Assimilating to American Society

The Merriam Webster online dictionary defines assimilating as "adopt[ing] the ways of another culture: to fully become a part of different society, culture, etc." This definition can be perceived with a positive connotation, but most stories of assimilation are not happy and "feel-good".  This definition doesn't tell us what a person feels as they are forced to assimilate to the dominant culture.  Sherman Alexie and Amy Tan provide an insight on what it's actually like to assimilate to American society.


I think that it's hard for the children of immigrants to see themselves and think "oh yeah I assimilated to the dominant society" because if they were born here then aren't they a part of "normal" American society?  When I see myself I don't think that I assimilated. I was born here and even though my parents weren't, that doesn't mean that I'm from somewhere else too. I grew up with American culture, so doesn't that make me a part of the dominant society? I not only grew up with American culture but also with Indian culture and I've never felt like I had to choose one over the other.

As a society, we always say "be yourself" and "don't be afraid to express yourself" but in reality we, society as a whole, judge other people based on how they express who they are even thought this is wrong. You should be able to express your individuality any way you wish without being embarrassed or ostracized.