2. Group E--sfisher26 (Replacement A)

In Trevor Noah's Born a Crime (my book), Trevor explores the pressures of assimilation through his experiences growing up as a mixed-race kid in apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa. Just like Tran, Noah struggles with identity, as he doesn’t fully belong to any racial or cultural group. Immigrants are often pressured to assimilate quickly, especially when it comes to language and social norms. In Noah’s case, he has the ability to speak multiple languages which he uses to fit in with different groups, allowing him to navigate a divided society.

Early assimilation tends to focus on communication, education, and daily customs, like how Tran’s family had to adjust to American holidays and traditions. Similarly, Noah learns different dialects and cultural mannerisms to survive. However, deeper aspects of identity, such as personal values, heritage, and traditions, can be preserved longer, often remaining strong within immigrant families. While immediate assimilation is often necessary for survival and acceptance, holding onto one’s cultural roots provides a sense of belonging and identity that lasts over time.

In my book “ Out of Nowhere” by Maria Padian, Tom is a senior in high school and captain of the soccer team. His season is changed when Somali immigrants join the team and they are very skilled and better than pretty much everyone else on the team. One of these players is named Saeed, who Tom quickly befriends and even helps him fill out the permission slip so that he's allowed to play. With the help of the new teammates the soccer team starts winning games however Tom makes a big mistake, he and his troublemaker friend Donnie decide to paint their rival highschools special rock. They get caught in the act and everyone is mad at Tom, his parents, his coach, his principal, everyone. Tom gets sentenced to 100 hours of community service and has to repaint the rock back to how it was. At school the immigrants have a hard time finding classes and navigating the school because they barely know English. The confusion leads to other kids making fun of and picking on them which creates a hostile environment in the school. What doesn't help is the rule that the school puts in that students are only allowed to speak English in classrooms which makes it very difficult for the immigrants to communicate. Tom has to start doing his community service at a learning center for immigrant children. Here he meets Myla, a college student who Tom likes, however Tom has a girlfriend which makes things complicated. Tom goes there everyday after school to get his hours in and to see Myla. The soccer team continues to go well with the help of Saeed and the other immigrants. However in the most important game of the year against their rivals Maquoit, Ramadan is happening, so none of the immigrant players can eat or drink anything all day or during the game. Against the odds they beat them and everyone is hyped. Tom eventually breaks up with his girlfriend and starts seeing Myla, and everything in his life starts going great.

how quickly are immigrants pressured to assimilate? What aspects of culture do they need to assimilate to early, and what aspects can be avoided or pushed until later?

The culture that the immigrants need to assimilate to or understand and come to terms with is very different for them and for the people living in Enniston. The town was being flooded with immigrants and there wasn't enough room for them and so they mayor spoke about it which raised lots of controversy, "She said Enniston was maxed out and need a break from all the new immigrants. She asked them to exercise some discipline."( Padian 136). So not only do the immigrants have to adjust to the new culture but so do the people of Enniston, they all have to learn to live together as one community which isn't easy for them.

In my book Out Nowhere by Maria Padian, Tom Bouchard a senior in high school and also the captain of the soccer team. His season is altered when there a lot of immigrants who join the team, the kids are really good probably the best on the team. One that stands out is named Saeed he is a immigrant from Somalia, and Tom and Saeed become very good friends and Tom even helps him fill out his paper for him to play soccer. But Tom and his friend Donnie did something very bad by going to there rival school Maquoit and painted there special rock. Tom gets sentenced to 100 community service hours and also has to paint the rock to how It was before. His parents, friends, principal and coach are all very dissapointed with him. In school the immigrants are struggling to find there classes and they cannot ask for help because they do not understand English well enough. The other kids start making fun of the immigrants by teasing them and making fun of them. The school also makes a rule that immigrants have to speak English and not there home countries language which makes it even harder for the immigrants.  

how quickly are immigrants pressured to assimilate? What aspects of culture do they need to assimilate to early, and what aspects can be avoided or pushed until later?

They are pressured into it pretty much right away because the other people don't believe that there religion or beliefs are superior to there's and that they should pick up there beliefs. They want them to understand the language and speak the English language instead of there home language. They can avoid or push later is maybe doing more things that Americans would like eating the food, getting jobs, and maybe going to college.