Assimilation, Oppo

"Xyl0c41n3" (i-am-xyl0c41n3) 05/17/2016 at 23:52 • Filed to: Keep Oppo Latino, Que viva Facundo!

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Alexis de Tocqueville once compared America to a great melting pot, where various cultures blended together effortlessly to create one homogenous “American” culture. But if today’s political climate makes anything clear it’s that, for some people, that homogeneity will never be enough to make us part of the accepted class.

If your skin is brown, if your name has an accento, or God forbid, an ñ (that inevitably gets stripped of its tilde), it doesn’t matter if you go by John instead of Juan or Lucy instead of Lucia, you will always be just one step removed.

There’s constant pressure to assimilate. Americanize your name, your food, your manner of dress. Teach your children English because this is America (which, btw, has no officially recognized national language). Americanize your gods and your holidays and your ethics.

Over and over the unspoken message is that our culture, your culture, whatever it may be, is second class.

That’s not ok.

So, you’ll have to pardon me when I call bullshit anytime people ridicule or otherwise diminish my culture.

You’ll have to pardon me, but I’ll never apologize for it.

Here’s a video that illustrates it so much more succinctly and humorously than I have patience for these days.

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Xyl0c41n3 05/18/2016 at 00:05

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More culture = more fun, monotony is boring.

Signed,

White guy whose most diverse quality is a non-phonetic last name.

phenotyp > Xyl0c41n3 05/18/2016 at 00:07

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Rule 1: be excellent to each other.

His Stigness > Xyl0c41n3 05/18/2016 at 00:13

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Fac man!

d15b > Xyl0c41n3 05/18/2016 at 00:17

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I’m all for diversity, but I see it as AMERICAN-(INSERT COUNTRY OF ORIGIN OF PARENTS/YOURSELF) instead of (INSERT COUNTRY OF ORIGIN OF PARENTS/YOURSELF)-American.

His Stigness > Xyl0c41n3 05/18/2016 at 00:17

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But seriously, it is deplorable how Americans essentially dehumanize other cultures just because it’s different from our own and we don’t understand it.

Xyl0c41n3 > d15b 05/18/2016 at 00:43

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I think I understand what you’re trying to say, but referring to people’s heritage/origin/identity as you suggest is grammatically incorrect.

When I say that I am Mexican-American, “Mexican” is used as an adjective to describe my ancestry. I am an American of Mexican descent. To say that I’m an American-Mexican would mean that I am a Mexican citizen of American descent or origin.

Also, putting the descriptor before “American” is important for many of us because our cultures supersede our nationalities. “American” is an all-inclusive term that can be claimed by citizens from all walks of life.

The “Mexican” (or really, Tejana) part of my identity is simply an integral, inseparable part of who I am — it is my language, my skin, my hair, my eyes, my family structure, my everything.

The “American” part of my identity is a part of my culture, too, but it’s a bit more accurate to say that it is where I had the good fortune to be born.

DipodomysDeserti > His Stigness 05/18/2016 at 01:15

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Especially since American don't actually have a singular culture, and we attempted to wipe out any of the native cultures that existed here.

Shoop > Xyl0c41n3 05/18/2016 at 01:17

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There will always be pressure to be “normal.” That’s what normal means. It’s up to you to fight it or don't.

Xyl0c41n3 > Shoop 05/18/2016 at 01:21

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What is normal, though, and who defines it?

Why is my culture considered abnormal?

It’s not abnormal. What’s abnormal is demanding that everyone submit to a narrow definition of what is acceptable. Do you know what doing that is called? It's called racism. You can be damned sure I'll fight against racism. It's not a choice, it's an imperative.

His Stigness > DipodomysDeserti 05/18/2016 at 01:21

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Exactly. I’ve always wondered what the hell it even means to be American, besides being a cocky son of a bitch who likes to eat a lot.

His Stigness > Xyl0c41n3 05/18/2016 at 01:25

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A lot of American’s don’t understand that concept of having a culture other than being “American,” whatever the hell that means. If you look at our history you see we like to obliterate any culture which we do not agree with (aka all of them). Americans, as I’m sure you know, are very cocky and think that their “culture” is superior to everyone else’s.

Full disclosure: I was born in raised in California, so I think that means I can talk crap about this country.

DipodomysDeserti > His Stigness 05/18/2016 at 01:27

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If you think about it, the stereotype of America is really the anti American. We are a country of scrappy, violent immigrants who were crazy enough to cross an ocean or a desert into a wilderness, not a bunch of lazy gluttons. I’ve grown up in the Southwest. The writings of Edward Abbey really speak to me as to what an American is. Read Desert Solitaire if you want a refreshing view on what it means to be an American.

DipodomysDeserti > Xyl0c41n3 05/18/2016 at 01:31

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I'm an Italian/Russian/Irish American who's kids will be going to a dual Spanish/Engliah school next year. In nature, variation ensures survival, and is what makes this world such a beautiful place to live. ¡Viva diversity!

