English-Only Debated Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

English-Only Debated - Essay Example It can also be defined as an easily accessible artistic mode of expression that points out, in a wide range of mediums, criticisms and oppositions to social, political ,economic or other circumstances in the community that are of high concern (Duncombe, 4-5). Consequently, cultural resistance mainly intends to raise awareness of the issue and then calls for justice on the part of the oppressed, this implies that it exist for a reason and not just for the sake of sympathy or pity. This article addresses creative cultural resistance in the American society with focus on English language There has been a raging debate on cultural dissent and language in regard to what it mean for one to say, â€Å"I am American?† The law provides these answers in technical sense: as to be one that falls under a statutory or constitutional category having full participation and membership rights in the American polity (Del 55). The main ones, with few minor exceptions, are birth within the United States, birth to American parents overseas, and legal naturalization, all regulated by the federal government. If this is the case why do when family, friends, co-workers, and or even our general acquaintances refer to themselves as who they are, the response is too often either Italian, Irish, German, Greek, or French and so on, however, in reality they're not, they’re simply American. This false mindset of what people perceive themselves to be leads to a stronger divide, separation, and cultural resistance between the people within our society both politically and culturally, while deteriorating the true identity and morals of what it means to be an American which can be found deep as its foundation. In spite of this, calling oneself â€Å"Irish† can give way to a sense of pride and belonging to a unique nation, with a heritage of great deeds and tragic flaws, a set of ideals, and a singularly commanding and demanding position in today’s world. As discussed by Rogers M. Smith, for many Americans alike, the sentence â€Å"I am Irish† is also a revelation of their sense of attachment at the deepest emotional level to unique culture and moral standards. It has then much more than merely legal meaning; it evokes a statement of political and personal identity that is complex, powerful, and often contradictory to the ideas and sentiments for both American and non-Americans similarly (Del 55). Retrospectively, this divides our country; the false sense of attachment due to pride drives both natives and immigrants towards specific towns or counties while steering them away from others. The culture and customs of one's heritage often differs greatly between an American native and ones ancestry within a home country. Since the United States is an immigrant society, putting as much of your message as possible into words is important in order to let people know where one is coming from. People try to remove the possibility of misassumptions as they believe everyone is different and the degree which they are involved in the majority culture varies (Jasper, 19-25). The Japanese view their country differently; they’re racially and culturally homogeneous with a long history of tradition, so it is assumed that everyone knows and will play by the unspoken rules of the majority culture. The two cultures are both different from each other while have very little in common. When Japanese-Americans refer to themselves as Japanese they’re merely holding themselves to a lie. More than forty percent of the population of Japanese immigrants predominantly resides in Hawaii and despite gigantic differences in cultural tradition and descent the majority continues to call themselves Japanese. Rather than United States citizens,