Summary Of Assimilation By Silvia Pedraza

Although race is largely assigned due to appearance, and thus what comes alongside racial division is not by choice, cultural ties from ethnicities are not as straightforward because of selective assimilation. In Assimilation of Transnationalism, Silvia Pedraza defines variations of assimilation for immigrants and their children. She presents transnationalism, in which an individual maintains involvement in both the nation that they originated from and that in which they now reside, resulting in a bicultural identity (Pedraza). Holly’s bicultural identity does resemble transnationalism, but understandably differs slightly due to the lack of first-hand experience in the immigrant culture. As Holly’s mother’s family has entirely assimilated

It explains why she believes she would be uncomfortable and feel unsafe traveling in British Guyana where her father’s family came from, precisely because of the differences among native born individuals and those who were raised outside the area. She would have a difficult time assimilating to that culture, despite being a part of it. They would view her as an American.

Her father exhibits selective assimilation in the aspects of Indian culture which he has brought with him to the United States, the celebration of Diwali and his Hindu religion, for example. However, aside from those cultural aspects which he has chosen to maintain from Indian culture, he has also largely assimilated to American culture through language, habits, and values. Because of this, and his lack of interest in passing on most of his Indian cultural ties, it stands to reason that Holly would much more strongly identify to the culture which both parents exercise in some form, the American one, which thereby overpowers the Indian one. She similarly has the choice of selective assimilation, but only for the aspects of Indian culture which her Indian family members have held on to and exposed her to. In this sense, an individual from a mixed parentage can be grouped together with both immigrants and native born

Had her father made more of an effort to expose her to his native culture, this bias may not have been as dramatic, but most likely still prevalent. It is difficult to combat first-hand cultural immersion and structural assimilation with second-hand traditions or practices. In any immigrant family, it is likely that the cultural ties dilute over time alongside increased assimilation of each following generation. This process is only expedited with native parentage as well. This is a foundation upon which the collective American culture has been developed, as this is a country of immigrants. A child of mixed parentage will seek to identify with both parents’ cultures, but undoubtedly finds it easier to understand the culture that they are consistently immersed in. Holly struggled with her cultural, racial, and ethnic identity for some time before becoming comfortable with the designations she now gives. However, she would still like to cultivate some stronger ethnic ties to her Indian culture in the