Cultural Assimilation Essay -- United States, American society, ethnic

Many people come to the United States for change. Change they think will be given to them the moment they step foot on U.S soil, which happens to be incorrect. There is a process to undergo before an individual is able to experience change. A process which occurs once they allow it to begin. Cultural assimilation is â€Å"a process by which members of an ethnic minority group lose cultural characteristics that distinguish them from the dominant cultural group or take on the cultural characteristics of another group† (medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com). It is challenging to begin, that is why when deciding on weather or not to assimilate, â€Å"people usually weigh the benefits and costs† (Konya 2). For example, parents usually assimilate even if it â€Å"imposes very large costs for them, because they want the best for their children† (Konya 2). But, there are still ethnic groups that assimilate into American society at much lower rates than others because they refuse to until they finally decide to later in their lives. To be more specific, there is evidence to support that Mexicans in Los Angeles, CA are assimilating at lower rates than any other race: â€Å"Now, a new study lays bare what sociologists and others have long argued: Mexican immigrants are assimilating to life in the United States less successfully than other immigrants† (Schulte 1). The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse portrays the terrible effects caused by the slow cultural assimilation of Mexicans in Los Angeles compared to other races. These effects such as poor income and daily struggles can be seen through Felicia Esperanza and remarks made by Freddy Blas as well as Efren Mendoza. Felicia Esperanza, a U.S born citizen was raised in a very Mexican concentrated... ...0 Nov. 2013. . Lazear, Edward P. "Mexican Immigration to the United States." Ed. George J. Borjas. Mexican Assimilation in the United States (2007): n. pag. National Bureau of Economic Research. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. . Schulte, Bret. "Mexican Immigrants Prove Slow to Fit In." US News and World Report. USNews.com, 15 May 2008. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. . Skyhorse, Brando. The Madonnas of Echo Park. New York: Free, 2010. Print. Teske, Raymond H.C., Jr., and Bardin H. Nelson. Acculturation and Assimilation: A Clarification 1.2 (1974): 351-67. Jstor.org. Jstor.org/journals, Feb. 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.