Identity Formation and Assimilation of Ashima and Gogol in the United States

1293 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Cultural effects on society

Forming a new identity in a foreign country is not an easy task. Immigrants usually face challenges to identify themselves. Identity formation is the development of one’s distinctive personality due to particular reasons such as new environment, new culture and conflicts. During the process, some characters from Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake either create or deny the bond with their own culture; some undergo conflicts among generations. Those processes reflect significantly in Ashima and Gogol throughout the book. The degree of assimilations determines to what extent the characters have formed the new identity in the new culture.
Forming the bond with the traditions plays a vital role in the process of identity formation. In The Namesake, Ashima is the kind of person who creates an atmosphere in which continuity of traditions and values can be preserved as Chowdhury argues in her article, “[Immigrants] create close relationships with other immigrants and form a bond similar to the bond between extended family members [in their home country]” (2). Ashima holds the rice ceremony for her kids, at the same time it acts as a way to reject the idea of assimilating into American culture quickly. On the other hand, Gogol begins rebelling his parents on keeping their home outdated with traditional ceremony and food. “He grows bored of eating the same thing day after day, and one evening he discreetly pushes the remaining food to the side” (The Namesake 55). The two characters have different degrees in forming the bond with their own tradition due to the generation gaps. Similarly, Chowdhury states that the first generations were brought up with a certain set of traditions and norms, which enable them to maintain in the U.S whereas the sec...

... middle of paper ...

...he end of the book while keeping her identity as a Bengali woman. Thus, during the process of forming the new identity in the US, both Gogol and Ashima have integrated their social practices and norms into both American and Bengali communities.

Works Cited

Bhattacharyya, Srilata. "Intergenerational Conflicts In The Indian American Adolescents." International Journal Of Diversity In Organisations, Communities & Nations 9.4 (2009): 171-181. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
Chowdhury, Nahrin. "The Assimilation Of Bengali Immigrants In The United States." Conference Papers -- American Sociological Association(2005): 1-20. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
Dasgupta, Shamita Das. "Gender Roles And Cultural Continuity In The Asian Indian Immigrant Community In The U.S." Sex Roles 38.11/12 (1998): 953-974. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

Show More
Related

  • Of Gogol's Assimilation, Misidentification, And Cultural Restoration

    1316 Words  | 3 Pages

    I am the child of a white man and a Navajo (Diné) woman. Gogol’s parents have tried to force their cultural values upon him since birth, but I would have been lucky if my family had tried to celebrate my A 'wee Chi 'deedloh, my first laugh ceremony. Gogol lives in a world where his family seems to have to do everything possible to scrape together the means to practice their Bengali culture. This suggests that to be the child of first-generation immigrants is to substitute many traditions and ceremonies into more Americanized, less culturally-authentic renditions of themselves, for the only way to be truly authentic is to practice the culture in the land of origin or, in Gogol’s case, India.

    Read More

  • Historical Trauma Case Study

    777 Words  | 2 Pages

    The participants for the study must identify as an American Indian adult living or lived in urbans areas and have a strong positive cultural identity. They were also asked 2 questions regarding their culture identity.

    Read More

  • Thomson Highway's The Rez Sisters

    1309 Words  | 3 Pages

    Identity is 'how you view yourself and your life.'; (p. 12 Knots in a String.) Your identity helps you determine where you think you fit in, in your life. It is 'a rich complexity of images, ideas and associations.';(p. 12 Knots in a String.) It is given that as we go through our lives and encounter different experiences our identity of yourselves and where we belong may change. As this happens we may gain or relinquish new values and from this identity and image our influenced. 'A bad self-image and low self-esteem may form part of identity?but often the cause is not a loss of identity itself so much as a loss of belonging.'; Social psychologists suggest that identity is closely related to our culture. Native people today have been faced with this challenge against their identity as they are increasingly faced with a non-native society. I will prove that the play The Rez Sisters showed this loss of identity and loss of belonging. When a native person leaves the reservation to go and start a new life in a city they are forced to adapt to a lifestyle they are not accustomed to. They do not feel as though they fit in or belong to any particular culture. They are faced with extreme racism and stereotypes from other people in the nonreservational society.

