Cultural Assimilation Essay Example for Free

Cultural Assimilation EssayWith globalization and peoples living quality advancing dramatically, every year, Ameri crowd out universities wel fall out tens of thousands of foreign scholarly persons from all all over the world. The terra firma of freedom and justice has opened its doors to those who seek new options and better opportunities and sometimes it asks for certain changes and adjustments fir those who come to issue aboard. When these international students pursues higher education in US, fulfilling their life experience and reckoning something new from American gardening, they too bring with them elements of international experience to an American university. Taking up a considerable instalment of student population in the university, international students face difficulties to assimilate with local students, voiceicularly in m maventary value of linguistic and cultural differences.International student struggles to become oneness with the world around him. S ome ordinary cultural studies experts believed it is best for students from all over the world who come to the United States and lose their cultural indistinguishability and melt into or assimilate into the American culture. Assimilation occurs in many polar ways in our universities, and it is unfortunately, a part of life that we all international students meet to learn to accept, no matter the consequences. concord to various critics, the process of engrossment occurs in two distinct forms Language and Culture. My paper go away submit the distinction between these two types of assimilation, arguing that speech communication assimilation is necessary, but cultural assimilation can be problematic or damaging.I, being an international student feel that most alpha grimace of assimilation that an international student faces is style. In American society, learning to let out English properly is a crucial factor and is a form of assimilation. However, people who establish de cided to come to America to study eat found it rather difficult to assimilate into American society for several reasons. International students are forced into an English speaking classroom and expected to assimilate to the local terminology with very pocket-sized help of the educators. The educators are non be blame, the demand for teachers is extremely high and the teachers we rich person fill the gaps, whether they piece of ground a verbiage with their students or not. Linguistic assimilation is important for international students but they should keep in take care that they should not completely melt in otherwise dustup, which results in eradication of their cultural language.This situation is abruptly portrayed by Salman Rushdie in his essay Commonwealth Literature doesnt exist that discusses the conflicts in India over the English language. Salman Rushdie in his essay Commonwealth Literature doesnt exist discusses the conflicts in India over the English language . Some in India see English as the language of British imperialism and believe that it shouldnt be riding habitd. Others disagree beca put on the language that is proposed to replace English in everyday use is Hindi, which has strong connections to religion, which are not universally accepted. Rushdie states that this ideological divide is mostly between the north and south of India. He sums up his position by saying, it is completely fallacious to suppose that that there is such a thing as a pure, unalloyed tradition from which to draw (pp. 2541). Rushdie believes that language is an essential part of expressing culture.He explains that, though Indian and British literature are written in English but they are distinct from one another and that just because they share a vernacular language doesnt diminish the value of the Indian culture. Rushdie acknowledges the growing importance of global trade and that English is well suited to serve as its intercourse medium. There is essenti al technical and scientific vocabulary that is used regularly in international exchanges that have no analog in local languages, such as Hindi. He believes that India needs to continue to hook up with English, in order to remain competitive in the global community. Rushdies idea of embracing language that is commonalty in the society perfectly exemplifies that international students should embrace a common language which is common in the university in order to stay in competition with home students and communicate their ideas. I have personally experience this situation in my university. So, in order to express thoughts, we (international students) will have to learn a common medium of communication. nevertheless learning a distinct mode of communication should not result into extinction of their cultural language. Rushdie tries to portray that international students should not completely evaporate into the new language and for work about their confess mother expectoration. We should assimilate into new language but should always honor their cultural language more then other Languages, as according to him language is an essential part of expressing culture. Linguistic assimilation as Rushdie shows often comes from coercion and force from outside, but can be necessary for simple survival. This argument is perfectly exemplified by Ngugi Wa Thiongo in his essay Decolonizing the mind (1986) who tells us of when he was a grade school student in Kenya. The British declared marshal law over the country in the middle of the last century and in an attempt to stoppage the rebellion and insurgency, they decreed that English was to the sole language spoken. Suddenly Ngugi had to learn English and couldnt speak the language of his people at school. These experiences shaped Ngugi opinions about the role that language fills.He is of the opinion that language serves two distinct purposes. One is for communication (Pg. 3). He gives the example of how the distinguishabl e cultures in eastern Africa use Swahili to communication with among each other but use their own language when communicating among their own kind. The other role it fills is that of a medium to express ones culture. Different culture tailors different language to