Assimilation Into Society In Michael Leunig's The Lot

Culture is always changing. Beliefs, behaviours and presentation, religion and language all form part of what is an individual’s or community’s culture. (Bowes, Grace, & Hodge, 2012, p.75 & 77). Due to its intrinsic nature, when people migrate to Australia, they bring their culture with them. As migrants come from all over the world, and not the one place, their

Flores’s work mostly communicates with the segmented assimilation scholars, as he was essentially providing evidence that proves the segmented assimilation theory wrong. Yet he does not limit his audience to scholars. His book is assessable to the general public without sociological background,

Pang goes on to state that these “racists feel that no one, neither society nor the government, appreciates how the modern world has left them behind. But one group shares their unrelenting feelings of deepseated fear and anxiety: their victims.” (Pung 2016) however these deep seeded sentiments are also not being helped by the nation-state where there has been no real attempt in multicultural or migratory education since the original yet short push for multiculturalism in the years following the white Australia policy nor has there been an attempt in educating the Australian people that assimilation is an acceptable or achievable endeavour. There is an identified need to develop an understanding that all types of migration lead to social and economic change and attempts to surpress such transformations can lead to racism and conflict. (Castles

This takes away people's individuality, because everyone has their unique features, nationality, cultural background or appearance does not give one’s identify, but what define us is what we do and how we

The repeated exposure to different concepts helped to improve his understanding of the language. This is when Rodriguez would become assimilated to American culture. As he grew up, these practices allowed him to have increased opportunities to earn degrees from Stanford and Columbia University. Moreover, he spent time in London as a Fulbright Scholar. This is showing how assimilation is a critical factor for anyone to take advantage of the opportunities available in society. (London, 2009)

It is thought by many that part of the Australian identity is being a very tolerant country that accepts and includes all cultures and people from all walks of life; however, after coming across the poems No More Boomerang by Oodgeroo Noonuccal and Be Good, Little Migrants by Uyen Loewald, the experiences felt by two Australians prove that this idea is... questionable.

Individuality is

When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary that someone must judge another to reassure their own position as a superior being. It is at this time, those that threaten individuality and culture be reminded that they are made of the same matter that nature intended for us as humans, and these oppressors of unique must now swallow it.

Our individual characteristics and traits are what initiates change and drives society, yet in our society in which individuality doesn’t seem to exist these days. where is an individualist is something what we call an outcast or not normal. In two articles by Kenji Yoshino "Preface" and "The New Civil Rights Movement", Yoshino discusses how he believes that people “cover” or hide their real identity so they will fit into the so called “norms” of our society. Yoshino supports his argument by ethos, he also uses his own personal experiences, he also uses pathos, and he uses examples, facts and data to get his point across. It is this individuality that fuel society and is present in every aspect of it. Culture, a significant part of society,

Huge amount of people from all the countries of the world have made Australia their abode. Their lives, experiences and knowledge have affected all sides of Australian life. Particularly, the new-comes, or immigrants, have facilitated of the essence to the working life of the mainland – from goldfields, vineyards, the fields of sugar cane, and building sites across farms to factories, cafes and a lot of another deals. Finally, the arrival of men from various communities and societies made a cultural multicity that is now a built-in part of Australian individuality and society.

Assimilation is based on the assumption that white Australians are superior and that black Australians are inferior. Assimilation was focused on children because they believe that it is easier to teach children and because they adapt faster than adults. The children were forcibly taken away from their parents and were sent far away to be “educated” of the Western way of living and to forget about their own culture. These children are known as “The Stolen Generation” (Ballyn, 2011).

Zitkala-Sa’s autobiography informs her readers of the damaging and traumatizing effects of assimilation by utilizing her life experiences as a narrative, demonstrating how living under an oppressive and dominant culture was an internal struggle between society's expectations and her own cultural identity. Sa’s experience is especially unique considering her mixed heritage as well.

I strongly believe that individuality should be valued over conformity. Today I will tell you how precious and rare individuality is, and why we should value it over conformity.

You would think that everyone in the world is an individual and everyone is unique. You would think that everybody is different from each other, but is that really the case? Many people in the United States like to think they are different from everyone and they are a unique individual. My whole life I have felt like I was part of a distinct group of individuals that only come once in every blue moon. I since then have realized, that I conform more than I think and I conform more than I should. Not to say that conforming is bad, but sometimes I feel that citizens can live without it. I believe that everyone in the world conforms at some point in their long life, but realizing that you do

While all people conform to society to some degree we all develop aspects of individuality from our different experiences. Individuality is what makes the human race as successful as it is. It adds creativity and change in an otherwise idle society. Without it there would be no change.