Blog Post 1 : Assimilation
- In Lisa Sun-Hee Park’s article, Assimilation, Park states the debates around the term “assimilation” from different authors perspectives. Trying to discuss the meaning of assimilation from different parts of history, and social problems arising from assimilation.
- Park uses two forms of evidence, the first one is from the article “The conservation of Races” published by W.E.B. Du Bois in 1897 who argued against assimilation. In this article, Du Bois states that “assimilate was understood as meaning to absorb into white America, which requires the negation of black experience and knowledges [14].” He thinks “racial difference was not the problem, it was the racism [14].” Because his statements based on racial experience, and he believes that African Americans hardly have differences with whiteness American, assimilation has no reason to exist. The second one is from Robert E. Park’s who viewed “assimilation as a solution to racial difference, which he understood as a social problem [14].” Because these two different kinds of social groups are distinctive, if they want to exist at the same time in the same physical environment, it is inevitable to conflict with each other. After this process, they certainly move towards to assimilation. W.E.B. Du Bois and Robert E. Park’s points all care about the necessary existence of assimilation and social reasons that led to assimilation.
- The concept that Lisa Park asserts is the model minority myth. “The idea of Asian Americans as the “model minority” is a myth- meaning, untrue [16].” Usually, Asian Americans are models of low-skilled, low-wages labors lived in gathered colonies governed by whiteness Americans. However, Asian Americans are totally different today, and they have made considerable progress compared a hundred years ago. They live in different community areas and marry people from different races. Meanwhile, their social status is normally high with great educational achievement, good living environment, and get marry to white people. Although the development way of Asian Americans is unbelievable and preeminent than other groups of Americans, it is actually harmful for Asian Americans in a long term. Park opposes this point by saying that “the significant role of the state in structurally determining who gets ahead remains hidden within a linear, ahistorical progression toward cultural assimilation. [16].”
- It reminds me of a social news happened in China created a great sensation. Children who studies in a private kindergarten containing middle class outsiders’ children in Beijing suffered abuse by teacher. They are not Beijing’s residents, so they are not eligible to attend to the public kindergartens which are price reasonable and well organized by the local government. These parents have no choice, but to pay 3 times higher tuition fee to let their children have better education in private kindergartens. Although these outsiders have great social status, well educated, and have made tremendous progress from 20 years ago. Local residents still enjoy priorities, isolate, and set barriers to outsiders.
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