Blog 10

Villanueva discusses how to him biculturalism does not necessarily mean that someone has an equal ease with two cultures and that biculturalism is just as imposed as assimilation (p. 39). I tend to agree with Villanueva. As an American of Mexican decent I am often asked what “I am”. If I reply that I am an American I receive a polite laugh and asked again really what “are you”. So I can relate with the idea that people of different cultures may not always fit into the definition of American no matter how much they may wish to. I believe I can use biculturalism in both assignment 2 and 3 to show how people of different cultures use these forums to express themselves. It would be interesting to note how people interact with different cultures and how biculturalism comes into play when people are trying to fit into two or more different cultures. Do people try to tone down their ethnicity in order to fit in with another group of people? Villanueva also points out that often people will try so hard to fit into one group that they alienate themselves from the other, but they are not fully accepted in either so they go it alone. He calls this racelessness (p. 40). I look forward to discovering any indication of this in assignment 2 and 3.

Works Cited:
Villanueva, Victor. "Spic in English!" Bootstraps: from an American Academic of Color. Urbana, IL: National council of Teachers of English, 1993. 34-50. Print.

Multiple Choice:
According to Villanueva, choosing to speak the language of the dominant:

A. Bears a price, which is alienation for an individual
B. Will help people of different cultures better assimilate into American culture
C. Should be avoided at all costs
D. None of the above

T/F
For Villanueva in Bootstraps: from an American Academic of Color, racelessness is the ability to fit in so well with two cultures that race is no longer a factor.