TheHondaBro > Xyl0c41n3 05/18/2016 at 01:33

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My grandfather had his last name changed very early. I’ve been considering making my middle name the original family name, as a heritage thing. I’m fucking proud to be a Shahrudi Iranian by birth, fuck the xenophobes.

TheHondaBro > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 05/18/2016 at 01:37

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Your last name isn’t ‘(no it doesn’t need a WS6 hood) M. Arch?’

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > TheHondaBro 05/18/2016 at 01:39

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That it is not,

Mr. MonkeyPuzzle?

His Stigness > DipodomysDeserti 05/18/2016 at 01:42

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I think we’re a country of whiners and mutineers. We started the Revolution over some taxes. And now we have a political movement pissed off that they didn’t get their way, so they want to start another revolution.

The Founding Fathers preached a lot of bullshit about Liberty and such, but what they really wanted was to consolidate their power. They didn’t like a Parliment a sea away from them governing them when they could govern themselves and write their own laws to benefit themselves and their friends (HELO Alexander Hamilton).

d15b > Xyl0c41n3 05/18/2016 at 01:46

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Not sure if you’re trying to be pedantic, asserting that I need a lesson in grammar, but you seem to get the idea. Good for you!

“American” is my identity and my culture. Speaking as a first-generation American, I do not find the need to ostracize myself by attaching the name of another country/culture to feel validation of my own self-identity.

My background as a son of immigrants gives me a perspective filter which is unique from the majority (and soon-to-be minority), but is, at the end of the day, American, and 100% valid . To say otherwise is unpatriotic. THAT is what it means to be an American. THAT is the MELTING POT. We, are literally, all of us citizens.

For example, I don’t expect to be able to navigate my parent’s country, be accepted by the locals as a “native”, but you betcha I’ll be able to get home from Great Bend, Kansas and culturally speaking, we all know how to make ribs (dry, because Kansas). On the other hand, there are foreign traditions and foods which I practice and eat, because culture. There are many similarities between myself and my brethren in the old world, but I am not one of them. I am an American, in their eyes and in mine.

The point I am trying to make is that you should stick up for yourself, your culture and your identity, but not to the point where you create your own little world, cut-off from the rest of us co-mingling.

Lastly, go travel the world and let me know if you say you’re “Mexican-American” or just, plain old “American”, when making introductions.

I will bet you will say you are an “American”.

d15b > His Stigness 05/18/2016 at 01:52

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Being “American” is whatever you want it to be. That is the brilliance of this country.

DipodomysDeserti > His Stigness 05/18/2016 at 01:54

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Many of the people in our country came here long after that happened. The Englishman who took part in the Revolution were whiners and mutineers, but the Africans who were brought here as slaves weren’t whiners, the Italians/Irish/German /Mexican...etc immigrants who became Americans definitely weren’t whiners. My great grandfather grew up on a farm in Calabria, then went AWOL while in the Italian Navy and came to America. Fought in WWI in order to gain his citizenship then lived as a hobo riding trains around the country learning English. Homeboy definitely wasn’t a whiner or a mutineer. There are tens of thousands of people with stories just like his. That's America.

His Stigness > DipodomysDeserti 05/18/2016 at 02:00

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I totally agree with that. While I think whiners make up the majority of this country, I know there are still wonderful people in this country who work hard and love this place.

It’s funny to think though that the Tea Party is made up of a bunch of white people, kind of reminds me of the same guys that started the revolution.

DipodomysDeserti > His Stigness 05/18/2016 at 02:28

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The Revolution was fought by people who wanted to do something that had never been done before. The Tea Party is composed of people unable to adapt to out changing world who want to return to an era that no longer exists. They’re opposites. The terms liberal and conservative are derived from the French Revolution. The Liberals wanted to start something new, a Republic. The Conservatives wanted to keep the status quo. The Tea Party are more akin to the Loyalist/Conservatives, holding on to an outdated form of governance because of their inability to adapt to a changing world.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Xyl0c41n3 05/18/2016 at 02:59

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My last name is of French origin, my first name is English, my father is American and my mother is German. And I live in Germany. I’m actually proud about that but the question if I’m from France and how my last name is pronounced gets on my nerves. What I want to say, be proud of who you are and where you’re from.

Berang > Xyl0c41n3 05/18/2016 at 04:12

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Assimilation is an interesting subject. But I think it’s one that produces a lot of knee-jerk reactions lately.

The benefits of assimilation are it dissarms bigotry and promotes a sort of harmony. White privilege is built largely on how completely assimilated white culture is in the U.S. Assimilation is what allowed “white people” to become “white people” instead of Germans, Russians, Italians, Irish etc. Once the Irish stopped acting Irish (ie. being so catholic, dancing so well, eating weird Irish foods, etc.) anti-Irish sentiment pretty much dissolved in the U.S. The downside is that white Americans have no real sense of identity. It’s why white people have a hard time differentiating between “white culture” and “American culture” because it is one and the same to them. In theory the melting pot was supposed to allow the best elements of each culture to rise to the top and blend into one new culture. Instead the result was the blandest elements overwhelmed everything else, and anything that was too exceptional was simply forgotten.

