It's a mistake to call it assimilationism. You're not denying that you have cultural connections to Iran. Instead, you work hard (though I suspect you'd deny that it's hard) to defy people's expectations of what an Iranian person looks and acts like. It's a tricky negotiation, between affirming cultural identity and confirming ethnic stereotypes. But I've always thought that it's a good strategy, especially for members of ethnic and racial groups for which the problem is xenophobia, which is the racism that pretends to be patriotism.
It's a mistake to call it assimilationism. You're not denying that you have cultural connections to Iran. Instead, you work hard (though I suspect you'd deny that it's hard) to defy people's expectations of what an Iranian person looks and acts like. It's a tricky negotiation, between affirming cultural identity and confirming ethnic stereotypes. But I've always thought that it's a good strategy, especially for members of ethnic and racial groups for which the problem is xenophobia, which is the racism that pretends to be patriotism.
Posted by Bob | Link to this comment | 10-16-03 1:57 PM
Honky.
Posted by Isle of Toads | Link to this comment | 10-11-05 11:38 AM