Cultural Identity

Losing Cultural Identity Both the authors Choy and Engkent focussed mainly on the ideas of culture, immigration and assimilation. These two essays showed that acculturation is bi-directional from both the sides and it requires neither a change value, although values may become acculturated nor the internal change. Assimilation is unidirectional, towards the dominant group and it requires change in values and the internal change. Losing cultural Identity : Immigrants always have fear that they will lose their identity when move into new society.
In I’m banana and proud of it, Choy expressed his father feeling by saying that “Father used to say We lacked Taiost rituals, Taoist manners. We were, he said, “mo li. ” Similarly, Engkent showed his father fear of losing cultural values and how he discouraged his wife not to learn English by saying these words ” That old women will get rich doing nothing. What have these women learned ? Fan- gwei ways- make-up lipstick, smelly perfumes, fancy clothes.
Once she gets through with them, they won’t be Chinese about the land and the life they had been forced to leave behind. ” Even the author Choy personally felt that he is caught between two cultures. He claimed himself as Banana, which means that he possessed both the Chinese physique outside and Western lifestyle inside. Acculturation of immigrants: The acculturation is process of cultural change between two different cultural groups who come in contact with each other. The media and language are greatly responsible for acculturation.

In I’m a banana and proud of it, the author greatly influenced by the host culture through media. The host media like magazines, music and movies are the only choice for them to read, listen and watch. This showed great influence over immigrants soul and culture. On the other hand, there are some people unable to acculturate into new society due to greater affection towards their culture and lack of communication. In, Why My Mother Can’t Speak English Engkent mother was unable to acculturate into new society. hat’s why she offered. lai-shi to the officer, which means bribe in Canada even after 30 years stay in Canada. Further, she faced difficulty in learning English. The Berry (1990) psychologist defined acculturation is individuals change both by being influenced by contact with another culture and by being participants in the general acculturative changes underway in their own culture”. This means that culture is being influenced by internal force within the individual and external environmental factors.
This acculturation leads to assimilation which gives either an harmony or conflict and stress. References Berry, J. W. (1990). Psychology of acculturation: Understanding individuals moving between cultures. In R. Brislin (Ed. ), Applied cross-cultural psychology. Newhury Park: SagePublications John W. Berry (2005). Acculturation: Living successfully in two cultures. Retrieved from ?? http://isites. harvard. edu/fs/docs/icb. topic551691. files/Berry. pdf