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Axel Perales

Ms. Gardner

English 10H/4

9 May 2017

Through Assimilation We Grow

I remember watching on YouTube a skit by one of my favorite comedians, Rowan Atkinson,

called Conservative Conference from the early 1980s BBC comedy sketch show Not the Nine OClock

News. While it made me laugh to the point where tears came out of my eyes, it simultaneously conveyed

how immigration, particularly assimilation and acculturation, has always been a conflicting issue. While

some people believe that it diversifies our community and bolsters economic growth, others say that it

opens the doors to terrorists and creates a population surplus. Atkinson acts as a prominent figure of the

conservative party in England, where he says about incoming Indians and Pakistanis, Now, I like curry,

but now that weve got the recipe, is there really any need for them to stay? (Posner). Even if that skit

was done about 37 years ago, those twenty words perfectly fit the description of how some people

perceive immigration today; however, it shouldnt have to be this way. Acculturation and assimilation

both pertain to embracing cultures, ideas, and religions that are outside of those normally seen in the

country. This idea is a grand opportunity for allowing the U.S. to live up to their title (The Land of the

Free); for gaining a further establishment of solidarity; and for taking a step closer towards global peace.

Currently, House Bill 2120 is being proposed in Arizona, which would ban...college level classes,

events, and activities that promote division, resentment or social justice toward a race, gender, religion,

political affiliation, social class or other class, inevitably preventing the teachings of different cultures

in schools (Mendoza). Additionally, Texas governor Greg Abbott signed a bill live on Facebook on May

7, 2017, which bans sanctuary cities and fines government entities up to $25,500 for each day the law is

violated, and would become authorized on September 1 in the same year (Johnston). These bills are just
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one of many anti-acclimatization bills being planned, and even published, in certain states. While

nationalism helps to preserve our countrys history and core identity, without the compliance of the

people and the government for assimilation to fuze past and present traditions, true unity between all

cultures is not achievable.

Initially, opposing people would argue that assimilation destroys the nations past and originality.

Giles Fraser, a writer from The Guardian, believes:

Assimilation into the broader culture would mean the gradual dilution, and the eventual

extinction, of its own way of life. It is no surprise to me that the ultra orthodox are thriving, with

high birth rates and predictions that they will be constitute a majority of the Jewish population

within 20 years. They have refused assimilation (Fraser).

Vancouver Suns Ry Moran agrees with Frasers claim that it puts past traditions at risk of elimination.

She states, The Truth and Reconciliation Commission called for the recognition that aboriginal rights

include language rights and that there is a great urgency to preserve these [indigenous] languages

(Moran). In summarization, opposers to integration state that it causes a nation to lose its distinctiveness

and origins. While that is true, assimilation can be molded in a way that, while introducing new traditions,

also protects their uniqueness and earlier ways.

Fairly, the idea can dismantle a countrys individuality and diminish its history with all the new

cultures coming in. Thats why such action cannot forced upon the people; it is crucial that they are eager

to welcome other cultures. Christine Sleeter, a professor emerita at the College of Professional Studies at

California State University, Monterey Bay, explains how providing lessons about racism and keeping the

subject intriguing is critical for students to understand different perspectives. She conveys that from these

classes, students will, or at least start to, understand the different views of the world, particularly if the

class is run by someone whose goal is to bridge divides, not antagonize students (Mendoza). Moreover,

Ed Feulner, former president of conservative think-tank The Heritage Foundation, expresses, Today's
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immigrants are encouraged to think, act and identify as a separate group, not to identify proudly as

Americans. Can we be surprised that some of them would become easy prey for terrorist recruiters?

(Feulner). This information indicates how without the people, newcomers wont be able to fully adjust or

to feel recieved in a different country. As a result, in order for there to be conformity, the people must be

amenable to embracing outsiders.

It is also dependent on whether the government is willing to embrace diversity. Angela Merkel,

current Chancellor of Germany, outlined a plan seeking to better integrate migrants, virtually assuring

that Germany will move ahead with efforts designed to stop the creation of ethnic ghettos and compel

refugees to learn German and European values (Faiola). Additionally, in an interview with Joshua

Fatzick, a writer of the Voice of America News, Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, England, declared that

they should help to formulate the right conditions for new migrants to fully integrate into their new

neighborhoods, explaining that people shouldn't have to drop their cultures and traditions when they

arrive in our cities and countries (Fatzick). Lastly, in response to House Bill 2120, Mark Finchem, the

republican Representative of Oro Valley, Arizona, says that it divides people into specific groups in

which to cater a particular message to each one of them, in the end solely [advocating] hate

(Mendoza). Based on this research, without the aid of those in power, integration will be more difficult to

carry outeven if the people are agreeable to it. They are important in setting up the right conditions for

this subject to fully thrive. Henceforth, it is crucial that the higher powers are willing to comply in order

for absolute unity of peoples, ideas, and cultures.

