Category Archives: Week 4: Sweatshop Assimilation in the Jewish Lower East Side
Americanization
Although I am not an immigrant, I still have faced times when I have felt pressured to be more “American,” as if the culture from my Chinese parents was taboo. Gordon states that the definition of the “Anglo-conformity” theory was … Continue reading
Assimilation
Growing up in an immigrant household was very different than how my friends grew up with. My life could easily be divided into two realms: an American realm, that encompassed school, friends, and work, and an Indian realm, that encompassed … Continue reading
Assimilation
It is clear that immigrants have an enormous influence on the United States given they make up a significant chunk of its population. The American culture, however, also impacts the peoples’ daily life, which gives rise to a question: to … Continue reading
Immigrants and Americanization
Growing up, I attended a Jewish orthodox school for 12 years that promoted Judaism and aimed to preserve the Jewish culture. Therefore, I never really felt the pressure to be more American – I actually felt the opposite. This school … Continue reading
Week #4 reading response
In “The Nature of Assimilation”, Milton Gordon argues against the myth of Americanization and the societal demand for Anglo-conformity. He notes that the xenophobic, post-WW1 crusade for assimilation was ultimately misguided “in its demand for a rapid personal transformation and … Continue reading
The Sadness of Assimilation
The danger of substantial assimilation into American culture is the feeling of loss when trying to identify with any one part of your heritage. When you pull yourself in too many directions, you … Continue reading
Assimilation
Growing up in a household with strong Latin traditions and a firm grasp on the culture, I have felt the pressure to be more “American” in my everyday life. Gordon’s article impacted me as he said that immigrants are pressured … Continue reading
Sweatshop Assimilation
Of the four readings this week, Milton Gordon’s “The Nature of Assimilation” and Jacob Riis’ “Jewtown” left a mark on me. Jacob Riis seems ignorant of the act that the circumstances in sweatshops are bred as immigrants struggle to make ends … Continue reading
Reading Response to Sweatshop Articles-Ariane Marchese
Gordon’s article really stood out to me as it said immigrants are forced to become “American” but use “immigrant colonies” to adjust to American life and culture at their own pace. As a child of immigrants (one is Cuban and … Continue reading
