The Effects of Cultural Assimilation Conformity vs....

The Effects of Cultural Assimilation: Conformity vs. Unorthodoxdy â€Å"Cultural assimilation is a complex and multifaceted process that first involves immigrants learning the language, cultural norms, and role expectations of the absorbing society, and further changes in attitudes†, or so it is explained by Dejun Su, Chad Richardson, and Guang-zhen Wang, in their article, â€Å"Assessing Cultural Assimilation of Mexican Americans: How Rapidly Do Their Gender-Role Attitudes Converge to the U.S. Mainstream?† (764). Throughout history and also present day society, cultural assimilation is easy to be identified, thanks to the â€Å"melting pot† quality of North America. Also, cultural assimilation is questioned about the effects it has on various groups†¦show more content†¦so that no one would know he is Mexican. So that he would have a better chance to be successful in school than his brothers† (402). Based on experience, she thought that by changi ng the boys name from Idelbrando to the American name Tommy, she could save him from the â€Å"cultural stereotypes that might hinder his schooling experience† (Souto-Manning, 402). However, she also left him vulnerable to the effects of cultural assimilation that are the loss of ones identity, and the loss of ones heritage and unique background. Idelbrando is not the only Mexican immigrant who has been effected in this way. In fact, it is common for many Mexican immigrants to change their name, but it doesnt stop there. If the belief that cultural assimilation makes it easier for Mexican immigrants to become successful, then the immigrants would need to change much more than their names; going as far as to cast their own culture to the side and fully assimilate to the American culture. Another example of complete cultural assimilation and its consequences, would be in Joy Kogawas Novel Obasan. In this novel, the main character, Naomi, and her Japanese family are faced with the discrimination and cruel treatment of Japanese-Canadians that was practiced in Canada at the time of World Was II. Still, throughout all the hardship and pressures of conformity she was faced to go through, Naomi