Yes

by Dee Holder

Created on: July 30, 2010   Last Updated: July 31, 2010

As with many of these types of questions, the answer to this one is not simple, but as complex as the people that immigrate to the USA and as varied as the reasons they do so.  The answer to this question is for the most part yes, but how well the new immigrants integrate and identify with mainstream culture depends in part on the ethnic background of the immigrants, their culture, and sometimes the color of their skin.  America is a land of immigrants and as such is fundamentally different from many other countries that have an ethnic majority that has historical claim on the country and culture.  While many countries have immigrants, few countries are made up of mostly immigrants. The only real natives to this country are the Native Americans, who are not a majority population with a majority of political, societal, or economic power. 

With each wave of new immigrants, there has always been the question asked by the majority population, "Will they fit in?  Do they want to?  Do they have the same values we have?"  Yet each group does assimilate and become distinctly "American" just as patriotic and proud as the immigrants that came before them.  Yes there may be issues of discrimination, of frustration with being invisible in the mainstream culture, of feeling the need to conform to the majorities' ideals of culture, image and behavior. However, for most immigrants it is limited to that, a frustration, and it does not stop them from feeling American, caring about America or fighting for her.

Eventually they become mainstream and the new immigrants on the block have to go through the same hazing ritual that the previous wave of immigrants went through. The more different the culture, the darker the skin, the greater the levels of "hazing" that a particular society will face from the waves of immigrants that preceded them. This cycle will continue for as long as there is immigration to the US and there are differences either in how racial and cultural variations are perceived and/or discriminated against.

Unlike many other countries, you start being "Americanized" the moment you step off that plane, train, or ship.  Americans, despite all their prejudices, expect all immigrants and visitors to participate in American society in a way, much more than the citizens of other countries. You are expected to understand American politics, have opinions on hot topic issues, understand the social environment of mainstream America, and actively participate in American social, economic and educational programs.   For this reason, immigrants tend not to get trapped and ghettoized like some that have immigrated to European and countries like Japan, or Australia.

In truth most visitors/temporary workers/ and true immigrants start being Americanized the moment they step off that plane, train or ship, and even if you cling tightly to the memories and practices of your home culture, it is impossible to live here and fail to care at some level about the direction this country is going.  After one generation, the Americanization of the immigrants tends to be complete, with the kids, for the most part, adapting to first the schooling and them moving into the corporate world, many of these kids feel only a vague and distant tie to their homelands.

While most immigrants eventually adjust to their new lives in the states, some might not always feel completely welcome or visible in their new country's mainstream culture.  This does not however mean that they have not fully adjusted to living in America, just that they would like more visibility and less stereotyping of their culture or ethnicity.

The truth is it really does not matter if new immigrants learn to speak English fluently (some elders might have trouble with this), their kids always learn the language, it does not matter if they still eat their native food, practice their native religion, wear their native clothes, read their native novels, watch their native media, and have a hyphen before their names. All of these immigrants work hard, pay taxes, participate in political discourse and voting, join the military, and feel intensely patriotic about their new country. They, like all Americans, want to make this country a better place for their children to grow up in and work hard to make the changes they feel are required to make the country better, but also are willing themselves to make the changes that are required to fit into mainstream America. 

For those who live in areas in the US with limited immigration, or where the immigrants are highly visible as the "other," it is hard to see this; but if you ever visit New York city, stop for a moment and sit on a bench and watch the people go by and interact.  You will see a multitude of races, cultures, generations - all very different, all very unique, and all very American, and if you can do this with an open mind and unbiased eye you will see that all these people have adapted very well to American society and are fully engaged in it. If you go past the site of the 911 disaster, you will see the same sadness regardless of national origin, race, culture, or sex. If you go to the statue of liberty, you will see the same wonder in the eyes of all who gaze on her. 

When you do, you know without a doubt that it does not matter from whence you came, once you get here, for the better or the worse, you will become American.  Perhaps a better question would be, "Will mainstream America ever totally adjust to the new immigrants who come here?"

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