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The Danger of Assimilation

 Reflecting on childhood experiences, it's easy to understand why students assimilate. In elementary school I was fearful of bringing my own cultural foods to school because I'd see my classmates laugh when other people did it. They'd cringe at the smell, or call it nasty, all just for seeing foods that were unfamiliar to them. So, hiding that part of yourself seemed like the best way to not get picked on growing up. Even today, students are still feeling pressured to assimilate for safety reasons, or even to avoid getting bullied by their peers. But what is assimilation anyway? Assimilation is when a minority integrates socially, culturally, and/or politically into a larger, dominant culture and society. I think students shouldn't give up their cultural identity when in a new environment. Because although it might feel like the best thing to do, it's dangerous straying from your culture. Though it's pressuring to fit in, you become more and more distanced from your roots and what makes you who you are. Culture is something that should be celebrated and embraced, not hidden. 

The history of assimilation definitely affects how I view this topic. You can especially see the negative effects of assimilation with Native Americans. Native Americans were forced to attend boarding schools and give up their language and heritage. All just to be "True Americans". That's what assimilation is based on in the U.S, being a true American, and it's time we let that ideology go. True Americans don't exist, so trying to confine yourself to become one is so harmful. I really wish someone told me years ago as a young black girl that her culture is beautiful. Her hair is beautiful, her complexion is beautiful, her food is beautiful. All those things are what makes you different. They're what makes you, you. So, stop trying to give that up.


                                                                   "Masking My Identity"


                                                                  

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