American Culture and National Identity

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American Culture and National Identity
The debate according to Takaki in the book a different mirror over nationality is fuelled by the multicultural America perspectives of the minority. Takaki incorporated letters, quotes, telegrams, folk songs and photographs to indicate the intensity of minority oppression. The book goes ahead to reflect on Native Americans, Irish, Chinese, Jews, Chicanos, Mexicans and African-American post and pre slavery era (Takaki 28). The debate arose from the reflection of the minority communities in United States of America. Each chapter in the book identifies with a different ethnic group focusing on the attitudes portrayed by the public on minority, laws, public policy and the attitudes displayed by the minority in the same pretext.
The debate over nationality was fuelled by the theme in the books that continuously states on ‘us against them’ raising the nationality issue. It seems the American society is subdivided into individual ethnic groups (Takaki 34). The minority groups in America fears the multitudes considered giddy. Nationality identifies with country an individual is born and raised in. Nationality does not consider ethnicity, race, genetic makeup and heritage. Race is based on the physical characteristics like the colour of the skin; ethnicity considers representation of social groups with a common history, identity, cultural roots and geography despite the place of birth and racial differences.
Language plays a critical role in the social control. The modern language influences the social control through media, literature and images. Social control reflects the political mechanisms, societal mechanism and processes that guide people in the society. Takaki indicated that society is regulated by the group behavior and individual behavior (Takaki 103). The coexistent of the above factors leads to compliance and conformity to the set rules in the state, society and social group. There are a number of mechanisms that are in place controlling the social aspects in cross cultural environment. Takaki noted that social controls relates with external sanctions and internalization of the values and norms in the society.
Media plays a crucial part in the society today. This is considering that the societal lifestyle in influenced by the media. Media broadcasts in different languages and consists of literature and images. It is all around people. Media ranges from the television shows, music in the radio, magazines and books. Media entertains and educates the viewers, this part of informing the society alternatively controlling the social norms (Takaki 104). It is believed that culture has taken a new twist with social norms being regulated by the advertising. Commercial advertisements are all over the media encouraging consumers to purchase the products and services. American population is made up of different cultures. Takaki indicated that the multicultural America has different ethnic groups with a set of cultures in place. They were considered as the minority by the American society.
Acculturation identities with adoption of the behavior patterns of dominant culture, this is basically assimilating new ideas to t...