The Concepts of Racism and Americanization - Essay Example

?Americanization Introduction: Americanization is becoming American in character, manner, method and ideals hence becoming assimilated to U.S. customs and speech. In other words, Americanization means becoming American in all manner possible, even in soul. With the declaration of independence by Thomas Jefferson in 1774, the United States was established making the people citizens, hence Americanized. Jefferson’s view on Americanization was that of people having rights, freedom and liberty to exercise those rights and, of course, white skin. Jefferson sees Americans as being citizens of the state in every possible way from character, laws and freedom. Ellis further contributed to this definition by arguing that, despite Thomas Jefferson advocating for the end of slavery, he has many contradictions, which prove he indeed was for slavery and not its abolition. According to Joseph Ellis, Jefferson owned approximately 600 slaves, and his tobacco plantation relied entirely on slave workers. To add on to Jefferson’s definition, Ellis argues that, according to Jefferson, superiority came with skin color. The light skinned slaves had a more superior position than other slaves. Frederickson’s models of American Ethnic relations further compound on the need for one America without racial differences. He says: “group separatism emanates from cultural ethnocentric concerns about the standing and fate of a certain group” (Ellis, 457). Despite the difference, in skin color and physical appearance, the color of the blood is the same, the brain the same when expose to the same conditions like infrastructure and technology. Can Americanization be achieved with color still a factor? Racism vs. Americanization: Americanization, which is the dream of every American, with freedom and equality based on racial differences is not what is quite being experienced. This is shown by Thomas Jefferson in his notes on the state of Virginia. In here, we find Jefferson wondering why slavery is not being ended, while, on the other hand, he goes on and describes the blacks as being inferior to the whites. He goes ahead to describe the differences like the blacks have less hair on the face and body, hence making them more tolerant to the hot climate. In this case, most migrants to America might want to meet the American dream, but it seems that cloth was not made for everyone, rather for the Native Americans. According to Sherman Alexie’s work, assimilation shows how one tries to adopt other people’s culture and the way of life in general in order to fit in a society. This is made hard by the external features that one possesses like color, texture of the hair and height depending on one's race. Marriage between people of different races is highlighted here and prejudice is very apparent despite one's efforts to assimilate into the other person’s culture. Despite how much one tries to fit into a foreign way of life especially where the difference is based on race, one still stands out because some external features are so obvious, and one cannot hide them. Sherman Alexie’s view on Americanization is that people are expected to assimilate the American culture despite their different externalities, hence robbing the immigrants of their originality. Therefore, Americanization is American based and for the Americans only. Looking at Americanization by Studs Terkel’s eyes, we find that even in the job sector racism is very much evident. Stephen Cruz’s story by Studs Terkel in Rereading America state that the American dream is not governed by hard work, opportunity and education, but by fear and power (365). How much a person can achieve, being racially different, will always be a setback which, as Cruz says, should be overcome for Americanization to take root. Americanization which comes with the American dream should pave the way for everyone living in America to have liberty and freedom from any form of discrimination wherever one is, be it at home, in politics, education or the job sector. Other people from the natives can achieve great success like Cruz, but they continue being prejudiced and let down because of their race. Diversity of traditions is being suppressed by Americanization as brought out by Alexie Sherman. When one marries a representative of a different race, assimilation is the key factor one needs to consider. The parties involved always feel guilty and are looked at as they are doing something immoral. In this case, they tend to hide their originality and adopt another culture. Originality and cultural diversity are coming to extinction because of racism. Sherman Alexie says that human beings are never alike; the variety is provided by nature and the initial separations are made by man (483). With the varieties in human external qualities like skin color, some people try to identify themselves with a different culture in order to belong, and that is what happening with Americanization. Sherman say that there is superiority complex of the white men in regard to other races. Ethnocentrism brings in cultural clash where; we find people who try to copy alien culture, behaving in a certain manner when together with the people of their race. This comes in when one is faced with a different way of life and behaving that way is seen as superior. Racism in America came up with other bundles like class difference. This is elaborated quite well by Thomas Jefferson himself. Though Jefferson claimed to treat his slaves well, he treated some of them better than others. Sally Hemings, who is described by Ellis as being 3/4 white and by some slaves as almost white had a superior position than other slaves working for Jefferson. This shows that the more one comes near to being white, the higher one's status is. Jefferson thinks that even with the end of slavery the whites cannot mix freely with the blacks and live in harmony. Jefferson’s view on Americanization is that even if the slaves are set free, the whites will always be superior in all manners. Fredrickson‘s models of American Ethnic relations further compound on the need for one America without racial differences. He says: “Group separatism emanates from cultural ethnocentric concerns about the status and destiny of a group” (457). Despite the difference, in skin color and physical appearance, the color of the blood will be the same, the brain the same when exposed to the same conditions like infrastructure and technology. Though Jefferson advocated for the end of slavery, he has many contradictions, which prove that he indeed was for slavery and not its abolition. Jefferson, argues Ellis, thinks and states that slavery should come to an end; but he also views the blacks who were mostly slaves as inferior and the difference between the whites and the blacks as being caused by nature, not nurture. From Sherman’s point of view, differences in a race are what define sexuality. In his story he argues how people identify themselves with their roots, and this leads to immorality because one is married to a person of another race, and one wants to experience originality which comes with people of the same race. Americanization itself in a way is a major cause of racism, which gives root to other factors like slavery and discrimination in all scopes of life. Various scholars like Sherman, Terkel and Fredrick point out what Americanization, that is, being American in every respect, brings with it. Conclusion: Americanization, as defined by Thomas Jefferson, is indeed a great dream for the Americans and those who would wish to stay in America. Other scholars bring out the irony of Americanization proved by sufficient evidence. The irony of the concept Americanization is that it is supposed to bring equality to all people staying in America; instead, disparity is what we actually see. Indeed, the question is whether Americanization brings equality or racial disparity? Works cited: Colombo, Cullen, Lisle. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Bedford Books. Trade paperback. 8th Edition. 2010. Print. Joseph, J. Ellis. “The Contradictions of Thomas Jefferson”. The American Sphinx. The Magazine of the Library of Congress. November-December 1994 http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/jefferson_papers/mtjessay1.html Read More