Native Americans And The American Culture - 1865 Words

Back then during the 1900s, a substantial number of Asian Americans immigrated to the United States. In this entirely new world with the majority White population, most of them often encountered numerous identity issues and their lives have been dramatically affected. As a result, some of them who have been influenced by the American culture may have changed their perspectives of their own traditions or rejected their identities in order to â€Å"survive† in the White culture. As Robert G. Lee defines that, â€Å"culture is symbolized as the whole range of human activity in general, the particular way of life of a group of people, which consists of their beliefs, customs, religions, languages, protocols, music, arts, foods and so forth† (41), it†¦show more content†¦In his article â€Å"Distilling My Korean American Identity,† he explores the process of self-discovery of identity from his teenage years to his college life, and with the help from his sig nificant other. Being Asians in the United States, Gonzalo and Patrick S. both have had to confront the major issue of identity conflicts in different ways. These were due to the assimilation stress, generational gap and racial discrimination that happened within their family and school lives. During their early lives in America, the two authors, Gonzalo and Patrick S. encountered assimilation stress. â€Å"Chan states [that] while immigrants and refugees alike experience [assimilation] stress, refugees tend to be more sorrowful and psychologically burdened, as they have lost their loved ones, homes, livelihood, social status, countries, culture, and meaning in life†(Gonzalo 87). Gonzalo, who was a refugee came to the U.S. with the sponsorship from her father’s sister. Her family was forced to face new challenges and experiences in the new world. Starting over in America, she had difficulties in communicating with others as she was never exposed to the English-speaking skills, and was said to be illiterate. Language hence was the biggest barrier at the beginning of her life in America. Due to that problem, her parents who had only limited employable skills could not find a job in