tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023682178369530177.post1997979523200345865..comments2012-05-01T00:41:46.959-07:00Comments on SWK 280 Augsburg Blog: The Melting PotSWK280 Studentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14402523283015460958noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023682178369530177.post-684787470291438672011-05-07T12:16:53.980-07:002011-05-07T12:16:53.980-07:00Celia,
I agree with what everything you had said. ...Celia,<br />I agree with what everything you had said. I do see that Hmong and Latino are very similar but not just we but I really think that many other immigrants groups. Yes I do feel like in the United States we are pressured to change ourselves and change many things that we do. Everybody should fight for their rights and be proud of who they are no matter what. If something isn’t right they should have the voice to say that it’s not right and fight for it instead of letting people take over them. I also agree with what you said that everybody needs to learn more about their heritage and their culture. Everyone has a culture and they also have a story behind how they got here so we should be proud of it and not be afraid to share it with the world and people around us. Most times people around us would feel the same way or have similar stories.<br />JaiaSWK280 Studentshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14402523283015460958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023682178369530177.post-61310754061233761392011-05-07T12:15:58.171-07:002011-05-07T12:15:58.171-07:00I feel that as a first generation immigrant from M...I feel that as a first generation immigrant from Mexico I can relate to this is so many ways! I think that every culture goes copes with assimilation in different ways, but in the end it’s the same experience and we can learn from each other. For example in the Latino community there is also a big disconnect between parents and the youth. Even though our parents teach us to be proud of our heritage and always put family first, it’s very hard to balance living in an individualistic culture.<br />In the United States we are pressured through various mediums to assimilate. In other words we are put in a circumstance that tells us that life would be easier if we just shed our culture, became a clean slate, and adopt American culture. I saw this happen in front of my eyes when I worked as a teacher assistant in a Minneapolis school. A teacher told a group of Latino first graders playing a traditional game, “Shhh! Stop speaking that Spanish.” When someone tells us to not speak our language, it as if they are telling us to just stop being themselves.<br />What does that tell our children and future generations? They take this and internalize it. They become ashamed of who they are and the culture is gone in a matter of generations. One statistic says that by the third generation, the native language of immigrants is completely gone.<br />Is this inevitable? I don’t think so. I think that we can be successful, get an education and find a place in this country without having to sacrifice our core values. It is difficult, but for me it’s worth it. I believe that the Hmong culture is so strong and I would encourage the youth to take a stand against this. I for example look for opportunities to teach others about Latino culture and whenever I have the chance I take what I can learn from elders in my community.<br />What I’ve learned is that immigrants do a lot of learning about American culture. Given the fact that the United States is an international community, Americans, which I am as well, also need to make an effort to learn about our cultures and languages. If we as Americans can begin to move from tolerating to accepting, I believe that new immigrants and persons of color will be able to more easily retain their cultures and be successful.<br /><br />CeliaSWK280 Studentshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14402523283015460958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023682178369530177.post-3889098036634719042011-05-01T14:13:35.791-07:002011-05-01T14:13:35.791-07:00Thank you for your post Jaia! I loved that you inc...Thank you for your post Jaia! I loved that you included examples from your life.<br /><br />This quote: “past generations of immigrants in America, it is argued, became successful by shedding their historical identities and adopting the way of their new country, which allowed them to achieve social mobility”. I find this statement completely true also. When reading this chapter in the book, this quote stuck out to me. From the beginning of the U.S., all of the cultures that migrate to the U.S. stripped themselves from their identities so that they could assimilate into the culture of the U.S. at that time. It saddens me that many of the cultures that come to the U.S. have to assimilate with the culture that the U.S. holds. Many important pieces of culture are being lost through out every generation, for example the Hmong language. I feel that language is one of the first pieces of culture that is lost when assimilating into the mainstream U.S. Many people feel pressured to speak and learn English. Usually the only time they speak their native language is at home with their families.<br /><br />I do agree with you that some pieces of Hmong culture have changed for good; for example girls having an ability to go to school. This is an amazing change for the female Hmong population. Many other populations have benefited from the assimilation also, but I just wish it was possible for people to be apart of both cultures and not feel pressured from one society to the next to strip themselves from their culture.carissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15056416782876878066noreply@blogger.com