Assimilation is neither inherently good or bad, obviously there are real practical benefits. But there are also real losses. Just depends on what values a person has.

It’s also not uniquely American. Just look at the history of Central Asia (yes it exists, no matter how much the rest of the world ignores it) - thousands of years of cultural interchange, dispersion, assimilation, and the occasional genocide. Lots of religions being forced on people every other century or so. Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, then the soviets outlawed all religions, and the Chinese tried to sweep Islam under the rug... and on and on. But look at the cultures that resulted, and look at the peoples that resulted. Despite all of this blending they’re uniquely their own. Sure lots of things were lost over the centuries, but new identities and new societies formed. The world changes.

Xyl0c41n3 > d15b 05/18/2016 at 08:17

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Actually, I say I'm Texan.

yamahog > d15b 05/18/2016 at 08:23

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I wonder why no one had that reaction to my comment earlier then:

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/hungarian-amer…

TheRealBicycleBuck > Xyl0c41n3 05/18/2016 at 09:09

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I’m a “white” guy (9th generation Texan) married to a girl of Spanish decent. Her family was an original land-grant family from Spain. She get’s bent when people refer to her as Tejana, Mexican-American, or God-forbid, Mexican. Although she claims to be a Texan, she was really born in Florida during her father’s assignment to one of the bases there. If I really want to get her goat, I call her a Floridian.

We’ve done a lot of genealogical work over the past few years to better understand our roots. I’ve always called myself a mutt, but now I have proof. So far we’ve found English, Irish, French, and even American Indian (two different tribes) on my side. Now my kids get to add Spanish to the list.

When we talk about culture, we agree that mine is more like the American ideal - a melting pot. Hers is more like a stew. She works hard to incorporate elements of her culture into our family. However, the more she digs into her past, the more she realizes that what she thought was her culture really isn’t.

Her first clue that something was different was in their cooking. Her family cooks Tex-Mex, but the details were just a bit off. Where most families would use one spice, hers would use another. Where most families would feast on beef and pork, hers didn’t.

After years of research, she finally figured out what was going on. She’s a Jew. She discovered that her family was part of the wealthy Sephardic Jews who were expelled from Spain, but were given land grants in the Americas because of their social status. Part of the deal was a conversion to Catholicism, but many still practiced Judaism in secret. With this revelation came an understanding of the purpose of the secret room in her great-great uncle’s house. It was an altar where he practiced his faith.

Now we joke about being the next couple on the Ancestry commercials. Wife: “I thought I was a Catholic Spaniard, turns out I’m a Sephardic Jew.”
Husband: “I thought I was a French Huguenot, turns out I’m a mutt. Now our kids are Jewish-Catholic-Huguenot mutts.”
Cue fake laughter.

What’s the take-home lesson? We usually aren’t what we think we are. It’s human nature to poke at differences. Getting along means assimilating some of the cultural differences, rejecting some of the cultural norms, knowing when it’s ok to poke and knowing when you’ve gone too far, but most importantly, being able to laugh at ourselves.

d15b > yamahog 05/18/2016 at 10:30

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Probably because you weren’t trying to argue “separate-but-equal” is still a thing in 2016.

yamahog > d15b 05/18/2016 at 11:39

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Are you trying to argue that systemic racism no longer exists? Either way that still doesn’t really have anything to do with how my Hungarian-American statement did not also offend your sensibilities per the metric in your first comment.

d15b > yamahog 05/18/2016 at 12:54

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Actually no, systemic racism is marginalizing populations within America today, as we speak. Take for example, voter IDs. Voting is a constitutional right for all citizens. Impeding on that right is the voter ID. How-so? If a citizen does not have the capability to obtain the ID, they are blocked from voting. Usually, it is a financial burden that an individual cannot meet. That isn’t fair, and the states that have passed laws for it seems to be targeting minorities.

My point is that the original post seems to suggest (t0 me) that a person’s heritage separates a person from the entirety of the American experience, as if “one (perspective/traditions/morals/etc) is right/better than the other”. That is not true and not fair for all parties involved. You see all those weird foods from my cultural background? Guess what, that (to me) is American now. That is my cultural contribution to society. And, guess what? I love me a pierogi! It reminds me of pot-stickers.

My point is that it doesn’t, as we are all immigrants, save for the Native Americans. Each point-of-view is American, which as a whole constitutes as “American” culture. Your linked comment does not imply that your experience as a Hungarian, who happens to also be American, is separate and exclusive instead of connected and inclusive.

Lastly, I do not find anything offensive at all with the original poster, nor yours; my point is that everyone’s experience is “American” despite whatever your cultural/ethnic-adjective you identify with most.

Yeah, I’m an American, but check it out, we can do all these other things, too.