| Aliciaa |
Posted
on 29-May-03 06:51 AM
It makes sense that people are losing their family histories, tradition and values on the blender. Many people come from places where there is extreme poverty, illiteracy, civil unrest and many other problems. Some have been dealing with horrible memory whereas some are making fun out of it. Mostly who were born and raised here hardly bother to ask their parents about their decisions to immigrate. It just seems so easy to say, My parents, relatives dont want to talk much abt it. What will be your answer when somebody asks you about your culture??? Will it be I am Nepali, Chinese, polish, French but one set of my grandparents were from somewhere else that I dont know of or it will be I shouldnt be worrying abt all those things, I am living my life in heaven. ????
Peoples ethnic awareness coupled with the sense of losing their moral values, culture, tradition, and ethnic identity seem to create a subtle exhaustion even in the relatively favorable atmosphere. Roughly half of second-generation ethnicities seem to assimilate so clearly that they never learned language of their own other than English. Among the crowd it can be clearly heard one saying I am forgetting Arabic, Chinese, Japanese or whatever. Other says Its a part of being an American and conversations goes on and on. Groups including Pakistanis, Chinese , Nepalese, british, Arabic. Cheerleaders, football players, bball players, slackers, nerds, jerks, pimps, gays, lesbian , straight have their own distinct geography that all can map out in spite of them not knowing where they came from and what they are? Black Americans do not sit with blacks that have recently arrived from different country because of embarrassment that he or she is not his or her kind.
Despite different boundaries, most tables appear just plain mixed. At what looks like typical table with a question ethnic background, The results half greek, Greek, Saudi Arabian, Half middle eastern, Indian, Bolivian African American , white( American) , Mixed nepali, confused, mixed black with???? Lunch in cafeteria seems dominated by interaction between two groups that transcend ethnic differences boys and gals. Hand holding, hugging and occasional kissing have been very much in evidence throught the place. Even some of the Muslim gals who wear clothes that cover their entire bodies, have magazine pictures of muscular black man wearing only bikini briefs taped up inside their lockers. What will be their answers when we ask this muslim gals abt their cultures?? A sikhs student says he finally talked with his father into letting him cut his hair and take his turban out. Some muslim gals argue with their parents abt what kinds of dresses they can wear. Other complains abt her mom morcing to marry an anisan man and other gal insists that people must marry for love. A third gal reports that her mother says that people marry people not cultures. Conversation among boys quickly turns into cars. One says A car means freedom other says you can go anywhere, your car is your life. Interrupting conversation other says I know this gals father out in Virginia I want to visit, along with a car we could go to the shore , LA or to NY. Doesnt everyone want to get away??? Group of African American, Afghan Palestinian talking abt rap music doesnt seem to be bothered when people stare at them. Does this group of people know abt their immigration issues , their past??? The unexpected answer is may be possibly, dont know anything, dont want to know , know little or whatever.
Among the crowd one says I dont want to be white some says. I dont consider myself half Indian and half nepali cause I am very fair. When you go to apply for jobs one says you have to act white, eat like white, dress like white talk like white Other says I am fair and dont have accent and conversations never seems to stop.
Running beneath the sameness in fashion and attitudes is current of ethnic soul- a diversity that many cling to even as they conform. It seems clear that the longer immigrant families have been in the US- and the longer they have spoken English-the more likely their children forget their own language. They are following the same pattern that has characterized most assimilation in the US. All we hear in our day-to-day life is We make America more interesting Are we really? But do we know how?? Or mystery always remains mystery????????
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