ural heritage and still fit in. After one or more generations of a family has grown up in America, the alteration of at least some of their native culture is inevitable.

For most people in the immigrant generation, the promises of American life remain

www.immigrationforum.org, "From Newcomers to New Americans: The

Pozzetta, George E. American Immigration and Ethnicity. Garland

Each ethnic group in America today brings a unique lifestyle to this country. Members of groups whose economic and educational expectations are low, and who therefore lack mobility, are least likely to be assimilated (Colburn, 102). Many members of inner-city minority ghettos fall into this category. Although these people are at a disadvantage as far as their economic and educational opportunities are concerned, some may feel that they have an upper hand over people who do not live in ghettos. In most poor areas of America, one culture dominates. For example, the main character of Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street, named Esperanza, lived in an all Latino neighborhood. By living around only one ethnic group, the people of these neighborhoods can not help but to preserve some common bonds of religion, customs, political interest, family and group life that hold their native country's culture together (Reimers, 192). Esperanza was very unhappy with the area she l!

n Chinese immigrant, goes through as she grows up in an upper class predominantly Jewish suburb. Mona begins associating with the Jewish people she lives around more than she does with people of her own native culture. This occurrence can be attributed to the interests that bring people together in the suburbs. Mona identified more with the interests of her neighbors, which happened to call for a religious change for her. Because shared the most common interests and felt most comfortable around the Jewish people she associated with, she decided to conform to their way of life. Mona's family, who were Chinese immigrants, had a big problem with this because they did not want her to lose touch with their native Chinese culture. Mona did not mean to offend her family, however, she felt that where she felt most comfortable is where she belonged. Holding on to the customs, morals, and ideals of her family's native culture was not what Mona saw to be how she identified herself!

"Assimilation into life in the U.S. has never required the obliteration of ethnic identity. Instead it involves newcomers of differing backgrounds adopting basic concepts of American life-equality under the law", says sociologist Nathan Glazer in the article "From Newcomers to New Americans." This is to say that assimilat

Some common words found in the essay are:
Gish Jen, Dream Esperanza's, Dominican Republic, Lost Accents, American Indians, Furthermore American, Mango Street, America American, Surrounded American, Newcomers Americans, american society, native culture, american culture, girls' parents, bring people, dominican republic, girls america, mainstream american society, economic educational, julia alvarez's, mona identified, american society adapt, american society people, julia alvarez's piece,
Approximate Word count = 1635
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)