Immigrant Insiders

Immigrants are still fitting in.

Still fitting in?

This is Miriam Jordan’s argument in response to Congress’ alleged failure to fix the current immigration laws and solve our nation’s illegal immigration problem. She thinks that Congress’ repeated attempts to deal with immigrants, both legal and illegal, suggest that the people and policies of the United States are poorly assimilating these people to the mainstream American culture.

Jordan, who’s article was published in the Wall Street Journal this past Monday, believes otherwise.

from gerson721 

Jordan presents statistics showing immigrants are assimilating to the United States faster than their counterparts who are trying to adapt to the cultures in other Western countries, such as Austria, France, and Switzerland. She also mentions factors related to speed of assimilation, including owning a home, having the ability to speak English, and achieving U.S. citizenship.

These factors shape the way Americans view immigrants – and in my opinion, immigrants who have accomplished these tasks are less likely to be seen as “outsiders” and are more accepted by the natives. Having this feeling of acceptance by the already acculturated citizens of America makes assimilating to the culture much easier. There is one less hurdle to jump over, one less challenge to overcome.

Immigrants who are no longer on the outside don’t have to worry about not fitting in – it might take some time to achieve to full assimilation, but because insiders have already accepted them and seen them as not just outsiders or aliens, they can rest assured they will get there eventually.

And the only reason these immigrants are no longer seen as outsiders is because they are adopting the native culture, striving to become more like the mainstream American.

They are conforming.

By conforming to these norms, American’s are prompted to grant immigrants insider status.

Immigrants are accepted. They are no longer classified and treated as aliens.

Immigrants must sacrifice their native culture and traditions in order to assimilate to the American culture. These actions have major consequences, as explained by Jordan. She writes that the ability to assimilate has economic implications, affecting job markets, government budgets, education, and hospital emergency rooms. Although Jordan makes no indication as to whether these effects are positive or negative, the current state of our economy points to negative. So the bottom line is that immigrants are being forced to conform to gain acceptance. They are sacrificing their native culture in hopes being an insider in a society filled with economic downturn.

So is fitting in really a good thing?

To Kill Creativity

To continue with the topic of last week’s post…

I have established the fact that I had been somewhat unconsciously and culturally steered onto my career path. But why wasn’t I able to come up with a profession that is unique? Something that would encompass my love for dancing hula with a more practical side to it would have been ideal.

Where has my creativity gone??

With this thought in mind, I decided to search YouTube for thoughts about creativity in today’s youth. Many people in America strive for “American” traits, which include independence and uniqueness. For one to be able to emulate these traits, I believe creativity is also necessary. So it makes sense that we must instill creativity in America’s youth.

Sir Ken Robinson has a different opinion on the matter.

At the TED Conference a few years ago, Robinson told audiences that creativity is as important as literacy. An illiterate America would never be considered one of the most powerful countries in the world. An America that lacks creative individuals would result in the same. Robinson believes that our American school systems are “educating people out of their creative capacities,” owing this to students’ fears of being punished for being wrong. He says, “if [students] are not prepared to be wrong, [they] will never come up with anything original,” and that by the time these students grow into adulthood, this fear of being wrong will translate into a complete loss of creative capacity.

The school systems tend to stigmatize mistakes. Sure, there is no such thing as a “stupid question,” but the other students will inevitably giggle and smirk at the kid who asks the “stupid question.” No one wants to be that kid.

By the way Sir Ken Robinson lays out his argument, it looks like creativity doesn’t stand a chance.

Granted, there are many creative people coming out of the American school system. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Lady Gaga are all visionaries in my mind. But perhaps Robinson is correct. If the American school system is stifling creativity, there should many more creative geniuses walking our streets.

What implications does this lack of creativity have on our economy and our image as a nation? By lacking creativity are we slowing shifting toward conformity? This is just something to think about…  

So why do you want to become a pharmacist?

“So, why do you want to become a pharmacist?”

This tends to be the follow up question to my declaration of being a pre-pharmacy student. I can’t even remember how many times I’ve been asked this simple and predictable question. But despite the numerous opportunities I have had to practice my answer, I still have yet to formulate a response that is completely truthful and accurate. Every time someone asks, my heart beats a little faster. I tend to make things up. My answer always changes. All because I don’t actually know the answer.

My future... 

Why do I want to become a pharmacist? Is it merely because I can’t see myself as a physician, lawyer, or businesswoman?

Possibly.

Sometimes I feel like the only reason I chose pharmacy as a future career is because it was one of a limited amount of “approved” professions as dictated by my family. Against my own beliefs, I found myself subliminally conforming to their expectations! And I hadn’t become aware of this decision until I was too far into my education to switch career goals.

I mean if it was up to me, I would still be living in Hawaii, dancing hula along side Mickey and Minnie at the new Disney Resort at Ko`olina. In this fictitious world, one where world peace existed and no one was poor or hungry, I would be a professional hula dancer. But such a world does not exist. And professional hula dancing career would only take off if my family saw this as a suitable and appropriate occupation. 

This, however, is not the case. And the more practical me realizes that this would not be a sustainable way to support my future family or myself. But to be able to turn my passion into a career…

So if not hula dancing, why pharmacy? It’s most likely because I have been brainwashed to think that there are only a handful of “real” jobs in this world. It turns out that my options were severely limited from the get go.

There are still so many other professions out there that I have not even really heard about, let alone had the time to seriously consider as a career. Why is it that the only “acceptable” careers are those that are labeled “pre-professional” – that is pre-med, pre-law, pre-dental, etc? As the daughter of two successful accountants, business was another sensible route. I’ve gotten my fair share of speeches about the benefits of going to business school and starting off my career working long, arduous hours as an employee of one of the “Big 4.”

But why were these the only options? Why haven’t I had the time to think of other career paths besides these?

Or maybe it wasn’t that I didn’t have the time, but rather I was brought up to think that there were only certain professions that are considered acceptable – only certain professions would make my parents proud of me. Science or business. My parents were making the process of choosing a career easier on me, ensuring that my future would be bright. They had my back; they were looking out for me.

I’m not saying that the idea of becoming a pharmacist isn’t appealing to me. I think I have grown into the idea of making this my profession. But would I have been a more enthusiastic sculptor, paleontologist, or social worker? By conforming to my parents expectations, I may never know.