...understanding my family background and facilitating a focal point in the century fueling Italian immigration. My grandmother’s perspective is a firsthand account that reveals the methods in which Italian immigrants assimilated and even influenced American culture. Their initial reaction along with the hardships of being new in a strange new world is a fascinating piece of American History. This presentation serves as a small piece of historical content revealing how foreigners relied on this country as a catalyst in building a life one could only dream of. Genetically, my background consists of an array of European influences. However, my family majorly identifies and honors our bloodline of Sicilian descent. My mother comes from a very strong German, Italian upbringing while my father is primarily and predominantly most associated with Italian; specifically speaking, Sicilian. The idea of having to record this information proved to be extremely important in historical value and delivered a sense of pride in my understanding of family foundation. The influx of Italian heritage and culture defined American lifestyle from the mid1800’s all the way until the late 1900’s. It is one of the most abundantly and culturally enriching populations to hit American soil, primarily the East coast. My earliest American relatives date back to 1905 in the midst of Italian Influx to American Eastern coastal suburbs and city areas. One of these individuals was my grandmother, Carmella. My grandmother...
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...An Analysis of Who is Irish? by Carol Belanger In the United States, there are many immigrants from different countries and nationalities. It is probably the most ethnically diverse country in the world. Some people view it as a “melting pot” where a variety of cultures mix together and influence the overall culture. Others use the analogy of a quilt, woven by cloths from different colors and fabrics that comes out a whole piece. Despite this, gaps between different cultures still exist, especially for older immigrants, no matter how well they have assimilated. The cultural and life perspective of first generation Chinese immigrants are deeply rooted in China, even though some may have lived almost half of their lives here. Their offspring, the second generation, Chinese-Americans who grew up in the United States, hold different views than their parents. They have been Americanized just like the Chinese food at many restaurants in the United States. Because of this, the culture gap between these two generations is inevitable. In “Who is Irish”, the writer Gish Jen addresses the issues between a sixty-eight old Chinese born grandmother, who is the narrator, and her American born daughter, Irish American son-in-law-and granddaughter. As a permanent resident, the grandmother is not going anywhere, but she still feels uncomfortable with the cultural here. In the story, she ends up living with her son-in-law’s mother. The culture gaps in contemporary America are portrayed...
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...Chris Choi English 098 27 October, 2015 Socioeconomic status of Immigrants In the novel, Almost a Woman, there are a lot of distinct differences and problems the author talks about. Distinct differences and problems in that the author, as an immigrant, faces many difficulties and cultural changes from when she migrated to New York City from Puerto Rico. As we go into the book, there are some key aspects of identity that are played in Esmeralda’s family and herself. One aspect of identity is the socioeconomic status of her and her family in the big, well known dynamic city of New York. This aspect of identity is a big concern throughout the book and in real life because it’s what most immigrants have to deal with from their movement from their native country to a foreign country. Socioeconomics is the social science that studies how economic activity affects and is shaped by social processes. In general it analyzes how societies progress, stagnate, or regress because of their local or regional economy, or the global economy. This is a monumental matter for Esmeralda as she is a middle school student going onto high school and as everyone knows, high school can be four years of highlight or four years of straight torture and since she’s an immigrant with no knowledge of American culture, this is a big concern for Esmeralda. Esmeralda, coming to America at a young age, is flustered with emotions and doesn’t have anyone to talk to because she is limited with who she has....
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...My initial response to the word “culture” was to think about it in terms of where my ancestors came from, and how I honour and celebrate it in my own life. I don’t, not really. My paternal grandparents were immigrants from northern Italy, but I didn’t grow up with stereotypical Italian influences like a large, loud, animated dinner table, or a rec room decorated with the Italian flag and statues of the Colosseum and Michelangelo’s David. Nor did the Scottish kilt wearing and haggis eating traditions of my maternal great-grandparents play a part in my upbringing. The cultures that both sides of the family created once in Canada are what has influenced me, or in some cases, marked me as a rebel. My ancestors arrived in Canada in the late 1800s...
