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)
