Grappling with Identity: The Ethnic, Political, and Social
The narratives and experiences of “new Germans” resonated with me as I struggle to grapple with my own ethnic and political identity as well as reconciling my family’s history in the United States. As we learn more about Germany in this class — the successes, problems, and history — I find myself reflecting on my experiences, history, and life here in the United States. Over the past couple of weeks, it has been interesting to learn and reflect upon social sustainability and the role that migration and discrimination plays in Germany. In class we also discussed the difference between assimilation and integration which made me question to what extent my family and I have integrated or assimilated into the US monoculture. Even though there is this idea of a “multikulti” Germany, much of their policies and social treatment towards those who do not fit the German monoculture are negative. Speak German. And speak it well. If you are a migrant or even belong to a migrant family, you are looked down upon. It echoes the American calls for immigrants to “Speak English, you are in America” or “Go back to where you came from.”
My own identity and family history in the United States is so layered and complex yet the video we watched in class and Professor Wong’s stories about belonging in Germany as an outsider resonated deeply. I am multiethnic and fifth generation Japanese American. My grandfather is Japanese American whose family has deep roots in Hawaii and my grandmother is Japanese American with deep roots in Los Angeles. My great grandparents were incarcerated during WWII for being of Japanese decent which has shaped my family history and my relationship with my political identity. My other grandfather immigrated from Trinidad and Tobago and my grandmother was adopted. Because both sides of my family are rooted in Los Angeles, I identify more as an “Angeleno” or as a “Southern Californian” moreso than any other political identity. At the end of the day, I do not fit in with the American monoculture. At the end of the day, neither do the “new Germans.”
Is it socially sustainable to make people conform to the state and dominant group’s perception of what makes a person belong to the society while only valuing their economic contribution to the state? I think societies and communities around the world are still trying to answer this question as we become a more global community and have to find solutions to increasingly global problems.