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...CURRENT AFFAIRS AND HISTORICAL CONNECTIONS My view of studying history is that it is important for future generations to know where their ancestors have been and what they have accomplished in order to make future changes and developments in a society. I feel that without studying American history most industries would not be able to grow to meet the demands of modern day needs. Take for instance the computer industry and it’s progression in the last 40 years. My laptop that I’m writing this paper with has as much power, if not more than the computers used to put a man on the moon. That would not be possible if manufacturers did not look at ways to improve what they already have developed, which means they have to look back at what they have created in the past. Among other important reasons for studying American History would be subjects such as labor laws and social security. We as a society want to live better lives and improve the quality of our lives and so by looking at the past we can make changes in the future to benefit our future generations. In my view without studying history there would be no progressive future. I think many people have a negative view on studying history because they can’t seem to find a connection to how history relates or affects their lives. I believe that anyone can find something interesting to study in history. It’s just a matter of finding a way for them to connect with a subject on a personal or professional level. Maybe someone does...
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...My family celebrates every American holiday around polish and Slovakian traditions and heritage. My great grandparents on my mother’s side came to America from Poland in the early 1900’s. They had seven children after settling in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. They taught each of my great aunts, uncles and grandmother polish culture. My great grandparents emigrated from Slovakia around the same time and had six children and also settled in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Although most have died or moved on to other states, my grandmothers and grandfathers still believe in these traditions no matter what the occasion. Growing up I never thought it was unusual to have haluski at birthday parties and halupki’s at Christmas on my mother’s side. When my older cousins would bring over their boyfriends and girlfriends that’s when I first noticed something was different with my family. Now with the food came traditions that my grandmother and mother still do. During Christmas the house needs to be spotless the day of Christmas, this ensures that the house is “cleansed” in a sense for the whole year. We also get together on Christmas Eve to be together at midnight and have Vigil, which is the polish Christmas meal. When eating Vigil we put a full plate of food in an empty seat to remember those family members who aren’t with us. At Easter there aren’t many traditions but we always eat kielbasa, pierogies and makowiec along with other American food. Kielbasa as many people in western Pennsylvania know...
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...Nichele Rivera English 12 Prof. McPherson 6/1/15 My Melting Pot Growing up in America has been one of the most unexpected and surreal experiences. I am only twenty three years old but being from the Big Apple, New York and being raised by single parent, nothing in my life has ever been a walk in the park. I am considered a minority because I am Puerto Rican and African American and it has always been tough for me living in such an urban area. Not having the best financial status is what made thing even harder. My mother had to struggle to make ends meet for me, but we made it and are still making it. I have always seen my neighbors, friends, and family also experience the same hardships as me. Many of the people I know had to fight to make it America, and I mean that figuratively and literally. Some of the people I know weren’t even born here, and became citizens. I even know a few Aliens (immigrants who are living illegally in a country). Just learning to speak, read, and write a new language is a hurdle many who come here can never get over, so imagine having to find somewhere to live or a job to make money to survive. My melting pot country has shown me and taught me many things. I am American, we are as tough as they come. I have always said that being born here is what makes you a true American, and still believe that but, I have also come to see that immigrants venture here from other countries are the strength that America is known for as well. When you are born here...
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...The colonial teen I chose is 14 years old, living in Virginia, which is the most populous and largest colony. My family are immigrants from Germany. My family consists of my mom, dad, and 3 brothers, and two sisters. The year is 1775, my parents are farmers who live and work on a small farm of less than 200 acres. We are concerned with surviving and improving life for our family. We get around by horseback, but mostly walking, stopping to change shoes, to meeting houses or church. Coaches became available in the late 1700’s. I have used a hornbook to learn the letters of the alphabet. I learned how to read and write. Unlike other families who only own bibles, we own children’s books that often had a moral lesson. We thought AESOP!S FAPLES were...
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...under Dictatorships I search for you and I cannot find you. Your body tortured is nowhere to be found. (Line 16) If one’s dream is everybody’s dream to break the chains and begin our journey Let’s be confident Let’s go ahead, my race, Let’s preserve time for those to come.(Line 24) You’ve been abducted, America Your mouth has been gagged and today it’s our turn to bring you freedom. I’m calling you America our future awaits us and before it dies on us we will find you.(Line 33) I’m searching for you America. I’m calling you America Oh, Oh Fighting for our race and our freedom And we will find you among the darkness, You’ve been vanished by those who’re afraid of your truth. While we search for the truth Searching for our America Mama and papa’s dream And it’s our turn today to set you free. (Line 43)“Looking for America” 2013. Ruben Blades website. June 19, 2013, 05:05 http://www.rubenblades.com/lyrics/?currentPage=5. When listening to the lyrics of this song it reminds me of people like my mother and father who to me relate more to the familiar version of “The American Dream”. I grew up in Puerto Rico and have seen the struggles of my family to give us enrichment in life, within our home and education. For my family it has been easier to convert to the norms and values of the United States, but for others I have seen their struggles to be...
