Assimilation: Immigration to the United States and Immigrants Essay

Submitted By jaymen19
Words: 1108
Pages: 5
Open Document
Assimilation: The Reason Why Immigrants Have Been Advancing In the Past Years Have you noticed how assimilation is becoming a part of our society? All you have to do is walk down the street and you will see how immigrants are assimilating into our society. First of all, what does it mean to assimilate? Well, according the Merriam-Webster to assimilate to take in and utilize as nourishment: absorb into the system. When immigrants come to the United States, most of them come here in search of their own “American Dream.” However, it takes a long time of assimilation for an immigrant to reach their American Dream. Assimilation is one of many topics that can be seen in “A Raisin in the Sun.” Beneatha and George Murchisonis are both assimilationists, people who advocate a policy of assimilating differing racial or cultural groups. Assimilation has been a powerful tool for many immigrants on their long journey to their American Dream. Nonetheless, most of the people who oppose immigration are conservatives, who strongly believe that assimilation is not taking place right now and that instead most immigrants are only destroying our society. However, immigrants who have been living in the United States for a long time have been able to succeed at the “American Dream” through assimilation. According to the Center for American Progress, “Our nation’s latest immigrants are following in the footsteps of our ancestors, spreading out across the country to assimilate in communities large and small. There are now 14 states that have foreign-born populations greater than the national average share of 12.5 percent.” (Myers and Pitkin, 2010) The kinds of immigrants that are currently coming to the United States today are very similar to the first groups of immigrants that came to America, because they are expanding everywhere. This is clearly a sign of their advancement, because they are searching for resources in order to succeed in whatever aspect of live they want to improve. The Youngers families in “A Raisin in the Sun” are similar to immigrants, because their major goal was to buy a new house that was better than their old poor apartment, because they wanted to improve their social status. Fortunately, there were able to buy a house, and more importantly, in a white neighborhood. Also, buying the house was a reward for Mama for all the hard work and effort she put in in order to reach her dream. According to a San Antonio article, named “Report says assimilation working well”, “The rate of homeownership was one of the most telling indicators of assimilation, because it’s an entry into the middle class.” A great number of immigrants are becoming homeowners, which gives them some sense of accomplishment in their lives and it proves that they are working hard to flourish their dreams, just like Mama did. (Martin, 2010) “The energy that immigrants bring elevates the entire housing market. It’s a story of commitment to America.”(Martin, 2010) As a result, immigrants who have been living in the United States for a long period of time have been reaching their “American Dream” through assimilation. It is not a surprise that the rate of assimilation in education and occupation have increased among immigrant children. The studies done by Center for American Progress say that, “The college graduation rate among immigrants is also on the rise since 2000, demonstrating that immigrant children are able to pursue opportunities for educational advancement.”(Myers and Pitkin, 2010) Beneatha from “A Raisin in the Sun” was the only member of the family that got the chance to go to college and get a better education. Beneatha’s dream was to become a doctor so she could help people. However, during the 1940’s it was very rare to see a black women doctor. Clearly, Beneatha was going to have some obstacles along the way, but she was determined to go to college and make a difference in her life. “The study found children of Hispanic immigrants were more
Show More

Related Documents: Assimilation: Immigration to the United States and Immigrants Essay

Immigration to the United States Essay

considerable debate on the assimilation of immigrant children (Xie and Greenman 2005). Given the fact that children growing up in contemporary immigrant families will represent a crucial component of American society in the future (Zhou, 1997), the smooth assimilation of these children will benefit U.S. society as well as lower social costs. Children in immigrant families are defined as children under age 18 who were either themselves born in countries other than the United States or have at least one…

Words 617 - Pages 3

Patrick Buchanan Immigration Analysis

Illegal immigration is one of the most controversial topics. Numerous people believe Third World immigration is a threat to America’s way of life. Others argue immigrants are beneficial to the United States. Two people who display strong opposite opinions about this issue are Patrick Buchanan and Ben Wattenberg. Patrick Buchanan believes illegal immigration causes harm to our country. In contrast, Ben Wattenberg thinks illegal immigration helps shape America. Patrick Buchanan starts by stating Mexicans…

Words 980 - Pages 4

Second Generation African Americans

Lived experiences of second-generation Hispanic/Latino Americans in the United States and cultural identity and identity formation. Understanding the experiences of second-generation youth and their identities in the United States is crucial, given the diverse cultural backgrounds of children born to immigrant parents. This research topic gains significance due to the substantial population of Hispanics/Latinos in the United States. Second-generation Americans navigate the complexities of balancing…

Words 2594 - Pages 11

United States and American Dream Essay

Thesis Throughout the history of California, hardworking Jaliscience immigrants have decided to leave their homes in search of the American Dream in California; coming into the state legally or illegally. An American Dream that has only been achieved to some extent, and may never be a complete achievement due to differences in ethnicity, culture, and years of passing anti-immigration laws. Although these are reasons that the immigrants have no control over, they do have their flaws; lack of creating…

Words 2335 - Pages 10

Immigration Assimilation

the Civil Rights Act of 1964, discrimination based on race was outlawed. In 1965, the Immigration Act resulted in the influx of immigrants which brought about the New Wave immigration. The new immigrants were composed of professionals, workers who accepted small unskilled jobs, and refugees torn apart by the war, translocation, and trauma at the end of Vietnam War. Erika Lee states, "Once here, Asian immigrants have ‘become American’ by becoming U.S. citizens when they could and by participating…

Words 853 - Pages 4

Immigration In The 19th Century

terrorists, depicting Mexican immigrants as a threat to national security. This fear of the foreigner has repeated itself throughout history, ensuing an irregular distribution of wealth and power, preventing certain racial groups from reaching upward mobility. The dominant upper white class upholds this fear of inviting the enemy into their home. Today we face great concerns regarding the discrimination and injustice toward immigrants. Although many believe that immigrants are to meant to meet the threshold…

Words 1328 - Pages 6

Governing Immigration Through Crime Summary

wonder what message does the death of Marcelo Lucero send to legal and illegal immigrants in the United States. First and foremost, the killing of an innocent man because he was not seen as the other town members and labeled a “beaner,” conveys the message of exclusion. Even though the U.S. prides themselves on past immigrant traditions, and advocacy programs have been established to establish more acceptable immigrant rights ¬even for those who are undocumented; this country still portrays a message…

Words 641 - Pages 3

Dbq New Immigration Research Paper

The experiences of new immigrants at the end of the 1800s and beginning of the 1900s differed significantly from previous waves of Irish and German immigrants earlier in the century due to shifting economic conditions, societal perceptions, and opportunities in America. The influx of Irish and German immigrants in the early to mid-1800s occurred during a period of industrialization and economic expansion in the United States. These immigrants often faced discrimination but also found opportunities…

Words 432 - Pages 2

George Fletcher's The Case For Linguistic Self Defense Essay

Samuel P. Huntington, a passed professor at Harvard, exemplified this view much earlier than Trump with his article, “The Hispanic Challenge,” in 2004. His claims to maintain the “Anglo-Protestant culture” of the United States…

Words 1231 - Pages 5

First Generation Immigrant Children

INTRODUCTION The decision to migrate from South Asia to the United States complicates narratives around culture, identity, and gender, for first generation South Asian parents and their second generation South Asian American children. First generation South Asian parents may grapple directly with the dissonance between their past and present lives, while second generation children may encounter these struggles indirectly, through the cultural and emotional legacies left by their parents. Interestingly…

Words 2876 - Pages 12