Ethnicity Models, Research Paper Example

Introduction

There are various models of ethnic relations that can be used to relate with the operations in Sam Shepard’s ‘Little people’ and Sherman Alexie’s ‘Assimilation’. Ethnicity hierarchy is an ethnic relations model that describes the ladder way of viewing ethnic groups considered to be dissimilar to the dominant group (Frederickson, 263). The dominant groups consider they have more privileges and declared rights that the other racial groups. Another ethnic relations models that will be used in relating with the incidents in Sam Shepard’s ‘Little people’ and Sharman Alexie’s ‘Assimilation’ is the One Way assimilation model whose policies are aimed at assimilating the other racial groups into a dominant racial group. The minor races are expected to conform to the new price and fully participate in the society (Frederickson, 265). These two models of ethnic relations; ethnicity hierarchy and one way assimilation are clearly represented in the ‘Assimilation’ and ‘little people’ stories of Sherman Alexie and Sam Shepard respectively.

Assimilation story by Sherman Alexie discusses a story of an Indian woman trying to find her place in the American culture after getting married by a white man (Robert, 1). The Indian woman is confused on if she should fully accept the American culture or maintain her own culture since she does not feel fully welcomed in the new ethnic group. In the midst of this confusion, the Indian lady cheats on her husband with an Indian man despite her undying love for her husband due to the mare fact that he was not from her ethnic group.

Based on ethnicity hierarchy model of ethnicity relations several factors could have triggered the situations that this lady was faced with. The lady wanted to fulfill the conquest of being an Indian but being married in a different racial group with more claimed rights she felt it was wrong to hold on to her Indian ethnic group. Due to ethnicity hierarchy, despite the fact that the Indian lady would enjoy the privilege of being married to a white man she couldn’t fully identify her self with this group. She felt she was low in the hierarchy hence the reason she couldn’t resist the Indian man and ended up cheating on her husband she loved so much.

Being unable to identify with the white can be attributed to the kind of behavior she showed. Based on the one way assimilation model of ethnic relations, the whites having the dominant racial group expected this Indian lady to fully change from her Indian racial group and embrace and fully participate in the society practicing the American culture. As much as this Indian lady tried to be assimilated in this culture she felt she was leaving a group that was no less superior to the white culture she is married to.

In this story according to the one way assimilation model it was a matter of equality of the superior ethnic group in this case being illustrated using the lady’s Indian race. The lady was not fully ready to leave her Indian culture as the community was expecting her to. The best way through which this lady who was not experiencing racial but cultural differences could have been made to feel as part of the dominant group is by civilizing any Indian cultures that her husband felt needed to be savaged rather than trying to exterminate all practices. In the efforts to ensure she doesn’t loose all her Indian culture, the lady had to seek an association with an Indian man as to symbolize her undying love for her native culture.

The little person story by Sam explains missionaries attitude and the behavior of a minor tribe. To be assimilated in the Huron tribesman the European missionary found it quite hard and heart breaking. Despite being in their territory, the white missionary was not wiling to leave his dominant culture and hence the reason he started claiming his notion of not being one but two as a way of win the tribesman to his side. As the missionary was seeking to be assimilated in this minority group he still felt he was more superior and hence the reason he felt resentful as he went through the initiation process.

The European missionary wanted to maintain his position in the ethnicity hierarchy by trying to persuade the Indians into his point of view rather than accepting the state he was in and accepting to be assimilated in the Huron culture. This shows how One Way assimilation has had a strong impact especially on the groups that consider them selves to be more superior. Even when in the territories of the Indians, the European missionary expected the people to recognize his culture is more superior by hence accept his point of view. When an old man tells him that the Indian also believe they are not one but two with little people inside then he once again felt he was in the same path with this people.

Based on the ethnicity hierarchy model, the European missionary felt he had more rights than these tribesmen hence the reason he was willing to cut the tree to make little chapel in the wilderness. According to Fredrickson (565), ‘the hierarchical model has its deepest roots and enduring consequences in the conquest of Indians.’ The little people story clearly explains how missionaries from culture considered to be dominant were determined in invading the Indians culture and ensuring it’s fully eroded. The European missionary was unwilling to respect the Huron tribesman interpretation of where the little people resided.

He believed for them to be on the same path, the minor tribe should embrace his ways of thought. The reason why the missionary didn’t want to respect this group of people is not mainly because on how they interpreted concerning the residence of the little people but the fact that they were non white. Hence the missionary felt he had more rights of invading their culture and changing how they thought. On the other hand the Huron tribesman were ready to protect their culture hence the reason why despite knowing that the missionary was speaking about the body and soul they pretended not to understand what he implied and instead started throwing dirt into the fire and wildly laughing at him. The tribes man were not ready to allow the missionary to naturalize they believe despite the fact the two cultures were referring to the same story; the soul.

Even when the missionary realized that they tribesman were aware of the little people he was talking about he was ready to ensure they are assimilated in to his dominant culture.

Conclusion

The two stories the little people and Assimilation are perfect examples the effects of the two models discussed by Frederickson (263-266) on ethnic relations especially using an historical perspective. The whites being the dominant group according to these models feel they have more rights of making the minority conform to the culture unquestionably. On the other side, the minority ethnic groups who in this case are represented by the Indian woman and the Huron tribesman are unwilling to fully leave their ethnic believes and practices and fully embrace those of dominant group. This has been exemplified by the Indian woman cheating on her husband not because she was in love with the Indian man but to feel recognized with her Indian culture.

Based on the little people story, the tribesman were unwilling to accept they share the same believes with the European missionary concerning the little people so that they wont appear like there are bending to the one way assimilation ethnic relations model. The tribes man wants to reverse the one way assimilation model of ethnic relations and make the European missionary be assimilated in their minor ethnic group instead. The two models of ethnicity relations show as illustrated in these two stories show there is conflict between the dominant and the minority racial group and not is fully willing to be conformed to the other group’s believes (Butcher).

Works cited

Butcher, Charity. “Ethnicity, Rivalry and Territory: The Interactive Impact of Ethnicity on International policies”. Chicago, IL, Aug 30, 2007 <Not Available>. 2010-01-24 http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p211236_index.html

Fredrickson, George. Models of American Ethnic Relations: A historical perspective. 560-573.

Robert, Peluso. The toughest Indian In the world by Sherman Alexie. 2000. PG Publishing Inc. retrieved from http://www.post-gazette.com/books/reviews/20000827review572.asp