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...reading articles that seemed terribly misunderstood. I quickly realized that the point was that our cultural norms and values are often not noticed or realized by individuals within the culture and that our customs can seem extremely bizarre to individuals from other cultures. I have read approximately half of the book at this point and have found it very interesting. The first article by Ralph Linton, titled One Hundred Percent American, I found interesting. Historically, this country is based on immigrants who have assimilated into a single culture that is now considered American. I wonder what is truly American culture. Linton’s point is that what Americans consider 100% American is most commonly borrowed from other parts of the world. This is common sense to me as each immigrant culture brought along their values, norms and technologies upon assimilation. In my view, what is truly American is a melting pot of cultures and views living together in harmony and interacting as one. My opinion is that this concept, is perhaps more unique to North America. I also enjoyed the Growing up American: Doing the Right Thing by Amparo B. Ojeda. She pointed out the difference in using first names as opposed to Mrs. or Mr. and embracing a child’s independence as a...
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...When immigrants arrive in the United States, we often question if they are American. Plus, when can they begin to call themselves American. "In Response to Executive Order 9066" by Dwight Okita, and "Mericans" by Sandra Cisneros both explore this question; each texts states what they believe as the American identity. They have similar themes, yet they still have some differentiating ideas and opinions. Both texts show that being an American isn't about where you originally came from, but rather identifying with the culture. "In Response to Executive Order 9066" is narrated by a Japanese-American girl who is responding to the President requiring all Japanese citizens be sent to internment camps. In it she speaks of how while she is Japanese,...
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...In order to truly understand how important the pasty is to the region, it is key to understand the role of the other immigrant groups that also came to the Upper Peninsula. As with the Cornish immigrants, the popularity of mining is what largely attracted these various immigrant groups. According to an article called “Cultural Tracks: Finish Americans in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula”, by Michael M. Loukinen, The Upper Peninsula is unique due to its potential to engage in “mining, forestry, commercial fishing, farming, tourist services, universities, hospitals, and clinics.” Following the Cornish came the Irish, Germans, Finnish, and French Canadiens, among other groups. Granted, the Upper Peninsula is not your typical example of an attractive...
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...When I look back and try to analyze my personal sociological standpoint, I see myself as a functionalist with organic solidarity throughout of my personal background. However, I also support conflict theory related to my educational experience in United States. I grew up in a very diverse city and was raised in a traditional family: mother, father, grandparents. I think my family is the major framework for me. I believe that it is essential nucleus helps me function and be successful in society. I learned that functionalism in sociology supports idea of maintaining cohesion among different parties in society. Although, we are all so unique in our own ways of living, we still create harmony for functioning with each other. My mother is one of the major mentors in my life. Her voice always plays very important part in my decision-makings. My family works like an “organism”. We all perform different roles on a daily basis, but still support overall stability in our relations. My parents taught me the ways how you function within your family relates to your functioning with other members around us. Strong family foundation gave me an opportunity to be an active participant of my large community nowadays. As we learned in our sociology class, functionalist paradigm/theory according to E. Durkheim exists in two different forms: mechanical and organic solidarities. I can say my grandmother’s generation came from mechanical solidarity. She lived in a very small urban area, didn’t go...
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...beginning in life. This country gives people many different opportunity and freedom. Legal immigrants tend to find professional careers such as Doctors, architect or programmer but illegal migrants are heavily concentrated in construction, agriculture and janitorial jobs. These jobs tend to be low skill or unskilled manual labor jobs for lower wages than legal workers. For businesses, cheap labor can translate to better profits and can help expand and boost economic activity. Immigrants can than send money...
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...1. Jim defines happiness in Book 1, Section II as “... When it comes to one, it comes as naturally as sleep.” In Book 1, Section II it mentions in the beginning “I do not remember the arrival at my grandmother’s farm sometime before daybreak, after a drive nearly twenty miles with heavy work- horses. When I awake, it was afternoon. I was lying in a little room, scarcely bigger than the bed that had held him and the window-shade at his head was flapping softly in a warm wind.” Jim described his grandmother “A tall woman, with wrinkled brown skin and black hair, stood looking down at me; I knew that she must be my grandmother.” Jimmy’s grandmother had been crying, he could see, but when he opened his eyes she smiled, peered at him fearfully and sat...
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