American Assimilation: Resistance Is Futile
I would like to welcome you to the American Borg. Please leave your language, culture, traditions and world view at the border. You are now part of the "Collective".
For those of you that are not fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation, let me take a few moments of your time to introduce you to the Borg.
The Borg are an amalgam of humanoids of many different races that are enhanced with cybernetic implants, giving them improved mental and physical abilities. This is done to achieve the self expressed goal of "perfection." The Borg function as automata; the minds of all Borg drones are connected via implants and networks to a hive, a collective mind (the Borg Collective), orchestrated by the Borg Queen and controlled from a central hub, Unimatrix One. According to themselves, the Borg only seek to "improve the quality of life for all species" by integrating organic (biological) and synthetic (artificial) components in their quest for perfection
Despite being perceived as an evil conquering juggernaut by all who know of or have encountered them, the Borg harbor no ill will to anyone; they merely fulfill their imperative to assimilate and achieve perfection. As they say, "Resistance is futile — you will be assimilated." They make good on that threat through their ability to quickly adapt to any attack, rendering it harmless.
This brings me to today’s thought. America has made an art of assimilating people of different racial, religious and ethnic backgrounds. Like the Borg, we consume all facets of multiculturalism and quickly erect a generic version for mass consumption. The existence of San Francisco’s Chinatown or Manhattan’s Little Italy is not proof of our diversity, but proof of how we absorb cultures and Americanize them.
With America as with the Borg, there is no evil agenda behind American assimilation. There exist in white America a white supremacist mindset and genocidal tendencies where they seek to destroy or enslave every culture that crosses their paths, but we can delve into that another day.Assimilation is just part of the American way. For all the push and pulling among black and white people, after you strip away the thin veil of ancestral genes, traditions historical experience, there’s not a dime bit of difference between the two races. It’s the same for everything else. Sushi, chili and burritos are as American as apple pie. Being American means that it is possible to go around the world and never leave Manhattan.
The debate on illegal immigration tends to bring up what some see is an unwillingness of recent immigrants to assimilate. This is usually followed by an “English Only” sentiment and I think that is a fair argument. But all other forms of assimilation will happen, if not with the current generation then with the next. One day Cinco De Mayo will eventually become what St. Patrick’s day currently is. Mexican immigrants will become a part of the collective. Today, they may not want to. But they will come to learn what many others before them have already come to know –
You will be assimilated.
Resistance is futile!
Discussion Starters:
1. What does it mean to assimilate?
2. Is learning English the only evidence of assimilation?
3. Are there aspects of American culture that immigrants should reject?
4. How far should America go to accommodate different cultures?
5. What part does racism play in the assimilation debate?
Poll Question:
Do you think President George W. Bush is a spawn of the devil?
12:23 PM I believe racism plays a central role in all of this. I have long suspected that folks who bash immigrants are using their arguments as a condiut to channel racist feelings that they cannot express otherwise (without being socially ostracised anyway). That might sound incredibly harsh to some, but I saw a great example of it last week here in Michigan. Last week saturday, a Neo-Nazi group staged a protest of illegal immigration in Lansing. People I work with, who would never condone the groups hatred of blacks, gays, jews, etc. publicly would simply shrug their shoulders and say "even a broken clock is right 2 times a day." However, I am not dumb enough to claim that this is true all of the time. I do believe there are very patriotic non-racist people who would like to see immigrants go. Perhaps it is more a question of motives...
"You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile!" --That's from Star Trek?! I always thought it was Microsoft's slogan!
Is GW the spawn of the Devil? I'm pretty sure that Ronald Reagan was the devil, si physically, no. Ideologically, YES.
1:22 PM I see assimilation as becoming a contributing part of whatever society you decide to live in.
Not just learning english, but also obeying our laws, paying taxes, voting, and the like.
I'm with Neo Soc that the deviant side of our culture should be ignored.
I think America is doing just what it should to accomodate other cultures. Noone is being told to forget who you are, just contribute to the whole with whatever you have been given: talent, knowledge, etc.
Assimilate doesn't mean brainwash, it means help to maintain the culture you are entering while contributing positive aspects of your own.
1:31 PM Timmer, you make good points - and I do believe Mircrosoft is using that as an internal slogan.
Neo, so your going with the saying, "E Pluribus Unum" (out of many, one).
1:33 PM BF,
I agree, but we're going to have to discuss those genocidal tendencies some time next week.
2:36 PM Great discussion topic James, Unfortunately I have got to get away far a bit, I'll be back with my 2 cents.
BTW, Those Sox look pretty good this year (Again)
8:44 AM Bold, you are right. Look what America did to Native Americans. Slaughtered them then turned them into school mascots. And actually have the nerve to say they should be honored by it.
It happens with music. Rock and Roll, R&B and now hip hop. All captured by the Collective, sucked of its spirit and fed to the masses.
And don't let America get on some imperialism or democratic crusade. It is not a pretty sight.
7:37 PM I strongly agree with Mr. Manning on this one. My father was an immigrant and my mother was raised with foreign values, but I tended to side with culture of the 90s kids I grew up with (though this could have been mostly because they were sociopaths and I found their abuse of social concepts and sheer hypocrisy completely revolting).
My personal issue wasn't being assimilated into the culture I was exposed to at that time (we were Jewish and I went to a Jew school, lel), but in re-assimilating to the pervasively Christian culture after things seemingly drastically changed to me. I tend to frame this in terms of religion just as others frame this in terms of race, but maybe it's nothing more than differences between subcultures.
Regardless of what it is, forced assimilation goes on not only on the larger national level but on a subcultural one as well. I've seen enough to know how forceful it is and how far beyond "being a productive member of society" it goes - and possibly the only reason I can still see this is because I refused to enculturate again and again if only to save the shreds of who I was that my own parents hadn't already taken from me.
I'm trying to avoid the whole sob story here and I'm not going to say more except a tl;dr summary - yep. Yes. Absolutely. Totally. We are the Borg. Your biological and technological derpstinctiveness will be added to our own.