Cultural Expectations Vs. Reality

More often than not, many refugees struggle to find acceptance in the place in which they fled to. Interestingly, throughout history there exists a trend of undesirable groups from one particular region often find themselves struggling to find acceptance elsewhere (Arendt, 1968, p. 269). This particular trend can be seen in the migrations of LGBTQ asylum-seekers.

In her article “A Note to Young Immigrants” from Fall 2005, Mitali Perkins reflects on her own negative experience as an immigrant in the US; and in the final part of her article, she provides a note to other immigrants as on how to deal with the feeling of being different and how to turn this negative perception into a positive experience. First, she lists some examples based on empirical evidence what exactly an immigrant loses by immigrating into another country: she says that as an immigrant, one will first lose the feeling of having a “home” and that one will start perceiving everything by means of “race”. Furthermore, she explains that the new country does not give the feeling of belonging because one feels different in means of traditions, language, understanding societal codes of behavior and also in means of sticking out of the mass everywhere one goes. At the end, Perkins states that one should not get discouraged and rather should try to see one’s own distinctiveness in a positive light; namely, as owning the best qualities of two different worlds. In conclusion, Perkin’s main argument is that although immigrants might experience a loss on various personal and cultural levels, they should not get discouraged or give up as they can turn this loss into

It is expected that ultimately there will be a loss of ethnic distinctiveness for immigrants in the U.S., meaning the lack of attachment to the country of origin. (Golash-Boza, 2006) It is argued that all ethnic distinctiveness will no longer exist by the seventh or eighth generations. Before exploring the influence of foreign born vs. U.S. born parents on their children’s cultural assimilation; the different theories of assimilation will be explored. The idea of Assimilation came about in the early 20th century. (Golash-Boza, 2006) Assimilation is surrounded by two theories, the first that all immigrants will assimilate sooner or later and that the generational status of the individual is one of the main factors in determining the

Every individual, no matter who they are, will all face challenges that result from their backgrounds and cultures. Born in Calcutta, India and later moving to the United States, Amin Ahmad was an individual who discovered this harsh truth first-hand. In his essay, “I Belong Here,” Ahmad reflects on his experience of being treated differently from those around him based off his cultural background. He analyzes the emotional barrier that forms between the journey of immigration and the continuous feeling of inferiority based solely on the desire to belong. The article is written to provide a different point of view; one focused on introducing to the world the challenges and emotions immigrants face after starting the journey towards a new life.

In my experience emerging in a country where most people look and act a certain way, while I am the outlier thanks to my different looks and traditions, has made me a minority. Being born in Mexico City from a Jewish family that immigrated from Poland two generations ago, and then going to college in Texas, has made me feel the differences of being lets say, “different”.

America has always been labeled the “melting pot” and the “land of the free,” but when one is analyzing the history and social norms of the country, these statements are far from true. America has thrived through the oppression of minority groups and social pressure towards these groups to conform to the majority culture. In any historical sense, from the near extermination of Native Americans to the racial profiling of Muslim individuals after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, minority groups have always been the victims and have always been viewed as different if they do not assimilate into the “typical” American culture. Numerous works of literature have successfully displayed the struggles that minorities face when attempting to conform. Two works in particular, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Alexie Sherman and When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka, tell stories of two different minority groups: Native Americans living in the 21st century and Japanese-Americans during World War II. While these stories are separated by several decades, it is clear that American culture has not changed, as each story exemplifies how difficult it truly is to leave old cultural norms behind in order to be accepted by the majority.

The changing environments throughout the ages have caused the movement of thousands of families out of their homelands. Whether forced to make such decisions or doing so by their own desires, all immigrants have had to survive the physical and psychological challenges encountered along the way. To speak about the experiences of all these different people using the same ideas and examples would be quite inaccurate. They all, however, had to live through similar situations and deal with similar problems. Many of them succeeded and found the better future they were looking for. Many others found only hardship and experienced the destruction of their hopes and dreams. All of them were transformed.