convey and walkway down its traditions (Pg. 4). Ngugi argument about Language serves two distinct purposes is true for International students as they use English language as a common medium of communication whereas use their mother tongue as a medium of expressing their culture. What a common language does for one person, it does for all society, this is perfectly illuminated in an article from international journal on Minority and group rights. According to article, impressive participation in politics as well as the foodstuff economy requires the development of common vernacular expressions, the free flow of information, and established codes of communication.All of these exchanges are enhanced when individuals speak the kindred language. The critic of the article, Chih-Yu Shih says that if fixed proportion of population does not speak the common language, the electron orbit of the state and the commercialize will, in turn, shrink. This is both because communication from one language to another can translate into different plasteredings and because different language structures themselves reflect diverse perspectives proportion of the population cannot speak the national language, the reach of the state and the market will, in turn, shrink. This is both because communication from one language to another can translate into different meanings and because different language structures themselves reflect diverse perspectives of modernity. To learn a different language is to learn a different lifestyle., international students will have to learn different languages in order to be in reach of state.International Students studying and competing with the local will need to communicate with them, whi ch is only possible if they have a common mode of language. So, in order to remain in touch with the local students and professor, students will have to learn language, which is common. After going through the essays of Rushdies, Ngugie and Chih-Yu Shih, we could say that language assimilation makes sense but authors bid Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz and Richard Rodriguez says that cultural assimilation is also important. They think that cultural assimilation is very important part of linguistic assimilation as Language express cultural. According to them, ones traditions such as cultural traditions also have an effect on the willingness and on the degree to which one assimilates.Few international students have found that certain tradition like social behaviors which may surprise, offend or offend others eating food which may seem heavy or bland compared have not been accepted in American culture and might horizontal be condemned. A student who has different traditions than Americans may be frowned upon and may be discriminated against because of the difference. I had experienced this situation as I was discriminated in my folklore class by my follow student. After experiencing this, a question came in my mind that why on a practical level its useful to assimilate but on an honorable level, its questionable? Sacrificing ones traditions is a problematic concept even if it means that soul could blend into mainstream culture. International students will have to stick to there own cultures and tradition while assimilate. But this is not the case every time Some students while assimilating forget about his own cultures and traditions and easily jolt into others cultures. Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz states a similar situation in her essay Hispanics in America.She reveals the social position of the Hispanics in American society. She says that instead of letting Hispanics follow their own culture and traditions, they are forced to follow the lifestyles of Americans. As only an American way of life existed, Hispanics had to follow the same path of that of the white folks, but also were rarely competing with the dominating white race. Though the Hispanics are the biggest minority group in American society today, their native language and other cultural aspects were scornfully unheeded according to Isasi-Diaz, which made assimilation a difficult task for Hispanics. Similarly argument is state by Richard Rodriguez who discusses about culture in America. Rodriguez says, I am in favor of assimilation. I am not in favor of assimilation. I recognize assimilation. By making these statements, Rodriguez is saying that he accepts what is happening in regards to culture in America. While he isnt completely for or against what is going on, and he isnt even trying to change it, he is accepting it and working with it. While saying this he doesnt mean that racial and ethnic distinctions do not matter anymore in America, he thinks that differences are fair a part of eve ryday life and they are just so common now that it really isnt such a big deal.In this essay, Rodriguez states, I do think distinctions exist. Throughout the expect of the essay, Rodriguez goes into great detail of how he understands distinctions exist and how it is changing America. So, this is evident from both the essay that international students will have to blend into America culture in order to compete with American folks in the universities. But blending should not mean that completely giving up their original culture. It means that assimilating into different culture with maintaining the same love for original culture. In conclusion, it is wise to note that both forms of assimilation is adopted by international assimilation in some or the other way.Few international students have over years adopted their host cultures language, while maintaining their own traditions, customs and values. This common form of communication can also present more opportunities for cross-cultura l understanding. International students get to learn many things if they can communicate in a common language. In terms of multilingual education bilingual education provides the opportunity for a student to use the language that they have vainglorious up with in school while learning another. This permits the student to retain and embrace their language and by extension the culture associated with it. As an old Czech proverb states, learn a new language and get a new soul.