Final answer:
The book “Becoming White” focuses on cultural assimilation as various ethnic groups like Irish, Mexican, and Jewish Americans faced pressures to adapt to the dominant culture in the US. It highlights the struggles of maintaining cultural identity amid discrimination while seeking economic and political inclusion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The book “Becoming White” primarily revolves around the theme of cultural assimilation. It describes how various ethnic and cultural groups, including Irish, Mexican, and Jewish Americans, navigated society’s pressures to assimilate into the dominant white American culture amidst ethnic discrimination and barriers. While some, like German Americans, succeeded in cultural assimilation, others like Native Americans faced aggressive assimilation policies aimed at eradicating their cultural identities. This was often a result of political policies and social attitudes that favored the majority while marginalizing minority groups.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, minority groups faced much discrimination but gradually, especially in cities, began to find solidarity and a common identity. Irish, Italian, and Slavic immigrants, among others, were sometimes treated as homogenous groups despite their distinct cultural differences, but they still faced the challenge of maintaining their cultural practices while seeking economic opportunities and political recognition. The ethnic identification of immigrants and their simultaneous discrimination were highlighted by the Dillingham Commission, emphasizing their differing lifestyles and practices from the majority of Americans. However, over time, many immigrant groups saw a diminishing of Old World animosities as discrimination in America banded them together, encouraging cultural assimilation to form new, blended identities such as Italian-Americans and German Americans.