In Liberty, Coercion and the Making of America, Gary Gerstle discusses the assimilation of immigrants. He looks at the different approaches that scholars have taken to the topic over the years:
Was Americanization, as Crevecoeur sees it, the best thing that ever happened to the immigrants? Was it something that they welcomed and desperately wanted? Did they see this new culture as far superior to their own, a club that they could not wait to join? Or was it, as more recent scholars have suggested, something that the immigrants did not want? Were they pushed into a strange culture, forced to give up the customs that they had grown up with, the customs that tied them to their ancestors and to the country that they had had to leave? Did they view the new American culture as too modern, too cold, too official? Overall, was Americanization a positive step in the lives of these immigrants, or was it detrimental to their wellbeing and their adjustment?
Looking back on my own experiences, I can only believe that the latter is correct. It is in no way a positive experience to have to give up everything that you have grown up with, to be forced to replace familiar customs with strange new ones. Being in a new country does not mean that you have to abandon you old ways or your previous identity. Just as it is possible to have citizenship from two countries, or to be biracial, it is also possible to be bicultural. In fact, those who identify strongly with two cultures may have a richer cultural experience than those who only identify with one.
Of course it is important to learn about the new country that you are living in; it would be inappropriate to completely ignore your new surroundings and to continue to live as though you are in your homeland. However, learning a new language and the cultural nuances of a new place and keeping your own traditions and customs are not mutually exclusive. The most positive thing for the immigrants would have been if their own cultures were encouraged and embraced, but they were also assisted in learning English and the American way of life.
