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Along Life’s Way
Whatever
Happened to Assimilation?
By Lois E. Wilson
“Assimilate” is defined as absorbing into the culture and mores of a
population or group; to make a part of; to take into the mind and
thoroughly comprehend.
The diverse beginnings of our nation became stronger as its residents
realized they could accomplish more together than apart. Therefore the
United States grew out of this concept.
People from many countries have found hope and success as they began to
accept, appreciate, and adopt attributes of the other cultures around
them. They shared their languages, cuisine, clothing styles, dances,
holidays, and many other daily activities. There were intermarriages.
The lines that separated began to blur.
Recently a young woman wore a Chinese-style dress to her prom. Pictures
of her in the dress appeared on social media. Many comments on the
Twitter site chastised and mocked her. They accused her of “culture
appropriation.” Hillary Clinton often wears jackets styled after what
is called the “Mao jacket.” Where was the outrage then?
To most cultures, the recognition and adaptation by others of their
culture’s components is considered a compliment. That happened in this
case too. On the website Sina Weibo (China’s Twitter), comments such as
“It means she thinks our culture is beautiful” were posted. Acceptance
elevates all of a culture. It is a contribution to unity.
Unfortunately, there are those who only know how to divide. They try to
stifle the natural inclination of most humans to work together. Unity
is a threat to their power base which grows by keeping it apart and
away from unity’s positive influences.
Think of all the things you use each day, the food you enjoy, the
clothes you wear, the holidays you celebrate, and the many other
aspects of your life. Aren’t we a composite of all our country’s
cultures and the people we’ve interacted with over the years?
If you think this is cultural appropriation and that is a negative,
then turn in your Levis—go back to Eden. There you’ll find your fig
leaf.
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