Author: Annmarie Gajdos

While discussing Netherland by Joseph O’Neill in class today, the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the World Trade Center were brought up. These attacks not only had a big impact on the events in this literary work, but they also greatly impacted American foreign policy and history. The thought of these attacks, and the possibility that they could happen again, frightens me immensely. They are not something that I think about every day, however when I read the newspaper to catch up on current events, my fears are reestablished. New York City appears to be an optimal place for a terrorist attack to occur since it is one of the most important and well-known cities in America. This makes our home more of a target than other cities in the United States are. In addition, our class also discussed other people’s experiences on 9/11. Unfortunately, most of my classmates, including myself, are too young to be able to remember the events of this day first-hand. However, I have often heard my friends and family members tell stories about this day. Each person is able to recall what he or she was doing when these attacks began. Many of them say that they had never seen people be as kind to one another as they were in the first few weeks after the tragedy. The 2017 Presidential Election is the only situation I have experienced that I can liken this to. Much like those who witnessed 9/11, I was shocked when I awoke to discover that Donald Trump was the 45^th president of the United States. Baruch was eerily quiet that day. I even had some professors and peers who cried during class. For me, this was the most shocking event that I can remember living through. I am sure that I will never forget it.

Pursuing this thought further, another perplexing question that was raised in today’s class was whether the events of 9/11 spread so much panic that they would eventually cause the people of the United States to pick Donald Trump as their president, out of fear of immigrants. This theory makes sense since Trump repeatedly spews negative stereotypes about people of particular nationalities and maintains a loyal following despite these discriminatory remarks. At first it was difficult for me to understand where all of this hatred stemmed from. However, after listening to our class’s discussion, I have realized that perhaps this racism was perpetuated by the tragic events of 9/11. Fear of terrorism caused Americans to turn to the antithesis of tolerance, Donald Trump. However, it is important to remember that hate only breeds trepidation. We should embrace other cultures; we can’t live in fear of people’s differences forever.

In class today, we discussed how immigrants are forced to assimilate into American society. One point that struck a chord with me, was that the English language is harshly imposed on immigrant children in school. I have experienced a similar situation since my parents are immigrants from Slovakia. When I was a child, they spoke both Slovak and English around the house. Thus, I sometimes spoke a mixture of the two languages when I was in school. One day, I told my kindergarten teacher, “Môj žalúdok bolí;” meaing that my stomach hurt. She understood what I was saying because I was rubbing my stomach while speaking. Despite this mutual understanding, she decided to hold a conference with my parents about my bilingual abilities. She recommended that they stop speaking Slovak around the house because it was harming my communication skills. They saw the practicality in this and complied with her request.

This decision came with an unintended cost. When I was in kindergarten, I had not only been the best English speaker in the class, but had also spoken fluent Slovak. Unfortunately, my fluency in the Slovak language depleted as the years went on due to a lack of practice. By the time that my younger sister was born, my parents had completely stopped speaking Slovak at home. Luckily, my early exposure to the language allowed me to comprehend it at family gatherings and church events. However, my sister was not able to say the same. To this day, she is unable to understand only a few Slovak phrases and has had a difficult time learning the language. This has hurt her ability to communicate with our grandparents who exclusively speak Slovak. Her ability to delve into her ethnicity has been shattered.

Language is an important part of one’s culture. The ability to comprehend something that not everybody can make sense of, connects people, joining them in a secret society of mutual respect and cultural appreciation. Thus, losing the ability to speak one’s native language can truly disconnect oneself from one’s roots. The fact that some immigrants in New York City are frowned upon for retaining fluency in their native languages, is rather hypocritical. If New York City is supposed to be a place that celebrates diversity, then why is there an incessant desire to Americanize all immigrants who reach its shores? Where should we draw the line when it comes to cultural assimilation? When is an immigrant truly considered to be integrated into American life in every way? Is it when he or she has been absolved of all remnants of his or her past life in another country? I admit that it is important for immigrants to embrace American culture when they come to the United States, especially by learning the English language, but it is also crucial that they maintain ties to their ancestral practices. One’s background makes one unique. With uniqueness comes strength. This is what cultural assimilation destroys.

BY: Annmarie Gajdos