American Seoul an Exploration of American Assimilation and Generational Trauma
The process of assimilation in America is very complex, as the country does not have a clear path for each cultural group. The experience of an Arab, Latino, Asian, or Indigenous person can be very different, and the nuances between them can be large. This is why it is important to explore the unique differences between this assimilation across different cultural and racial groups.
American Seoul explores the life of our protagonist, Helena Rho, a Korean woman and a previous pediatrician. The memoir shows us her experiences as an immigrant navigating Uganda and America’s distinct cultural and social landscapes. Rho, in her memoir, faces the challenges of cultural alienation due to her Korean heritage while also experiencing racism and patriarchal structures existing in American society. Through her journey of assimilation, American Seoul exposes the complex and often grim process of assimilation, the conflicting dynamics between being in touch with one’s nationality and assimilation, and the unique nuances and differences in the assimilation process.
Background Information
a. Helena Rho’s Life Prior to American Assimilation
i. This section explores the early childhood formative experiences of Helena Rho during her early childhood in Korea and Uganda. Here, a lot of her personal trauma is revealed, giving insight into some of the new perspectives she has formed from such trauma.
b. Generational Trauma and Pre-established Prejudice
ii. This section explores the personal reasons, as well as the systematic perceptions, for Helena Rho’s reflective self-prejudice and the implications thereof. These prejudices come from her family members and are unique in their qualities, for example, her mother’s views as well as the differing dynamics between her mother’s and her father’s sides of the family. This will also explore the unique set of erroneous coping skills she adapted from her family.
The Process of Assimilation
a. Systematic Racial Issues
i. This section explores the perceptions of Asians in America and the specific pressures Asian groups feel compared to other racial minority groups. It also addresses the type of discrimination they face and how it ties into Helena’s experience in the US. The section will delve into her own experiences, while also acknowledging the perspectives of older generations and immigrants, such as her father and their differing perspectives. Her experiences in the workplace are essential to understanding this process.
b. Systematic Patriarchal Issues, Differences between Korea and USA
ii. Patriarchal issues are present throughout the entire world, though different cultures have specific obsessions or expectations. This section discusses the differences and similarities between these cultural expectations.
Tying Both Together
a. This section explores the intertwining between systematic racial and patriarchal issues, as they are not mutually exclusive, and examines Helena’s unique experiences regarding these problems. It will also tie in her experiences relating to racism and other experiences such as her sexual assault both in her childhood and marriage.
Conclusion
a. This section will focus specifically on Helena’s prior prejudices and their connection to her assimilation. It will also discuss the pressures placed on her and elaborate more on the points included earlier in the outline.
USE THESE SOURCES
http://www.jstor.org/stable/20026656
http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1bmzn3s.18
http://www.jstor.org/stable/29737713
ANNOTATED BIBLIO
Gordon, Milton M. “Assimilation in America: Theory and Reality.” Daedalus, vol. 90, no. 2, 1961, pp. 263–85. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20026656. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024
The mechanisms of Anglo-Saxon conformism, or more simply, assimilation associated with “Anglo-Saxon” nations—in this case, America—are examined in the article. The essay mainly draws attention to some of the nuances and misconceptions held by American social scientists, as well as an absence of analysis to ascertain how Anglo-Saxon conformity affects immigrant populations. The essay also examines many eras and changing viewpoints on immigration, including those regarding immigration during the Cold War and the Civil War. There is a shift from “Anglo-conformity” to the now-known metaphor known as the “melting pot.” This term became particularly popular during Italian, Greek, Polish, and Chinese migration, shifting the narrative of “Anglo-conformity,” predominantly related to those of Nordic, German, or English descent. The article also dives into the failed attempts of “Americanization” and the unfortunate effects on immigrants, such as the adoption of self-deprecating attitudes in immigrants and shame, as well as a general feeling of duty to overcompensate, in comparison to white counterparts. This source will help me understand the historical context that explains people’s emotional and cultural complexes. Specifically, I will focus on how this is reflected in Helena Rho’s book.
Lee, Robert G. “The Cold War Origins of the Model Minority Myth.” Asian American Studies Now: A Critical Reader, edited by Jean Yu-wen Shen Wu and Thomas C. Chen, Rutgers University Press, 2010, pp. 256–71. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1bmzn3s.18. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024.
Robert G. Lee debunks the myth of the “model minority” with specific reference to Asian populations. In this piece, Lee discusses how American politics have intentionally represented Asians as “better.” These portrayals were used to oppress other minority communities, particularly African-American communities. The positive portrayal of Asian immigrants during the Cold War, according to Lee, was not a result of genuine appreciation but rather a tactic to portray black people as victims of their shortcomings. According to Lee, this was an attempt by the American government to downplay systemic threats and place the blame on the communities these threats affect. The article describes how the self-reliance and family cohesiveness of Asian communities exemplified the notion of the “model minority” myth. And that while those factors were a part of their economic success, a lot of systematic issues contributed to the division and destruction of black families. The article also mentions the effects of, for example, the Japanese internment camps that were established after WW2 and the banning of Chinese immigration, which contributed to a reluctance of these communities to involve themselves with political or activist groups as a mechanism of defense. America was also concerned, particularly, for example, with Chinese immigrants due to possible “red influences” and their potential to influence such groups to participate in labor movements and strikes; by using this “positive” portrayal of self-reliance, America sought to suppress feelings of labor dissatisfactions or exploitation. Helena Rho dealt with problems related to a feeling of duty in regards to her position in America, this background information explains that attitude.
Waters, Mary C., and Tomás R. Jiménez. “Assessing Immigrant Assimilation: New Empirical and Theoretical Challenges.” Annual Review of Sociology, vol. 31, 2005, pp. 105–25. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/29737713. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024.
This article delves deeper and explores the nuances and uniqueness of certain groups in regions of the United States, as well as their assimilation patterns, from Latino immigrants to Asians. The study also looks at the dynamics of intermarriage and presents them as a “litmus test” for assimilation. The study demonstrates how communities, particularly Latino and Asian communities, have higher rates of intermarriage than whites and blacks. It assesses the “thinner” barriers between these communities compared to their black counterparts. When comparing native-born to foreign-born, the former have higher rates of intermarriage. This article also highlights the social restrictions in these communities and their correlation with higher rates of intermarriage and the facilitation of integration into the country through them. The article also states an interesting difference between white Anglos and latino/asian communities as they are described as “moderately segregated” but not to the extent of how blacks are segregated. The article also points out how “traditional” gateways, such as New York, Massachusetts, Florida, Illinois, Texas, and California, are popular entry spots for many immigrants. The article also explores language proficiency in immigrants and has found a positive correlation between how long the person has stayed (the longer, the more proficient in the language) and that there is a tiny percentage of people (10%) who are immigrants and cannot speak English at all. Regardless of the nation, pan-ethnic unions can be seen in Asian and Latino groups, for example a (Colombian marries an Argentitnian and a Vietnamese marrying a Korean). The article acknowledges that all of these dynamics are changing and in a matter that is very different.
This explains some of the dynamics of immigrants, their points of entry and their attempts of assimilation; this will be reflected in Helena Rho’s memoir, specifically related to her main relationship when she was a pediatrician in America.
PLEASE CONNECT RESEARCH TOPIC TO BOOK THE TOPIC IS IMMIGRATION AND ASSIMILATION I HAVE PROVIDED THE BOOK BELOW IF YOU NEED PDF I WILL SEND