    Read More

  • Second-Generation Immigration: Finding a Balance between Two Cultures

    671 Words  | 2 Pages

    The immigrant’s journey to America, as depicted throughout history, transports culture, language, beliefs and unique lifestyles from one land to the other, but also requires one to undergo an adaptation process. The children of these immigrants, who are usually American-born, experience the complexity of a bicultural life, even without completely connecting to the two worlds to which they belong. Potentially resulting is the internal desire to claim a singular rather than dual identity, for simplicity, pride and a sense of acceptance. Jhumpa Lahiri, an Indian-American author and writer of “My Two Lives” could never classify herself as.

    Read More

  • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

    1132 Words  | 3 Pages

    Adolescents experience a developmental journey as they transition from child to adult, and in doing so are faced with many developmental milestones. Physical, cognitive, social and emotional changes are occurring during this tumultuous stage of life, and making sense of one’s self and identity becomes a priority. Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian addresses the challenges of adolescence in an engaging tale, but deals with minority communities and cultures as well.

    Read More

  • The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

    1230 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...o assimilate into the society by entering school with a more acceptable name, but Gogol refuses. The acceptance of the society has pressured him to change his name in college, and to hide Gogol from the society. Till the day Gogol understands the reason why his father chose to name him Gogol instead of an Indian or American name, Gogol experienced a lot of changes, as a second generation American immigrant. Gogol has been assimilated to different culture than he ethnically is. At the end, through family, Gogol has come back to his roots. Gogol was not given an Indian name from his Indian family or an American name as he was born in America, to emphasize an individual try to assimilate into a different culture, but in the end, he is still bonded to his roots as the person he ethnically is.

    Read More

  • Asian American Gender Roles

    350 Words  | 1 Pages

    The gender roles in traditional Asian communities encouraged male dominance thus the high level of gender inequality in these communities. In many societies, gender is not only a source of identity but also a factor that determines what role an individual is supposed to play in the society. The Asian societies have among the communities that can be used in the illustration of the extent to which the roles of people of different genders can be different. It is understood that the roles that were traditionally meant for different genders were different in various ways. Masculinity is an important component in the social construction of gender relations (Brod, 1987; Kimmel, 1987; Kimmel & Messner, 1995). Asian American men use masculinity as means

    Read More

  • Identity and Belonging in Shanghai Girls and Silver like Dust

    1272 Words  | 3 Pages

    “As we journey through life, identity and belonging must be consistently renegotiated.” Each person’s identity goes through a process of stages in order to be fully developed and be a whole identity. Some people needs more time than others to attain a full, whole identity. There are many factors which play a role in sharpens people’s identity such as the environment that the people love in and the experiences that they went through. Undoubtedly, immigrants, especially those form two different cultures, need more time to achieve a stable and whole identity as they become trapped between two cultures, unable to categorize themselves with a particular one. For instance, it is very hard for Asian Americans, especially the first and second generations, to assimilate and adjust in America as they have different culture, traditions and features. This paper will depict how Obaachan in Silver like dust and Pearl in Shanghai Girls defines their identity and belonging during their lives’ journeys.

    Read More

  • Immigration Identity: Acculturation and Complex Mental Status

    1711 Words  | 4 Pages

    Immigration is a complex process that results in a transformation of identity. Depending on contextual, individual, and societal differences this transformation can have either positive or detrimental results. Initially, the immigrant will be faced with an intense culture shock while settling into a new country. During this time, cognitive functioning becomes increasingly jumbled amidst the new context, resulting in immense identity confusion. This process of acculturation involves two specific issues regarding identity for each individual. These two issues include the delicate balance between remaining ethnically distinct by retaining their cultural identity and the desire to maintain positive relations with the new society. A variety of risk factors can contribute to the success or failure at effectively acculturating. Thus, those that directly experience more risk factors experience an even more delicate and complex transition often resulting in high levels of stress, confusion, social anxiety, and declined mental health.

