Tanya | Week 5 | Many Ways to Be American
Many Ways to Be American
Some people like to describe the United States as a “melting pot” of sorts. In this analogy, those who immigrate to the country shed their old identities and practices in order to adopt a more common, unified American culture. This view has faced a lot of criticism, as it completely disregards the existence of minority groups and other ethnic or cultural groups in general, and when I was celebrating Diwali with some of my extended family on Sunday evening, I could easily see why. For one thing, the fact that our family, along with so many others, was sitting there celebrating an Indian holiday that certainly did not originate in America is a clear example of how immigrants’ cultural traditions continue to thrive in America.
That being said, assimilation does occur to some extent. For some reason, my family’s Diwali conversations on Sunday turned nostalgic as my mom and aunt began to reminisce about their first years in the United States and experiencing a bit of a culture shock. Laughing, they described how they were so confused that random people on the street would smile at them when passing—“it’s so unnatural, what do they want from me?” But over time, they learnt that smiling at strangers was just a common practice in America, and now they emulate without ever thinking about it.
Listening to my family talk made me realize that their story is not in isolation—it is one that many immigrants share, as many people who migrate to a foreign country initially struggle with fitting in while still retaining their own practices. However, the most beautiful part of it all is that even those who choose to assimilate will always retain those traces of their roots.
My family still celebrates Diwali every year without fail, along with numerous other traditions and festivals, all while navigating a life that is fully lived in America. They, like many other families, have learned how to effectively balance the old and the new, creating something that feels so uniquely American.
Hi Tanya! I’ve always loved being able to celebrate cultural holidays along with American holidays. Twice the fun! And all the special foods I get to eat once a year are always something to savor. It’s all the more reason to eat various desserts, to celebrate and gather with friends and family, as well as to push me through stressful times. The light at the end of my tunnel, at least for now, has to be Christmas and Lunar New Year.
ReplyDeleteI do especially love the fact that you chose an example of smiling for assimilation. Most of the time assimilation is painted as some sort of “loss” of individuality or culture to fit in. But going from blank stares to smiling at strangers—how can that be a loss? America’s “hospitality culture” is much different from that of other countries, where people are able to openly interact with strangers without being perceived as “doing too much”. Spread the joy and culture around, there’s enough for everyone! With minority communities in certain parts of the United States, there’s been sort of a partial “Americanization” due to well, direct interaction with American culture, but being able to retain traditions from previous cultures because there’s just so many people here that can share similar experiences and cultures. All these positives are what make America’s diversity so special, something I’m always grateful for.
In my opinion, what makes America unique is that it doesn’t have a unified culture in the traditional sense; I do think that the descriptor “melting pot” is apt in that sense. Cultures syncretise with others yet remain sharply distinct from others, yet they also fuse together in a sometimes bizarre combination. For example, it’s recently been brought to my attention that there exists an Italian-Japanese restaurant called “La Casa Mia” in Milipitas. I never would have expected that, but in the Bay Area, it’s not exactly a novel concept. I’ve also encountered countless Korean-Chinese fusion cafes, as well as a Yemeni coffee shop called “Moka & Co.” The United States is home to a vast number of immigrants from all around the globe, and yet are all called “American.”
ReplyDeleteI’ve always been intrigued by the “melting pot” analogy of the United States. Generally, I interpret it as somewhat chemistry-related: in a pot with completely liquid components, the liquids will assimilate into one homogeneous mixture when stirred and separate into layers based on different characteristics when not. But America is not necessarily on one side of this binary—if anything, we’re in a constant state of being “half-stirred,” with some assimilation and some distinct cultural differences. Like you stated, those that do assimilate still retain some of their original culture, and that’s the beauty of America as a nation of immigrants.
ReplyDeletePerhaps in place of the melting pot analogy, I would like to propose a different analogy: a team of chefs from all different backgrounds hired to cook for a banquet. Sure, the techniques, skills, and patterns of each chef will get passed around and incorporated into the skillset of many other individuals over time, but all the chefs will retain some part of their original experience, no matter where they grew up or how they lived. In the end, the banquet is magnificent not because all the chefs are the same but because all the chefs are different.