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Cultural difficulties faced by immigrants
Cultural similarities among immigrants
What multiculturalism means to you
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Dalrymple’s main argument is about how immigrant women from India and Pakistan brought into England or different countries are not allowed to practice multiculturalism. These women instead have to base their life according to their parent’s expectations, tradition, and beliefs. Dalrymple interviews and consults with immigrant women during his profession as a doctor and he amplifies that not all cultures are engaged in the idea of being multiculturalist, even though Dalrymple still believes it is possible for immigrants to be successful living two cultures at once.
While working as a doctor in a slum immigrant residential area, Dalrymple states “I see multiculturalism from the ground up rather than from the theory down…it is clear from what
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Dalrymple explicates how a 16 year old Muslim girl being forced into an arranged marriage with a man whom she knew nothing of and the effects on her mental health. The girl started to wet the bed at night as a way to act out against the arranged marriage. The girl was highly intelligent, deeply unhappy, and unable to flee the parental home due to the fear of being out casted in her society and bring public shame upon the whole family. Due to her cultures extremely strong family bonds and respect of parental obedience, the girl will have a future of nothing but the most prolonged and unutterable …show more content…
In the impoverished imagination of the multiculturalist, all those who do not belong by birth to the predominant culture are engaged in a united struggle against its oppressive and illegitimate hegemony.” Dalrymple is explaining that with the increasingly pluralistic character of modern Western society there is an increasing belief that all cultural traditions and perspectives represented in the public deserve to be heard at every level. However all those who do not belong to the ‘dominant Western culture’ are living on the fringes of society. In order for multicultural coexistence to work it requires goodwill from all parties. It requires tolerance towards other’s religious and moral values to an extent. Religious tolerance is not a value universally admired within the immigrant cultures of showcased Indian families. A Muslim patient of Dalrymple had fallen in love with a young Sikh boy. Once the Muslim girl’s family found out about the relationship its outcome resulted in violence. The Sikh boy was machete and forced into hiding by the Muslim’s girl’s brothers. Although the brothers were tried in court and regarded as delinquents to the rest of society, the members of their community thought the girl’s brothers behaved in an honorable and decent way. They had broken the law in pursuing their blood feud and risking
...Multiculturalism: Essential Primary Sources. Ed. K. Lee Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, and Adrienne Wilmoth Lerner. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 353-355. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 11 Apr. 2014
middle of paper ... ... Given that multiculturalism is a framework that says that anyone can sit at the table so long as they accept certain political and cultural divisions which ultimately work to make impossible your ability to change the basic structure of meaning in society, or which seek to extract any political potential from the things you say, the things you embody and the things you want. You can have holidays, but not your language. You can have a month of the year for your race, but no justice.
Most people are often unaware or misinformed of many situations that affect them in their everyday life. Some of this issues could include the topics that the authors mention – multiculturalism or white privilege. Gates explains that “the debate [on multiculturalism] has been miscast from the beginning [and] it may be worth setting straight” (26). Gates is addressing the opposition to multiculturalism by expressing that the topic that they might have original viewed as negativity, could actually the key to achieving true ethnic diversity. He is stating that if people continue to believe that multiculturalism is just a way to boost the self-esteem of minorities, then it will continue to create a problematic situation where different ethnicities constantly clash because people fear what they do not understand. McIntosh reveals a prime example of this dismissive nature of understanding cultural diversity. She states that she believes that “whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege” (1). Gates is able to shed light on McIntosh’s claim because the miscomprehension of cultural diversity and the idea of white privilege are intrinsically tied. If people are not taught to respect other ethnicities and their traditions then it creates this idea that the cultural that is being taught – in this case white – is the dominant one. McIntosh states that this is an unconscious effort and I would have to agree.
I am not a child of immigrants, but maintaining one’s culture is a universal struggle in a land far from one’s ethnic origins. Lahiri suggests that without cultural connections such as family and friends, one’s culture can simply vanish if they are not in the land of ethnic origin. I have found this to be true within my own
As Indians living in white culture, many problems and conflicts arise. Most Indians tend to suffer microaggressions, racism and most of all, danger to their culture. Their culture gets torn from them, and slowly, as if it was dream, many Indians become absorbed into white society, all the while trying to retain their Indian lifestyle. In Indian Father’s Plea by Robert Lake and Superman and Me by Sherman Alexie, the idea that a dominant culture can pose many threats to a minority culture is shown by Wind-Wolf and Alexie.
A woman that left India because her husband " had to many Indian colleagues" for her liking raised Daphne Manners and she still was offended when she saw her friends abused by prejudices. (Pg 90 Scott, Paul. The Jewel in the Crown. [1996.] Vol. 1 of the Raj Quartet. Rpt. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998.) While on the train Lili experienced a typical reaction from the English passengers they were riding with and Daphne Manners stated ' I get really angry about the kind of thing that happens over here." (Pg 94 Scott, Paul. The Jewel in the Crown. [1996.] Vol. 1 of the Raj Quartet. Rpt. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998.) In 1942, English colonists in India did not feel they needed to treat the native inhabitants with any form of humanity. Daphne Manners on the other hand knew that they deserve to be treated as humans. She said "Honestly Auntie, a lot of the with people in India don't know they're born." (Pg 90 Scott, Paul. The Jewel in the Crown. [1996.] Vol. 1 of the Raj Quartet. Rpt. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998.)
