly conforming in a culture other than yours and erasing your

owns is a form of self hatred.

Melting pot as an assimilationist theory brings together a society and molds them
into a common culture, which means giving up ones own culture that takes out diversity
in a society; Furthermore, by embracing this theory, cultural differences are not given
value and preservation. Melting pot is the same as ethnic hierarchy to the sense that a
society has to mold itself into a one culture, in this case the "white race". In the
eighteenth and nineteenth century, the metaphor of a melting pot was used to describe the
fusion of different nationalities, ethnicities and cultures. It was used together with
concepts of America as an ideal republic or new promised land. In the late 19th and early
20th century, numbers of European migration has dramatically increased. Large numbers
of Southern and Eastern European immigrant groups such as the Italians, Jews, and Poles
arrived in the early 1890s. Many returned back home but those who remained immersed
themselves into the cultural melting pot, adopting American lifestyles. In the contrary,
Chinese arrivals met intense hostility and new laws in the 1880s tried to exclude (Chinese
Exclusion Act) them, but many arrived illegally. Hostility forced them into "Chinatowns"
or ethnic enclaves in the larger cities, where they lived a culture apart and seldom
assimilated. Nowadays, Melting pots definition was altered by multiculturalists, who
asserted that cultural differences within society should be valued and preserved. Back in
the days, assimilating into the common culture was a price of admission to full and equal
participation in the society and polity, but nowadays, you are not obliged to mold yourself
into any common culture.
Cultural Pluralism as an assimilation theory celebrates the differences of others
culture but managing to keep owns culture alive; In addition, it provides flexibility and

versatility, which excludes racist thoughts and actions of an individual. According to

Fredericks essay, pluralist are the total opposite of assimilationist. In pluralism, the
pressure of immersing oneself to others culture doesn't exist. When you are willing to
accept others culture, there shouldn't be pressures. Pluralist argues that the diversity is a
"healthy and normal condition that does not preclude equal rights and the mutual
understanding about civic responsibilities needed to sustain a democratic nation-state". In
Gordon's essays the creation of pluralism dated back when non- English immigrants who
came to America had found themselves lonesome to the point where they created ethnic
enclaves and looked forward to preserving of at least some of their native cultural
patterns. These newcomers seek familiarity in a strange land by gathering friends,
relatives and countrymen. Together, these settlers rebuild a society in which they could
communicate in their familiar tongue and maintain familiar institutions. Culture pluralism
is happening in every country. Immigrants from the same countries tend to stick together.
The theory of Seperatism seeks solemnity of a smaller culture from a larger one;
furthermore, leaders of these groups opposed the idea of interracial marriages and joined
institutions from other larger group. In the Models of American Ethnic Relations: A
Historical Perspective, by George M. Frederickson, Seperatism originated from the
desires of culturally distinctive racial group to withdraw from interacting from the
American society and other groups. Separatism is when a small group of races wants to
totally separate themselves in society and keeping their own pure. Seperatist may start to
build their own schools, churches, business and other institution to compensate from what
they lack. The known follower of this theory is Marcus Garvey. he led the most persistent
assertion of group separatism in the United States history. In the nineteenth century black

leaders and intellectuals planned to move out of the US and establish an independent
black republic elsewhere. The chosen destination was Africa. Another known followers
are the Chicano nation of Azthan who sought the reestablishment of truly independent
tribal nations. Seperatist have not always chosen to be alienated. This movement is
caused by different motifs. Marcus Garvey and his followers have chosen to leave the
United states to protect themselves from conflict and hatred. Some people like the
Chicano nation of Azthan has chosen this because they want to persevere, their otherwise
threatened and extinct religion, language and tradition. Other reason may be because they
these certain group of people do not want to assimilate and conform to any society here in
the United States. They opposed interracial marriages because they want their race to
remain pure. Marcus Garvey preached about Inter-racial marriages as a "race suicide".
They also opposed joining of other institutions they want people to see that they can
make independent efforts to sustain themselves from hostile environment.

Bibliography
Liu, Eric. The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker. New York: Random House,
1998. Print.
Milton, Gordon. ETHNIC IDENTITY AND MAJORITY CULTURE. Print.
Gomez, Rogelio. "Foul Shots." Artofeducating.com. Web. 9 Dec. 2010.
<artofeducating.com/_ela%20files/Miscellaneous/Foul%20Shots.doc>.
"Melting Pot." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 10 Dec. 2010.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melting_pot>.