The Importance Of Imitation

Whether mental or physical, our unique and rare characteristics display our identity and who we truly are. The way we choose to present ourselves is entirely up to us. The excerpt, “Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights” by Kenji Yoshino portrays how majority of the people cover their physical or personal characteristics to fit into society. He also explains the importance of fitting into the mainstream and that being an essential part of life. Similarly, the text “Strange Creatures”, by Susan Blackmore explains the importance of imitation in an individual’s life. Imitation is a meme, which is anything that is copied from person to person. Kenji’s idea of covering relates to Blackmore’s theory of imitation because covering is a type

Our ideas are influenced by our surroundings and it is done so by, imitation. Susan explains, “Everything that is passed from person to person in this way is a meme. This includes all the words in your vocabulary, the stories you know, and the skills and habits you have picked up from others and the games you like to play. It includes the songs you sing and the rules you obey” (Blackmore 37). Our actions and behaviors seem to be in control by the meme. We all may try to be creative and imaginative but imitation is the obstacle that stops us from being our true selves. Likely, Yoshino mentions that, “Because covering applies to us all, it provides an issue around which we can make common cause… our common human wish [is] to express ourselves without being impeded by unreasoning demands of conformity” (295). Many of us have tried to cover our authenticity because it is the social norm. Relatively to imitation, covering our identity is also a hurdle, which holds us back from flaunting our natural character. Kenji also mentions, “Since Hector St. John de Crevecoeur’s 1782 Letters from an American Farmer, this country has touted assimilation as the way Americans of different backgrounds would be “melted into a new race of men”” (294). This ‘melting into a new race of men’ is referred as the ‘melting pot’ by Israel Zangwill’s play. Covering helps us blend into the ‘melting pot’ and make us all fairly similar. Imitation

He thinks that, “racial identity has a behavioral component...our race [is] also defined by our behaviors” (300). Yoshino did not pass as Japanese because his behavior was different than other Japanese individual’s. He further emphasizes, “I do not code as Japanese because of a set of behaviors-how I hold my body, how I move through space, how I speak” (300). Race is based on behavior because our manners and style have to match with others of the same race. He was not guaranteed a position in the Japanese race just because he was simply born into it. Looking back at Blackmore’s theory of imitation, our behavior and actions are the result of imitation. Susan writes, “Have you ever sat and blinked, or waved, or "goo gooed", or even just smiled, at a baby? What happens? Very often they blink too, or wave or smile back at you” (33). We humans learn so easily by imitation that we do not realize how much effect it has on our behavior. Imitation leads us to open up to the world and pick up what we think is the norm. Looking at the big picture, Imitation affects our behavior, which affects our racial identity. All the aspects seem to interconnect and form a chain