Acculturation and Cultural Estrangement in Tan and Rodriguez Essay Example

this mindset as it restricts the potential of children.

Both characters in the text share a sense of cultural estrangement. This term, defined by psychologist Catherine Cozzerrelli from the University of Kansas, refers to the feeling of not belonging to mainstream American culture. Cozzerrelli specifically suggests that cultural estrangement can be experienced by individuals who are American but do not fit in with their own culture.

In the cited works, both Olivia and Rodriguez feel alienated from their native cultures. Olivia lacks exposure to Chinese culture and her half-sister, leading her to feel disconnected from her Chinese heritage. Meanwhile, Rodriguez experiences estrangement from his family because he has become fluent in English but lost much of his Spanish-speaking ability. Ultimately, cultural estrangement signifies a sense of alienation from society (Michener).

Starting their long-awaited journey to Kwan's childhood home in China, Olivia relies on her sister's knowledge of the streets. Kwan takes the lead, negotiating with vendors and sharing stories of superstition and folklore that are deeply rooted in the culture.

The owl vendor acknowledges this and promptly communicates with Olivia in English rather than Chinese. Furthermore, Olivia is concerned about the hygiene of the street vendors' food, despite the fact that many locals consume it regularly. Moreover, both Olivia and her spouse are charged the higher 'tourist' price for pancakes, as they are considered tourists, while the taxi driver tries to cater to his American passengers by playing music from an American 80s band (Tan 1272-1273, 1277).

While she may seem Chinese at first glance, it is clear to everyone that she is actually American. The Chinese people she meets

treat her accordingly.

Olivia's disconnection from her cultural heritage becomes evident when she says, "I inhale deeply and imagine that I'm filling my lungs with the very air that inspired my ancestors, whoever they might have been" (Tan 1273). She lacks a connection to her ancestors and therefore cannot truly find inspiration in this experience.

Furthermore, there is also tension in her cultural bond with her sister. Upon learning that Kwan had made a wish from the mountaintop, she automatically presumed that it was for a desirable spouse or a vehicle – both symbols of achievement in American culture.

Due to her experiences in America, Olivia cannot connect with her Chinese heritage and find it difficult to understand her sister, especially during times of sorrow. Olivia, being American, is unable to identify with Chinese culture like Kwan, who can still consider China as her home and establish relationships with people there.

Rodriguez came to understand the importance of culture slowly, not through one event but over several years. He wants to challenge the bilingual education movement because he thinks it misinterprets the purpose of public schooling and undermines the significance of a family's language (Rodriguez 12).

According to Rodriguez, he exclusively spoke his family language in private family moments at home. He clarifies that the title "Aria" is derived from his emphasis on the sounds of words. In his childhood, Rodriguez distinguished between English, which was spoken in public, and Spanish, which was used privately. He details this experience as follows:

In my world, I experienced a captivating blend of sounds and held onto my youthful purity

for a longer period than others. I hesitated to fully embrace language and occasionally felt apprehensive towards the sounds made by non-Spanish speakers, but listening to Spanish being spoken at home brought me immense joy.

According to Rodriguez (16), I communicated with my family in a language that was noticeably distinct from the language spoken in the broader society. This meant that as a growing child, I did not experience the usual boundaries between public and private interactions. The world outside our home represented public society, while our household constituted a private space.

Following a period of time, the teachers came to the Rodriguez residence and urged the family to speak English at home. The parents, wanting to help their children with their education, agreed. This marked the beginning of Richard losing his ability to distinguish between the sounds of home and those in public.

According to Rodriguez (21-22), he became aware of the language barrier when he witnessed his parents speaking Spanish in the kitchen. He noticed a change in their voices as they switched to English upon seeing him, which surprised and distanced him. In that moment, Rodriguez felt a sense of unexpressed sorrow in his throat due to the small miscommunication and profound insight. However, he accepts this new dynamic and shows his understanding by confidently expressing his opinions at school.

Rodriquez shares his experience of acculturation, which ultimately leads to a sense of cultural alienation referred to as "a disabling confusion" (28). Despite the support of his parents, his proficiency in English causes him to struggle with speaking Spanish, resulting in embarrassment for himself and his

parents. This situation further exacerbates when his own family members label him as pocho, leading to his isolation from his cousins.

He feels guilty for abandoning the Spanish language, influenced by his parents. However, his grandmother helps him resolve this conflict by teaching him a valuable lesson. During a conversation with her in Spanish, he rediscovered the intimate utterance he had experienced as a child but had lost (Rodriguez 37).

Despite experiencing cultural estrangement and loss of cultural identity in America, Olivia is not worried about her inability to fully engage in Chinese culture as a Chinese woman. Instead, she discovers satisfaction in shaping her identity through her relationship with her husband and their life together in America.

Richard Rodriguez, a Hispanic-American, faced challenges in discovering his identity until he recognized the significance of cultural disparities during his youth. He describes this realization by stating, "This understanding gradually emerged as I formed connections beyond my household and started discerning personal sentiments expressed through the English language" (31). As he matured, he comprehended that intimacy is not solely conveyed through words but also through the emotions underlying them. Thus, his Hispanic-American heritage continues to shape his sense of self.

Culture places substantial societal and personal burdens on individuals. Both Olivia and Richard encounter emotions of being excluded, alienated, and humiliated as a result of fully adapting to American society.

Today, countless immigrant children undergo similar emotions when they move to different countries. Despite ongoing efforts by social activists to help these children preserve their cultural identity by maintaining their language, Rodriguez's personal experiences, as highlighted in his childhood narrative, imply

that individuals are truly content when they are granted the freedom to discover their own sense of intimacy wherever they may choose.

Rodriguez believes that this message is not expressed solely through words. As more immigrant children embark on a similar journey as these characters, hopefully their experiences will be smoother thanks to the ones who paved the way before them.

Works Cited

The website for the Kansas State University Department of Psychology lists Cozzarelli's research interests. It can be accessed at http://www.k-state.edu/psych/research_cozzarelli.htm.

In 2001, the University of Alabama's Department of Anthropology published a book called "Anthropological Theories" by King G. and Meghan Wright. The book discusses the concepts of diffusionism and acculturation.

In the Handbook of Social Psychology, Michener and colleagues discuss the application of social psychology.

The text can beand unified as follows:

The article "1988" is accessible on the internet at http://www.nd.edu/~rwilliam/xsoc530/socstructure.htm.

The date of access was November 7, 2006.

Rodriguez, R. "Aria."

The writing titled "Young Girl’s Wish" by A. Tan is presented in a justified alignment.