Were immigrants able to create their own identity or was their identity shaped by “social structures and historical circumstances over which they had little control”(Gerstle 527)? While Gerstle sides with the group arguing that uncontrollable conditions shaped the lives of many immigrants, I believe that the future of immigrants depended both on unavoidable circumstances and personal decisions.
For those immigrants who came to America in search of a better life, looking to completely leave their history, then the opportunity was available. The cartoon depicts how hard Irish men work to “turn white” as they feared turning black. Their fear of being black was understandably based on the fact that then “race, even more than class and gender, still limits the options of those who seek to become American”(Gerstle 554). It is true that African Americans were unable to assimilate or take part in the American culture as they wished, or that Latino women would by no means have the same opportunities as White women, who did not have the same chances as white men. In order to begin to have similar opportunities, the immigrants would do their best to assimilate, to put aside their history that may have been holding them back, to learn the new language and to move forward.
But moving forward does not have to mean forgetting the past. Immigrants chose the square in the “patchwork of ethnic neighborhoods” where they could be most comfortable (Steinberg 235). Granted, various neighborhoods were not afforded the same opportunities, but still, they represented the synthesis of the past and future in America. Steinberg points out that “just because assimilation isn’t complete doesn’t mean that it isn’t taking place” (239).
This continuous assimilation and process towards an overflowing melting pot is constantly reshaping or society. In 2007, when Steinberg wrote this article, people of color were not completely welcomed into the melting pot, yet today our Black president is a clear display of the progress American’s have made in acceptance of complete assimilation. The wealth of accessible opportunity is celebrated and welcomed but the preservation of ethnicity and past cultures is still significant.
Our class in Queens College is the perfect example of merged ethnicities with the persistence of past histories still present. We all have our own backgrounds, and our languages, foods, customs, religions, remain apart of us. Queens College represents this wave of immigration and assimilation more than almost all colleges in America and it is perhaps the most unique and interesting quality of the school. The fact that all us, with ancestors from all over the world, have the same educational opportunity here in New York City is a huge feat. The desire and ability that many have to cling to their historical ties and native culture makes this even more meaningful. While I anticipate the day when I do not have to struggle to understand my professor’s heavy accent, I do not look forward to the day when the professor can easily read through an entire roster without stumbling over the foreign names that preserve some ethnical ties. On that day, the interesting individual histories of each student will be invisible and the room will become a true melting pot.
