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Identity Dbq

Decent Essays

Identity’s Toxic Relationship With Society
Identifying identity is a trying task in its own. Of course, it can not be narrowed down or oversimplified. Most people are not exactly the same, in fact, almost none are. Yet, we rely on our identities to find people to connect, share, and even identify with.Who we are and who we want people to see depends too much on society in this day age. With such a strong influence on the way we perceive ourselves society’s use of labels and pressure for assimilation eradicate the individuality associated with identity. Labels like “mentally challenged,” “homo,” and “slut” have been created, and almost forced onto us by society, keeping us from properly identifying ourselves. One woman spends a whole essay …show more content…

In Document C, Liu describes his relationship with the labels associated with having assimilated. He states “that I have been described as an ‘honorary white,’ by other whites, and as a ‘banana,’ by other asians.” since he had adopted the white american lifestyle, yet fit the profile of an asian man (Doc C). People spend years trying to create a self image that others will accept and “like,” but often find themselves caught in the middle like Liu. As Mukherjee says “The price that the immigrant willingly pays, and that exile avoids, is the trauma of self-transformation.” which for several americans can mean irreplaceable time spent trying to meet society’s unreachable standards (Doc E). Truth be told, there is genuinely no way to make everyone happy. In fact, “There is usually, in the portrayal, a strong whiff of betrayal: the assimilist is a traitor to his kind.” (Doc C). While few people intentionally betray others, it is the wrong way to look at assimilation. The past can not be changed, but as people we tend to change the present so that we and several others are accepted. Albeit, when Billy Joel said “don’t go changing to try and please me” he had a point: americans today lose themselves while trying to impress and join

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