Sunday, April 6, 2014

Assimilation v. Acculturation

Jonathan Apostol
ASA2 Section A01
Reflection #1

Reaction to Asian Pacific Americans' Social Movements and Interest Groups:

The cultural identity of U.S. native-born Asian Americans must also be considered in the goals of Asian Americans as a whole. Those born here in the U.S. will eventually face a decision that will force them to choose between assimilation and acculturation. Does one simply conform to the values of the average American despite an inherent discrimination that will continue to plague you because of your appearance or does one refuse to become part of the machine that does not completely acknowledge you as equal? In this situation Asian Americans must strive together for equality, never forgetting your family’s history and how they came to the U.S. in the first place. Denying the Asian part of your identity will not make you equal; it will make you blind to the struggles of others like you. Personally, despite not being particularly cultural, I do not want to lose my Filipino identity because it is an important part of how one evaluates themselves and how others will perceive you. 

Question: To what extent are Asian American interests marginalized by American society (the government, federal or local, businesses, people,etc)?

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