Every individual, no matter who they are, will all face challenges that result from their backgrounds and cultures. Born in Calcutta, India and later moving to the United States, Amin Ahmad was an individual who discovered this harsh truth firsthand. In his essay, “I Belong Here,” Ahmad reflects on his experience of being treated differently from those around him based off his cultural background. He analyses the emotional barrier that forms between the journey of immigration and the continuous feeling of inferiority based solely on the desire to belong. The article is written to provide a different point of view; one focused on introducing to the world the challenges and emotions immigrants face after starting the journey towards a new life.

Growing up the child of an immigrant has given me a unique perspective on life that a majority of kids my age will never have. In my home, I am surrounded by the Ethiopian culture and language, but when I step across the threshold, I am greeted by a culture foreign to my own. I was challenged with learning two more languages than most kids, Amharic and Tigrinya, which classified me as a student who needed ESL (English Second Language) classes. My mom always said, “Ewedeshalo yenekonjo”, meaning I love you, my beautiful. I was immersed in two different communities, and had the impression of living in two different countries. I was faced with the difficulty of not knowing where I fit in since I am one of a few kids who have this reality. Balancing

As a young female, born in Jamaica, W.I with dark skin, transitioning to America was a challenge, especially because I spoke a broken form of English known as Patois. I am also an able bodied, working class, heterosexual woman who is a Christian from the Church of God 7th Day sect. These factors which are critical to my identity, plays an important role on how am I perceived in society on a personal, cultural and structural level. The characteristics described above can also have an effect on my position within the society, which can lead to either an abundance or a lack of access to resources. They have affected my access to resources within society on a personal, cultural and cultural level.

Millions of people have migrated from all over the world which results in problems and changes in families. This paper explores the immigrant experience in America, showing how immigrants dealt with hardships, adaptation, losing one 's culture and adaptation to the loss of one 's parent.

It is a sacrifice to move to a foreign country and have to change the principles and traditions that have been instilled in an individual since birth. For this reason, in order to adjust to a new culture immigrants not only have to be disposed to discard their original values to adapt to their new nation, but they have to deal with certain barrier in order to assimilate to their new lifestyle. Whether an immigrant is considered first or second generation, the obstacle of learning a new language or struggling with finding balance between the two distinct cultural worlds still remain a challenge.

From childhood up until now, I have had a global mindset causing me to want to know more about the people who are different from me. My own cultural experiences, my love for multiculturalism, and also my passion for politics have combined and created the compassionate person who I am becoming. One’s past contributes greatly to the type of person they will be, and I can say that this is very true with me. Looking back on the cultural differences that I have seen within the two cultures that I have, Jamaican and American, has allowed me to consider how aspects of culture are not as polar as many view them. The overlapping of cultural practices and beliefs humanizes each individual, no matter which nation or culture with which they are associated. My aspiration in life is to embrace every person in the human race as a member of my family, no matter what race, religion, culture, or nationality, because I am a citizen of the

Growing up, I never quite felt like I belonged to any one group, fit a stereotype or a mold. Born in a small town in the Ural mountains of Russia, the border between Asia and Europe, and raised in suburban America, I never felt that I identified with either nationality exclusively. Even though I spent more than half of my life living in the U.S., my upbringing was shaped by two almost opposing life philosophies. My ethnic Russian family roots valued the focus on the collective group and the community as a whole, always reminding me to be conscious of how my actions could have a profound effect on the society around me. Even though I respected and valued the points of view of my Russian family, my western upbringing in the United States meant always being reminded that my future is in my hands, emphasizing the individual achievement over the collective power of the community.

The increasing accommodations directed toward immigrant culture worries many Americans. Americans fear the special treatment granted to immigrants will affect the unifying force of the country. Today, the trend is toward multiculturalism, diversity and adapting the newcomer, rather than on the newcomer adapting himself or herself to a diverse society (61).