Migrants from Asia and the Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Migrants from Asia and the Middle East - Essay Example The book reads like a story of a society determined to rise out of the dredges of the disadvantages of diversity so as to achieve unity in all its quarters as it strives to retain its right to be different. The material contains the all important implication that understanding different lifestyles and ways of living gives people a broader perspective in their own lives - this thought can be called a summation of all the ideas in this book. Strangers to these Shores goes on to give an insight into various communities and so called minorities who have the potential to deliver us to unknown lands and their unknown cultures. The United States of America has a salad bowl for its cultural and social structure, owing to the fact that it is basically made up of immigrants pursuing the "Great American Dream". These immigrants fall into a variety of groups and minorities struggling to keep their basic identity intact and yet, contribute to the American mosaic of cultures and minorities. When on the discussion of minorities, it would be incomplete without a mention of Asian and Middle Eastern Immigrants. This group has emerged as on of the largest and most sizable immigrants to the United States of America. According to national figures and statistics, every fourth person in New York alone belongs to India or some country around it. Therefore, it comes as no surprise to find an entire chapter dedicated to this group. Chapter nine of Strangers to these Shores is called "Other Asian and Middle Eastern Americans". The paper in your hand is a summary of this chapter. Firstly, let us deal with the word "other". The use of this word in the chapter's title silently underscores the fact that this group has been relegated to the minority status. Moving on, it would be imperative to define "Asia" and the "Middle East", out of a need to distinguish between the two. While Asia widely refers to Middle Eastern states as well as countries like India, Pakistan, China, Japan and other South East Asian states, it is quite clear that the cultures are poles apart. A notable factor of this chapter that has to do with the broad definitions of these areas is the fact that it takes the Middle East and the rest of Asia i.e. when it says "other Asian immigrants", separately. That should suffice as a clear demarcation for the rest of the paper. In the course of this paper, the author seeks to educate the readers by starting out with facts that have to do with understanding the topical and current nature of the experiences of these people as compared to their black and other European counterparts. Since most of these peoples found themselves migrating to the United States since the 1965 Immigration Act, their basic trait is that they are comparatively unusual and still very "non - Western". Further, while many have been able to achieve a respectable social status, a majority of them have minimal participation with native-born U.S. residents owing to their cultural differences. These differences, like those of the groups who have come to settle down in America way before them, will be resolved only over time - i.e., when