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Cultural Alienation In America

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As immigration from other countries into the United States grew, conflicts of culture have been a prominent issue that have affected immigrants, resulting in cultural alienation. This sense of isolation has been established and enforced by the white Americans, dating back to the early 1900’s, due to the beginning of non-European immigrants coming to America. In the two excerpts from Bless Me, Ultima and The Buddha in the Attic the speakers are people who have experienced immense cultural isolation from other cultures where they are not accepted. In Bless Me, Ultima, the speaker talks about how he was publicly ridiculed by teachers and other children in his class, alluding to how many immigrant children have felt when their culture is not accepted …show more content…

As he first arrives, he cannot speak English as well as the other kids. The teacher “pointed at [him] but he could not understand her”, as it was not his first language (Anaya). This alienates the speaker in multiple ways, he was singled out and humiliated for his lack of skills in English by his own teacher. This separated him from the American kids immediately, as they could all understand and answer the teacher. Along with feeling like he does not belong, the other children in his class also point him out, while they “laughed and pointed…[and forced him to be] kept away from the other groups...and worked alone” (Anaya). He was already feeling ashamed and disappointed in himself for not being like the others, but was also called out and bullied into solitude. Cultural difference is another factor in the alienation of the speaker. For example, when it is time for lunch, the other children take notice of his lunch and “laughed and pointed again… and showed [him] their sandwiches which were made of bread” (Anaya). Although the difference was small, the other children in his class used it as an opportunity to mock and single out the speaker. When they show him that he is not like the others, he still could not understand why they were so unaccepting to him. This is how many American children will view others who are different as below them, due to what they have been taught from their parents and the society around

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