Culture shock and adaptation among Iranian and Mexican immigrant women

¶ … foreign immigrant groups California share similar struggles quest American citizens

Following the development of western countries in the nineteenth century, there emerged a prolonged immigration of Asian communities into the American society. Iran had a shock in their culture. Individual personality such as language proficiency, learning level, and job skill influences their ability to adapt. Immigration is a key life challenge, although well thought-out to be stressful, particularly for women coming from environments with observance to traditional gender roles, through the exposure, organizations of these societies disintegrate.

Shared struggles of Iranian & Mexican immigrants

Economic factors like financial resources, loses and gains in social status intimidates the immigrants. The attitude of the host country with the level of similarity of the two cultures is also an influential factor. Individual factors such as character strength, decision-making skills, declaration of feeling of loss, and the ability to endure uncertainty about gender roles influence the power of the culture shock experienced by the immigrants and their ability to adapt (Tohidi, Pg 150). All these factors contrast significantly for men and women, with the effect that the processes of acculturation and adaptation differ for them too. Both the immigrants experience acculturation where changes in values, beliefs, attitudes, and behavior associate with collision of home and host cultures. This does not mean that all the values from home culture disappear. Not every immigrant manages to achieve a bicultural stability. Many never stop feeling alienated in the new society, while others practice complete incorporation.

For Iranian women, the process of developing a new identity is perhaps the most psychologically challenging and delicate aspect of immigration. During the climax to their arrival into the United States, the progressive forces of revolution and the consequent character of the Islamic government fostered a transformation in the role of women. The differing demands on men and women can either facilitate acculturation or create confusion and conflicts for women. Changes in traditional conceptions of womanhood, manhood, and marriage-from a repressive male dominated model to more democratic one-is taking place faster among women than men (Tohidi, Pg 151).

Major emphasis on segregation of women and the proper role and place in the society focuses on their access to education and work outside Iran. Iranian women in Los Angeles have gained considerable personal and political freedom. There are no longer violation of basic human rights such as dress code and sexual apartheid. Iranian women who successfully adapt to American society frequently experience rejection by the home culture. This is due to their association with the worst elements of westernization acquired in Los Angeles.

Shared struggles of Iranian & Mexican immigrants (Identity conflicts)

In the nineteenth century, Mexican men worked in America as farm workers. Labor demand during the development of America enables their migration throughout Latin America to California. They provided cheap labor in the mines, dredge and to harvest. When the jobs became scarce, they scattered throughout north and some thrown back over the border, preceded home. The large population stream of Mexicans has changed social setting and economic chances of Mexico and the U.S.A. The swift boost in the U.S.A. population by Mexicans has resulted to debates over the cultural, economic, and political impact. The possibility of low-skill Mexican immigrants potentially assimilating has raised questions of the act leading to a new underclass. The proficiency masterpiece of the Mexican immigrant workforce differs from that of native force.

This assimilation of westernized culture threatens traditional relations in the Mexican culture and creates tension. Cultural collusion, economic pressures, and sexual freedom contribute to family instability among Mexican immigrants and blame women for their loss of originality. Women also criticize men for failing to adjust their attitudes and expectations in the face of new realities. The Latino hearted immigrants who learn to speak fluent English try to move up the ranks into higher-paying live-in jobs. Live-out nanny earns more money than live-ins (Jack Lopez Pg 126). Most of them work eight or nine hours a day meaning that hourly wages generates a dependable income. All these are short lived by Mexican men. Like their Iranian counterparts, they cling to traditional norms as a reaction to perceiving the threat of women's new independence.

Iranian women & Chinese Shared immigrant struggles

Chinese women are little far off than slaves when compared to Iranian women. They never gain any distinction until after death. Considering the humble position the women occupy in china and the hard life they experience as immigrants, it would be better if they do not immigrate. Barely the women recognized in Los Angeles, were the prostitutes who lead dejected and short lives. Even though Chinese men experienced exclusion from most activities of American society, their efforts modified their survival. Their grandmothers are their historical links. They lived a life of detention and ridiculed at whatever time they went out for being bound feet. Immigrants had to change to the urgent situation and rough living conditions and had to work right along with the men. Life in America was unpredictable. Chinese women encountered deportation whenever diagnosed with liver fluke, general sickness of Asian immigrants. As time went by, it became exceedingly tough to marry any man ineligible for citizenship that could result to loosing of citizenship.

Chinese women also had the experience Iranians had in Los Angeles as a homogeneous group (Nancy Wride, Pg 150). They experienced culture shock. Language barrier and education level influenced their ability to adapt. They also experienced acculturation-involving changes in values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. They developed a new identity that integrates elements from the host and home cultures. They also experienced changes in sexual attitudes and roles due to acculturation. They suffered movement restrictions, their access to education, and personal authority and ability to express them.

Reasons for immigrants leaving homeland

Iranians immigrate to America to provide their children with better education and broader opportunities. They found the Islamization of the educational system and the political indoctrination of their children unacceptable. Other women accompanied their adolescent sons into exile to ensure that the youths would not be drafted during the Iran-Iraq war. By getting a U.S. visa, some due to economic considerations and to increase their likelihood. Mexicans immigrated to fend for their families. They sent money back home to their families. The Vietnams immigrated to forget about the war and do business with the natives. Education too played role being a factor of immigration.

Chinese were just merchantable property traded like any other item of transfer, though; their value is not normally vast. They provide cheap labor to the natives as slave girls. According to American society, it treats them as prostitutes who only corrupt the American society. The immigrants who flooded America in the 19th century went there to find new lives and experience the improved educational system, and political stability. The development also provided new opportunities for employment for both professionals and relatively skilled groups.

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