Going with the Flow (Assimilation Blog)

I know people who have forsaken their own beliefs and totally have changed to be accepted into society and “fit in”. Now days, people are so desperately trying to “fit in” with their friends, peers, and society that they go with the current of today’s mainstream and JUST GO WITH THE FLOW of what is popular and “cool”. This is called Assimilation.Assimilation is when a person changes or adapts their cultural, moral, and even sometimes spiritual views and most of the time their personal appearance as well, to “fit in” society.

Many people worry about being accepted and “fitting in” society that they assimilate whether consciously or not. In the real world teenagers do it constantly from one thing to another, until they can find acceptance and “happiness” with them selves. In the play “Raisin in the Sun” many Africans American women assimilate by changing the hair appearance, by straightening their hair to match the hair style of White folks. One of the few characters in the play worries about assimilation is Beneatha. Beneatha does not want to assimilate to American culture, she shows this by not straighten her hair and cutting it short and letting it curl naturally. Yet Beneatha wants to get an American educated and become an educated woman, but still hold onto her culture and African roots. Beneatha has a controversial and complicated situation and worries about assimilating and not sticking to her culture and her origin. The play “Raisin in the Sun” portrays assimilation as a weakness and betrayal of one owns culture, through many of the characters, especially Beneatha.

Although the play “Raisin in the Sun” portrays assimilation of culture, it is not just culture, but everything from beliefs to personal appearance. In the real world people all around us assimilate, whether we notice it or not. A perfect example of where assimilation happens most often is the high school. Many teenagers in high schools assimilate to cliques around them, for example some teenagers may start swearing and doing drugs to be part of the gangsters/thugs clique (GT kids). Assimilation does not necessarily have to be bad and detrimental, but can be good and positive. For example, a teenager can assimilate to become an honor student and have high standards. In my high school all around me I see people that want to be accepted and most of the times lower their standards, in order to be accepted into a certain group such as GT kids.

Now I won’t lie, I won’t say I haven’t assimilated different traits from different groups. I sometimes cuss because I think that it is in some way “cool”, but then realize that is only shows stupidity and makes you look immature. But I have also assimilated many good things, not exactly assimilated, but have been taught and implanted the teachings from of parents and of the church I attend. Those teachings are the reason why I have never done drugs, and never had sex. I believe that assimilation is good and bad to a certain extent, but I believe you should try new WHOLESOME things in life and be an independent person and stand up for your OWN beliefs, even though there may be opposition and persecution. (YOLO)  (ARISE AND SHINE FORTH)