For example I’m an immigrant and I don’t know or care to know anyone from my birth country in the U.S. I don’t particularly feel that there is a distinct cuisine or tradition I would want to pass on to my children, although I have a good relationship with my family that still lives there. Most of my social circle is native to the U.S. And I know several immigrants similar to myself.
On the other hand you’ve surely also seen the pattern of immigrants moving to specific neighborhoods, starting their own social clubs or businesses, trying to promote the use of their language, identifying strongly with a hyphen as “X-American,” and so on. And this can last for several generations before dying out.
My question is what makes people choose one or the other? Integration seems like the more obvious and convenient thing but maybe I’m missing something.
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Some people act with indifference, some people act with pride, some people act with shame.
Because some assimilate and others forget why they left and proceed to try and recreate that in the new place
I’m pretty similar. I’ve got a lot of unresolved trauma related to my birth country, so I find myself avoiding it without even realizing. It’s also tied to the whole “third culture kid” thing— I try not to attach myself to ANY label (identity crisis lol) if that makes sense.
I’ve always struggled with my ‘identity’ (common amongst third culture kids), so I usually distance myself from any type of ‘culture’ or cultural traditions & expectations that are highly prevalent in the countries most people emigrate from.
I wonder if age at the time of immigration has something to do with it? Or if there are religious beliefs that tie into their culture and lead them to seek out like-minded people?
As an American Citizen, married to a Naturalized Citizen, I appreciate those who move to the US and share parts of their culture. I think that is what makes this country the “melting pot” that it is.
Skin color. The more you physically resemble the dominant tribe, the easier it is for you and your progeny to assimilate.
It’s personal preference and the culture they grew up in. I wouldn’t say one is better than the other, so long as they’re not forcing a way of life on anyone.
…the fuck is a “regular american”, exactly? The US has been a random hodpodge of every different culture in the world since its induction with no rhyme nor reason to its cultural identity, to the point where a “regular” person from the midwest is completely foreign to a “regular” person from the east coast, and both the midwest ‘culture’ and east coast culture’ are themselves born from bits of background taken from thousands of other cultures. Theres no such thing as a “regular” american
Far as why people try to stick to their own backgrounds, ever consider that part of the reason is fear of people looking down on them for not being “regular” americans? I grew up eating biscuits and gravy for breakfast, if i moved to a region where people only ate oatmeal and threatened violence on me when they saw my breakfast, id be pretty fucking inclined to open up a cafe that served biscuits and gravy just to give myself a space where i can eat what im used to
I think it comes down to why/how someone left their birth country and what kind of support there is in the state they wind up in. It’s also significantly influenced by how accepting their local community is of immigrant populations. You can’t really “integrate” if the town you’re in won’t allow it.
Are you white by chance or at least white passing. Looking very close to white?
It’s easy to assimilate when you can can just blend in with the crowd. Not so much when you’re constantly facing micro and macro aggressions
lol what does become ethnic even mean? I have to say that many of the immigrants that i know who have your type of attitude are people who have immigrated here later in life and are almost ashamed to identify with their own culture. One specific friend came here much older and she seemed to seek out only whites friends and boyfriends, why? when you asked her she said you had to “improve the race” .people that come here later in life often have this almost racist mentality that they want to seek out Americans and not even interact with people form their own country. Another example ive had in my personal life, someone in college with a heavy heavy accent speaking to me in english and refusing to speak spanish from the same country as me because they didn’t want to associate with being hispanic. A cousin of my husband immigrated from the country side when she was freaking 22, she came here married a white guy and she refuses to acknowledge she’s hispanic and has bleached her hair to assimilate. The people that i know that are either born here or come here young like myself we don’t have these problems we’re proud of our heritage, but we can also assimilate into american culture. I don’t have shame in meeting people from my culture, because i’m proud of it, the fact that you feel this way makes me think your one of those people that i’ve mentioned.
Interesting question. Ive noticed progressively over the years groups that groups of immigrants coming in seem more “americanized” if that makes sense, primarily appearing much more casual in dress that i remember years ago.. like women from cultures id previously observed to be very conservative in dress – wearing yoga pants, tshirts, etc. Both sexes spending more money on flashy items and junk, cars etc.. not that im saying particularly there is anything wrong with it – i just have many memories of young people in these cultures while making really good money – theyd be very frugal and minimalist, as if they were saving all of it. I still see that at times of course but it also seems it is changing.
maybe its more how the world is going vs being more “americanized” i have thought about it thought about it though
Imagine a money spent in an “ethnic” restaurant. Some of it will then be spent on supplies outside the community, but some will be spent in the community, ( waiters and cooks), who in turn spend some of their wages in the community (rent), and some outside the community ( electric bill). The point is this, money circulating in the community can be tide that raises all boats. So there is an economic advantage to cultural cohesion.
Im brown skin, I have family who were also semi brown but married into white families and now my cousins are white and don’t speak Spanish. I consider myself ethnic, I consider my cousins white