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Assimilation or Integration?
By Francesca L'Orfano1. Assimilation or Integration?, Francesca L'Orfano
(To me) the definition of ASSIMILATION... is to become like the "eurocentric mainstream" and to give up being Italian in order to belong... (Others are) saying that that is "not" what we want...we can belong and be proud Americans and Canadians and also still keep our Italian heritage alive...
However those who believe in assimilation usually state that once on North American soil, we "MUST" give up our ties to our ethnicities and even sometimes we must change and anglicize our names and adopt the mainstream ways..........
I am a proud Canadian however I am also proud of my Italian heritage... therefore it is INTEGRATION we want, not assimilation..integration of our various cultures......assimilation is where there is no diversity but just "one big culture"....David Chase has assimilated the mainstream attitude towards Italians...he is ashamed of his heritage and that is very evident in his series.
As some say, their children and grandchildren have embraced very little of their heritage...what I, and others, are fighting for is our desire to continue to keep our Italianita alive on North American soil so that your grandchildren will have more than their name to identify as being Italian...
2. Assimilation-Dead End Mentality, Philip Celeste
..Many fourth generation Americans, have has lost their ethnicity, and they will ultimately be at a disadvantage.
..Other ethnic groups have not, and with minimum exception, will Never give up their ethnicities. And they will always come out ahead for it (politically, socially and economically, because in that cohesion there is unity, strength, and power). The Most Prosperous, Most Stable, Most Productive American citizens, (with the exception of African Americans and recent immigrant Hispanics) are Ethnic Americans (i.e. Armenians, Persians, Indians, Koreans, Chinese, Vietnamese, Jews, Greeks).
Very much like Italians, they all come from tremendously rich cultures, and the majority of their groups have no intention of giving this up. Why do you think such influential people such as Steven Spielberg, are now encouraging Jewish Americans to marry within their own ethnic group. I agree with Spielberg and for many reasons.
As is typical for non-ethnics: they are disproportionately drawn to "born again" religious affiliations, or any "cult" or "so called cause" which will allow them to feel a sense of belonging, to fill the bewildering void in their lives.
And what I speak of is not completely an issue of blood and genes. It's really about culture. An Italian American with 25% or less Italian blood can still identify as Italian.
I do not resent other Italian Americans if they prefer to be "Americanized", Let's face it, its a beautiful country and for many a very good life. But its not an ethnicity, and by turning their back on their ancestral heritage, they are depriving themselves of a rich culture, lineage, and identity.
Ironically, these "American" images were created in Hollywood, by an immigrant group of almost exclusively Eastern European Jews.
We should take important note that, as can be seen all over world, when the cultures of countries are threatened, for instance by a McDonalds mentality, it tends to be McTrashed, because it represents a globalization and an assimilation of an Orwellian nature, representing a great threat to that country's culture and identity. Hmmm.
Whether one is an Ethnic Italian-American or an Assimilated Italo-Americans, both have good reason to work together to fight Media defamation.It is this issue which we should focus at this point.
BUT, Lose your culture, you lose your soul.
3. A Fourth Generation View of Assimilation, Dominic Tassone
(RAA Preface: Dominic, I disagree only with your first paragraph, because GENERALLY and OVERWHELMING speaking, 3rd and 4th generation I-As Don't have ANY idea of what their Italian, Italian American Culture is. The only time they recognize it when it is served to them on a plate. You and members of FIERI are all too rare examples, and deserve plaudits and greater support from the Community! Now your turn [;-))
The notion that 3rd and 4th generation IAs have no idea what their culture is - I beg to differ.
I am 4th generation can tell you that the growth of an organization like FIERI (I-A young professionals organization) is evidence that many of us want to understand a culture that we have gotten in derivative form mixed with Americana. In some chapters, FIERI even has a presence at the high school level. For whatever reason, the Italian culture sticks in a way that others don't and there is a growing trend (that we ought to foster) to learn about the IA culture.
Moreover advances in telecom and ease of travel today mean that we can learn and participate in our culture that before had left I-As in a cultural vacuum cutoff from the Italy save a handful of local papers and reports from recent immigrants.
Mr. Galletta, regardless of your grandson's ethnicity, he will be treated as an IA because he bears an Italian name. The real question is will you and your family teach him about IA history and what that means.
How will he react when he is challenged about being Italian? Expect this as early as 2nd grade. Will he look down and say "no I'm not- I'm American," or will he articulate an informed response?
At my daughters communion yesterday the differences and similarities of my family (Italian-American) and my in-laws (Italian immigrants) asusual struck me as an interesting juxtaposition. I asked some people, where the recent immigrants from Italy were. I received an interesting look, and an explanation that was in short: Why leave Italy to come here? Before there was no little good-paying work, but since the early 1980s things have changed.
They don't want to live or be like 'babbe americani.' The level of violence against women, alcoholism, school shootings and the like baffle them. Not to mention a perception of blatant promiscuity and disdain for children.
The question of whether assimilation should be encouraged or discouraged to me is an imagined choice (or an academic question) today that didn't exist for many of our ancestors who didn't have the luxury of working in the US without learning English or being pampered with help from the gov't. Today things are different and the multicultural pluralism (not a melting pot) means that recent immigrants don't need to learn English and their children aren't ashamed of their origins - they do speak Italian in front of the kids. Now we have RAI and the Internet.
I'm certain other readers have stories about name changes (forced or out of shame) in their families that evidence the old way Italian-Americans attempted to assimilate - mine certainly has.
In terms of values, who wants to be assimilated into an amoral purely economic culture 24x7 which is America? Who in their right mind actively wants that? I thought the comment about Time-Warner raising kids on fast food was right on. I don't mind the rat race (outside the home) and have an appreciation for all cultures. However, I personally prefer some sanctity in my domicile, i.e. Italian (even European) values at home.
In the government's obsequious quest to dole out 'our money' to protected, privileged, and preferenced groups, it is interesting indeed to see how the gov't census statistics are manipulated to get taxpayers money into the hands of certain ethnic groups.
Curiously, many simply list themselves as American. What does that mean? I agree that American is not an ethnicity, more like a lack thereof.
Now on the subject of the American media, I can only say the promise of America is equitable opportunity and equality under the law. What we have from the media in general is possibly not illegal, but certainly an inequity.
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