Immigration Beyond Assimilation: The Immigrant Tapestry In America

1117 Words3 Pages

Sophie de Lavanderya March 15, 2024 In-Class Essay: Immigration Beyond Assimilation: The Immigrant Tapestry in America Amidst the narratives of race, ethnicity, and language that define the American socio-culture, the experiences of immigrant groups occupy a compelling space. As the designated destination for the American Dream, the United States remains a melting pot for immigrants' hope, struggles, and transformation. This exchange is profoundly captured in literary works such as “The Meaning of Citizenship” by Woodrow Wilson and “Black Eyed Women,” as well as “On Being a Refugee,” both by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The complex interplay of race, ethnicity, and language fundamentally shapes the reception of immigrant groups in the United States, with various historical periods reflecting differing societal …show more content…

This perspective, however, is one given to American citizens. Nonetheless, it is a different understanding as they are not immigrants and grew up in the United States. Their life in the U.S. influences their cultural identity differently. Many Americans are connected to their ethnicity but still feel their American pride, meaning the culture of their ethnicity can manifest itself differently from that of an immigrant. These immigrants’ “country has imploded, taking with it all the things that protect our humanity" (Nguyen, “On Being A Refugee” 211). There is a loss of protection and humanity during migration because one’s reason for leaving their home country is often forgotten. American society focuses on immigrants arriving in America, not on why they depart their country of origin and how the American government might be responsible for that. However, Woodrow Wilson believed that when immigrants come into the country, they should come in with hope and principles of accepting the United States as their new

Open Document