On Monday, I wrote about bilingualism. My sister and I discussed why Chinese immigrants in America seem more eager than other immigrant groups to assimilate into mainstream American culture.
This conversation took me back to the 1980s when I studied deconstructionism in a literary criticism class and later applied these ideas in an American history class. Although I struggled with some non-English names, I remembered key terms and examples.
One important concept is binary oppositions, such as good and evil, yin and yang, male and female, mainstream and marginal, central and outlier. There is no yin without yang, no good without evil. In these pairs, one is usually privileged over the other, like male over female or main over marginal. Deconstruction aims to subvert this hierarchy by demonstrating how the subordinated term is integral to the privileged term's meaning and how the two are interconnected. For instance, there is yin in yang and yang in yin, making their positions fluid and interchangeable.
Let's apply this idea to the concept of assimilation into mainstream American culture and society. Perhaps we should deconstruct the binary opposition between mainstream and marginal culture. In this pair, mainstream and marginal cultures are interconnected, like yin and yang, and are parts of a whole.
So, what does it mean to assimilate? Does it mean becoming the dominant side of the pair? Speaking perfect English? Completely abandoning one's own minority culture and language to immerse oneself exclusively in "100% American" culture? Raising your kids like an average American family? By the way, what exactly is American mainstream culture? Not eat Chinese food?
If we deconstruct this binary opposition, we see a fluid pair where ethnic minorities like the Chinese and mainstream American culture influence each other. Deconstruction encourages us to be open and inclusive, recognizing the mutual influence and dynamic relationship between different cultures. In fact, deconstruction of binary oppositions helps us see the continuous exchange and mutual enrichment in today's multicultural world.
By practicing deconstruction, we can move beyond rigid notions of assimilation and cultural identity. Instead of viewing cultures as dominant and subordinate forces, we can appreciate the dynamic and evolving interplay between them. This perspective allows us to foster a more inclusive and harmonious society where diverse cultural influences are not only acknowledged but celebrated.