What works in America :: Culture Cultural Essays

What works in AmericaJennifer Mancinis pargonnts were born in Italy and immigrated to America erect before they had two daughters, Jennifer and her sister. They left a country whose ending hard put close family ties, traditional food, traditional ways of preparing food, and strict social customs. It is Italian tradition that family stick together through the hard times p atomic number 18nts are always there for their children and children are always there for their parents. When the Mancinis came to America, they were forced to reverse many of their customs in fact, all they held on to was a snack of the old language and their Italian food. Through the fancys she and her family have endured, Mancini believes that people in conclusion will assimilate to a more mainstream culture over time, however if they didnt plan to or want to.Just the like the old saying goes When in Rome do as the Romans do. Although most immigrants are reluctant to vagabond from how they have learned t o live, it will help them to give up some(prenominal) of their old ways and accept the dominant culture America has to offer. Rejecting or simply non being able to stray from ones previous culture results in negative responses from the mainstream American culture. Ronald Takaki, a professor and historian at the University of California at Berkeley, shared his view of immigration along with ain experiences in his essay entitled A Different Mirror Takaki, a second generation Japanese-American, describes how his appearance erected a barrier between himself and an American. His experience begins inside a cab on the way to a company on multiculturalism. The driver and Takaki chat for a few minutes until the old white man in the front seat notices something odd, his passenger looks opposed yet speaks perfect English. Takaki explained to the driver that he had lived his entire life in The United States and is a true-blooded American. Takaki tell us that, Somehow I did not look Americ an to him my eyes and tinct looked foreign (589). The cab driver flat assumed that a foreigner had entered his car because Takaki did not look like all the other Americans that ask for a ride. His eyes were slanted and his complexion a little darker than the norm, too dark and slanted to be from this country. That is the bother with immigration in America today. The American people often are not open enough to get past the differences found amongst pagan backgrounds.