    Read More

  • sad

    1556 Words  | 4 Pages

    The history of Indian immigration to the United States was surprising because I did not realize how recently the immigration began. Widespread India migration to the United States did not truly begin until 1965. Between 1820 and 1960, less than 15,000 Asian Indians were allowed to legally enter the United States (Das, 135). This changed in 1965 with the Immigration and Nationality Act, which started the increased flow of Indian immigrants (Keely, 162). It is important to note that Indian immigration was restricted by level of skills. Only men and women "with professional skills needed in American society could emigrate from the Indian subcontinent" which drastically changed the makeup of the immigrants (Das, 139). Indian immigrants before the 1960s immigrated primarily to California and Western states. (Li, 168) However, as more immigrants move here, the Indian population has spread out and now has significant populations on the East Coast too. (Li, 168) There is a predominant trend of Indians, as well as other Asians moving to suburbs instead of urban areas. This is especially relevant in California where large communities of Indians have begun to characterize certain suburban cities.

    Read More

  • Analysis of The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

    1424 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...zation leads to Gogol’s discovery of his true identity. Although he has always felt that he had to find a new, more American and ordinary identity, he has come to terms that he will always be the Gogol that is close to his family. While Gogol is coming to this understanding, Ashima has finally broken free from relying on her family, and has become “without borders” (176). No longer the isolated, unsure Bengali she was when arriving in Cambridge, Ashima has been liberated from dependent and powerless to self empowering. The passing of her husband has forced her to go through her life as a more self-reliant person, while at the same time she is able to maintain her daily Indian customs. This break-through is the final point of Ashima’s evolution into personal freedom and independency.

    Read More

  • The Third And Final Continent By Jhumpa Lahiri

    1480 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the Third and Final Continent, Jhumpa Lahiri uses her own experiences of being from an immigrant family to illustrate to her readers how heritage, cultural influences and adaptation play a major role in finding your true identity. The Third and Final Continent is the ninth narration in a collection of stories called the Interpreter of Maladies. In this story, it discusses themes such as marriage, family, society, language and identity. In this story, we focus on an East Asian man of Bengali descent who wants to have a better future for himself so he leaves India and travels to London, England to pursue a higher education. His pursuit for higher education takes place on three different continents. In India, he feels safe in his home country and welcomed, but when he travels abroad he starts to have fear and anxiety. Through his narrations, we learn how he adapts to the European and American and through these experiences he learns to assimilate and to adapt to the new culture he travels to.

    Read More

  • Cultural Assimilation

    1486 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lazear, Edward P. "Mexican Immigration to the United States." Ed. George J. Borjas. Mexican Assimilation in the United States (2007): n. pag. National Bureau of Economic Research. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. .

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Identity In 'The Namesake In The Namesake'

    1001 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gogol is not completely cut off from his roots and identity. He tries to reject his past, but it makes him stranger to himself. He fears to be discovered. With the rejection of Gogol’s name, Lahiri rejects the immigrant identity maintained by his parents. But this outward change fails to give him inner satisfaction.

    Read More

  • Cultural Identity In The Namesake By Jhumpa Lahiri

    1790 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel, The Namesake, the protagonist, Gogol, struggles with his cultural identity. He is an American-born Bengali struggling to define himself. He wants to fit into the typical American-lifestyle, a lifestyle his parents do not understand. This causes him tension through his adolescence and adult life, he has trouble finding a balance between America and Bengali culture. This is exemplified with his romantic relationships. These relationships directly reflect where he is in his life, what he is going through and his relationship with his parents. Each woman indicates a particular moment in time where he is trying to figure out his cultural identity. Ruth represents an initial break away from Bengali culture; Maxine represents

    Read More

More about Identity Formation and Assimilation of Ashima and Gogol in the United States

Open Document