Lastly, in order for assimilation and acculturation to properly ensue, both traditions of the past

and present must be embodied. Its important to bring in different cultures into our nation so that it

continues to grow, as its been a melting pot of different ethnicities. In Khans interview, he states that the

sole method for avoiding ridiculous objections to other cultures like France's recent move to ban the

burkini and Britain's decision to break away from the European Union is through social integration
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(Fatzick). Furthermore, theres a current discussion to whether ethnic study programs should be continued

in Arizonas education. Felina Rodriguez, a Mexican-American college student at Arizona State

University who attends classes pertaining to this subject, believes, We need courses like these. They help

me be more able to understand how I came to be in the US from a long historical perspective. They

helped me realize that it's OK to be a combination of two cultures (Mendoza). Simultaneously, there

needs to be an appeal to the original, preceding ideas and values of the country, for they are critical in our

comprehension of its past. Moran depicts the significance of protecting the ways of the Native Americans,

expressing, We, as a society, need to realize that indigenous languages are national treasureskeys to

understanding the land and cultures that have existed here for thousands upon thousands of years They

do not exist anywhere else in the world (Moran). This evidence conveys how important it is to preserve

our history, while simultaneously addressing that introducing new customs and peoples into the country

helps us grow as a whole. Thus, for the sake of solidarity, both preexisting and arriving beliefs must be

adopted and protected, especially as it is included in the very first amendment of the Constitution of the

United States of America.

Unification will not be feasible without the conformity between the citizens and the powers of the

nation to safeguard both former and current traditions. Acculturation would help make our country more

unique in its diversity and solidarity, especially as we are currently a divided nation. I remember this

commercial on Viceland where this guy called them and told them that for one day we should unify

everyone by giving them all pizza rolls (or something along those lines). Well, maybe we all truly need

some pizza rolls, as were currently in a dark, conflicting time. Whenever you turn on the news, all you

see is simply fighting, fighting, fighting. This country is plagued with fiery feuds and bloody brawls just

because of ones beliefs or color. Therefore, we should strive to look past the stereotypes and

generalizations, as everyone has a different story about their life. Understand where theyve come from,

what theyve seen, who they are instead of simply making accusations about them based on their
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appearance, ethnicity, or religion. We do that, and that seemingly distant dream of world peace will

become relatively closer.

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Works Cited

Faiola, Anthony, and Stephanie Kirchner. German Government Leaders Back Plan to Push Migrants

to Integrate. The Washington Post, WP Company, 25 May 2016,

www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/germany-nears-new-plans-on-migrant-integration-more-

help-but-tougher-rules/2016/05/25/2be5d702-21b6-11e6-b944-52f7b1793dae_story.html?utm_ter

m=.560170c0b396.

Fatzick, Joshua. "On Trip to US, London Mayor Says Immigrants Shouldn't.." Voice of

America News, 2016, SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.

Feulner, Ed. "(Dis)United we Stumble." SIRS Issues Researcher, 15 Mar, 2017, https:/

sks.sirs.com.

Fraser, Giles. Assimilation Threatens the Existence of Other Cultures. The Guardian, Guardian

News and Media, 8 Dec. 2016,

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2016/dec/08/assimilation-threatens-the-existe

nce-of-other-cultures

Johnston, Chuck, and Darran Simon. Texas Governor Signs Bill Banning Sanctuary Cities. CNN,

Cable News Network, 7 May 2017,

www.cnn.com/2017/05/07/us/texas-bans-sanctuary-cities/index.html.

Mendoza, Jessica. "Arizona Ethnic Studies Bill and what it Means to be American." Christian

Science Monitor, 17 Jan, 2017, pp. n/a, SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.

Moran, Ry. "Indigenous Languages are a Fading Treasure." Vancouver Sun, 19 Aug, 2016, pp.

A.14, SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.

Posner, Geoff, director. Rowan Atkinson - Conservative Conference. BBC2, 1980,

youtu.be/sg-4ATrE8n0?t=15s.