American Dream Assimilation

James Truslow Adams coined the term the “American Dream”. To him it was a “dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” The dream should be attainable by everyone, regardless of race or social class; however, it can be seen in several circumstances that race affects one’s education. The American dream was not a viable option for everyone in the early years of the United States. Slavery was not abolished until 1865, almost a century after the independence of the U.S., and white supremacy was a widespread belief. During the mid-1800s, only ten percent of blacks were enrolled in elementary school, and less were enrolled in college (NCES). Both

Assimilation is when a minority group must merge to become a part of the majority; however, acculturation is when cultures join together to form one but still maintain markers of the original cultures. American success is viewed by expatriates as an achievement of white people; these expatriates feel alienated by society and left out of progress. To explain why he assimilated, Eric Liu writes, “I came to identify not with white people in general but with that subset of people, most of them white, who were educated, affluent: going places” (3). Eric Liu, along with many Americans, chose to achieve success in his academic endeavors through assimilation because he felt as if he could not achieve it otherwise. Obama reaffirms this idea by declaring, “But for all those who scratched and clawed their way to get a piece of the American Dream, there were many who didn’t make it –those who were ultimately defeated… by discrimination” (4). I agree with these two men that it is difficult to attain academic success if one is of a minority race. However, Bharati Mukherjee chose to integrate into American society not for success but happiness. Mukherjee depicts her assimilation when she reveals, “America spoke to me -I married it” (274).It is rare when someone is okay with losing part of his or her native culture and Mukherjee manages to see assimilation in a more positive light. Liu would disagree with Mukherjee on the effects of assimilation. Liu argues, “There is…a strong whiff of betrayal: the assimilist is a traitor to his kind, to his class, to his own family. He cannot gain the world without losing his soul” (2). It is truly sad that one must chose to become successful in his or her endeavors or he or she must chose not to lose a part of themselves. Eric Liu writes, “I came to identify not with white people in general but with that subset of people, most of them