Walking through the halls of public schools in the U.S., Muslims are encircled by the Hollywood-like trials of the dunya from every angle: the way female’s dress, the way opposite genders mingle, and the way rumors run through the school like wildfire. Engrossed in such an environment for at least thirty hours a week, many Muslims drift away from their core values as they start to act upon their natural desires without any sense of restraint. They start to perceive notions such as a serious premarital relationship and a party replete with drinking and dancing as acceptable. Over time, fellow Muslims drag other brothers and sisters into this life of living without any restraints, causing the deterioration of the Muslim youth. At the end of the day, only the strong Muslims, who carry their Islamic faith in their hearts, survive.
In “Canadian Multiculturalism: Global Anxieties and Local Debates” Keith Banting and Will Kymlicka challenge the understanding that failed multiculturalism in Europe will follow suit in Canada. Although Canada is not immune from the challenges that can come with multiculturalism, the way in which they tackle problems are country specific and do not necessarily reflect the practice or outcomes of other nations. As UK critic of multiculturalism Trevor Phillips, observes Canada to be ‘sleepwalking towards segregation’ (44) when the dynamics are far more complicated. TRANSITION SENTENCE REQUIRED
Systems and structures are analyzed in order to make the necessary changes as an endeavor of social engineering and to challenge the “cultural hegemony of the dominant ethnic group” (Turner, 1994, p. 407). Werbner (1997) cautions that there can exist a certain naivety regarding this ideology as “there are many multiculturalisms as there are political arenas for collective action ...Multiculturalism is always a specific negotiated order and no amount of abstract philosophical or legal reasoning can prescribe a single ‘just’ model” (1997, 263). Typically within this process there is a creation of conflict as there will be those who subscribe to the changes and those who are against them. Thus under this ideology, multiculturalism is widely accepted by both sides as being politically leftist and progressive, as well as anti-nationalist by those opposed to a multiculturalist ideal (Nye, 2007). It should also be noted that it is an ideology intrinsic to the natural order of things (Devine, 1994. pp. 16-17) and with a moral imperative (Goldberg, 1994. pp.
Salman Rushdie’s novel Midnight’s Children employs strategies which engage in an exploration of History, Nationalism and Hybridity. This essay will examine three passages from the novel which demonstrate these issues. Furthermore, it will explore why each passage is a good demonstration of these issues, how these issues apply to India in the novel, and how the novel critiques these concepts.
“ The Hindu society maintain this peculiar character over the centuries. The two societies, Hindus and Muslim like two streams have sometimes touched but never merged, each following its separate course.”
Aziz and Fielding are not prejudice against one another’s culture. By keeping an open mind, their friendship develops into a brotherhood. The unlikely friendship reflects the possibility that people from different cultures can bridge the gap of understanding. From the moment when the English arrive, Aziz makes it a personal goal of his to please the English and Fielding is happy to reciprocate his kindness. Fielding, unlike the other Englishmen, does not view the Indians as an inferior race. Aziz expresses an analogy of his friendship with Fielding by stating “[…] Kindness, more kindness, and even that more kindness [….] We can’t build up India except on what we feel. What is the use of all these reforms, and Conciliations Committees for Mohurram, and shall we cut the tazia short or shall we carry it another route, and Councils of Notables and official parties where the English sneer at our skins?” (Forster 107). As Fielding is responding to Aziz’s proposed friendship with kindness, this reflects symbolically how Britain should also approach India with affection. However, due to racism, the English population display hostility towards a culture they know little about. According to Aziz’s belief, personal friendships reflect a true model for international
When most of us, as Americans think of marriage we envision a union of two people who love each other, which is what a marriage should be. However, arranged marriage is still a common practice in cultures around the world. An arranged marriage is one in which marital partners are chosen by elders, religious leaders or, as in Nnaemeka’s case, parents. Theoretically parents know their children best and have the wisdom and means to select the best candidate and their support and encouragement will make the marriage durable and permanent. “Arranged marriages have been around for quite a while. Not only has this form of marriage stood the test of time, even today, in large parts of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, a significant proportion of all marriages are arranged” (Batabyal). Arranged marriages can be religiously, financially, or socially motivated. In some cases a dowry system has been
In this short story the protagonist is a newly married Indian woman who is attending a party with her husband’s western friends. Throughout the short story the reader senses her anxiety of being introduced to people who are not as conservative as her. “She longed for the sanctuary of the walled home from which marriage had promised an adventurous escape. Each restricting rule became a guiding stone marking a safe path through unknown dangers” ("The First Party"). In this quote, the narrator explains how the Indian woman did not feel comfortable or at ease with this new world she had been introduced too. She fiend to be back home but because of her tie that she made to this man through marriage she is in her mind, stuck with him. In addition to her anxiety of being with non-conservative woman, who drank, smoked, dressed provocatively, and had painted nails, the protagonist grew angry in her own head. “She had been so sure of herself in her contempt and her anger, confident of the righteousness of her beliefs, deep-based on generations-old foundations” ("The First Party"). Is this the way that the Indian people reacted to British colonialism? The things that western people found normal, was this disrespectful to the Indian people. The protagonist surely thought it was and was certain that her anger was not misplaced. She felt as her anger was a sign of her strong faith. She came to the realization that her husband was someone who would challenge her beliefs but above all she knew that her beliefs state that her life must be one with his (“The First Party”). This realization must be heartbreaking, to realize that one 's comfort is not found in their life partner. The protagonist was raised to believe that her life must be one with her husband, that she is
Arranged marriage isn’t a cruel, concocted attempt, for traditional families to marry off their children, but instead a practical practice in many diverse parts of the world. In addition, arranged marriage is not forced marriage; it does not infringe upon human rights. Furthermore, arranged marriages are easier and less stressful than courtship, or dating, in western society. The Islamic ideas of arranged marriage does not oppress nor violate basic human rights, but rather proposes a pragmatic approach to marriage to ensure a lucrative life and lasting affection in a relationship.