Author – K. Price
assimilation noun
/əˌsɪməˈleɪʃn/
Assimilation:[uncountable] assimilation (of somebody) (into something) the process of becoming, or allowing somebody to become, a part of a country or community rather than remaining a separate group
- his assimilation into the community
Dr. Kendi begins chapter two, Dueling Consciousness, with the definition of assimilationist, segregationist and antiracist. What I found extremely interesting is that when defined in isolation, the word assimilation is a process of someone becoming part of a social construct. However, in the context of working towards an antiracist mindset, Kendi identifies an assimilationist as an individual who supports cultural or behavioral enrichment programs to develop the inferior racial group.
I am a non-native teacher of Spanish. During my undergraduate studies I lived with a host family in Mexico and Costa Rica. For my Master’s Degree, I lived in Madrid for three summers where I rented a room in an apartment full of other people from around the globe. Each time I studied abroad, my university would give all students who traveled a packet (prior to their trip) that was intended to help us “assimilate.” I remember vaguely reading one almost in a joking manner. I was a frequent mover and experienced traveler simply from living with Marine parents…I gave little regard to such a publication because I felt it was for the privileged kids who’s only departure from their home was now at a campus thirty minutes away from the home they were born and raised in; a debit card with endless funds and full laundry service. Reading this chapter reminded me of a part of the Spain packet where it stated that as an American it was common to feel alone, homesick and misunderstood during your studies. It also had a list of common “Spanish Cultural Traits” that listed meal times, alcohol consumption, physical proximity when speaking to others and so on. I feel conflicted about this entire practice- how did these packets prepare university students for an abroad experience? Did it plant the seed for the students to expect a culture shock? Would students automatically experience a sense of “other”? Did it function as a type of American Propaganda that intentionally divided cultures?
We refer to our own experiences and our own retrospectives. We have several identities at any given moment depending on where we are and who we are surrounded by. The dilemma discussed in chapter two is that of a dueling consciousness, not a double consciousness as was termed by W.E.B. Du Bois. While Du Bois described this existence as the division of self, “two souls, two thoughts, two warring ideals,” Kendi identifies the Black consciousness as a duel between antiracist and assimilationist ideas. Du Bois believed the Black individual wanted to be liberated from racism but to do so, assimilation would need to be part of that solution. Yet assimilationist ideas are racist ideas because assimilation lends itself to comparative superiority between the racial groups.
In detailing the paradox of duality, Kendi mentions his own parents’ experience of assimilation on Long Island in the 1970’s. He describes how his parents entered the American middle class- a space where “Black people joined other Black people trying to fit into that White Space.” In the United States we now have a much more diverse offering of shows available to viewers that focus on the perspectives of non-White protagonists and families that bring light to how this duality is not only real, but still very much exists. During this Book Club session, we discussed The Wonder Years– an American television series that thrived in popularity in the late 80s that captured the hearts and minds of so many viewers. It was a family show, where any (White) viewer could somehow find a part of their own identity portrayed in a character. The show depicted a middle class, White family living in suburban America in the late sixties. In 2021 a new series was released, The Wonder Years. What would be different this time? This program is still set in the same time period, still about a family in suburban America, but this time, the family is Black. Viewers can still see the twelve year old protagonist’s journey of coming to age and all of the trials and tribulations that come with puberty and middle school. But what is now seen, is the duel consciousness, the existence of assimilist and antiracist ideals in our young protagonist who, unlike his white counterpart in the original series, faces much more than the crush on the cute girl and riding bikes with his friends. Instead he is spoken to about the police and is on a black-only baseball team. But he wants more, he wants unity, he doesn’t want to live in a divided society and he will start with a biracial baseball team.
If we are to make true progress, we must see representation of ALL of our society in our media, we need to see ourselves and others, we need to hear and tell each other’s stories. This is the beauty of perspective and consciousness in its most embryonic way. We cannot see an antiracist American society if we cannot first see that assimilation cannot exist for our duality will always continue to duel.
“The White body no longer strives to be the American body, knowing there is no such thing as the American body, only American bodies, racialized by power.” -Ibram X. Kendi