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湖北大学知行学院本科毕业论文题目On the Assimilation of American Immigrant Culture from the English Only Movements从唯英语运动浅析美国移民文化同化外国语系英语专业学号B1361010071学生姓名章亭指导教师贺欢起讫日期2016.9 ～2014.10工作地点湖北大学知行学院ContentsEnglish Abstract.Chinese AbstractChapter One Introduction.1.1 The background of the research1.2 The aim and significance of the researchChapter Two Literature Review2.1Assimilation’s related researches at home and aboard2.2 The English Only Movements Related Researches at home and aboard Chapter Three The relationship between American language and Immigrant culture3.1the role and function of language (语言的作用和功能)3.1.1the essence of the English Only Movements3.1.2 the carrier of American culture-----American language3.2the assimilation of American Immigrant culture3.2.1the formation of American dominant culture (W ASP)3.2.2 The conflicts between W ASP and American Immigrant culture3.2.2.1 What is American Immigrant Culture?3.2.2.2 How the conflicts come into being3.3The way to avoid the conflicts3.4 Immigrant culture will be assimilated-----take American immigrant culturevalue as an example3.4.1 American language and culture value affect each other3.4.1.1语言相关性(linguistic relativity)3.4.1.2 American cultural value contribute to the assimilation of language 3.4.2 the immigrant cultural will be assimilatedChapter Four the Reason of assimilating American culture4.1Chapter Five Conclusion.Bibliography.AcknowledgmentAbstractAmerica, as a country consisted of many immigrants, the earliest immigrants carried their own culture and integrated them into the culture that already existed in America, which formed the American dominant culture, also called WASP. It refers to the dominant pattern of American culture; the connotation of WASP is based on regarding English as the main language and is the representative of the Protestant politics, culture, religious belief and value. The Protestants were born in Anglo—Saxon. But Immigrants today reserve their own culture, which leads to the conflicts between WASP and the culture of immigrant countries. In order to avoid the conflicts, assimilating immigrants is necessary. Assimilation first appears in A Letter from American Farmer written by Hector San John Dirk Leif. ―The new people‖ in his book stands for assimil ation. Based on this concept, the aut hor’s understanding towards assimilation is that the immigrants accept American language, national identity, sense of worth (American cultural value). In other words, they have the sense of acceptance towards WASP. All of these, American cultural value plays the key roles.This paper focuses on the assimilation of American immigrant culture value and tries to study and analyze the American immigrant culture value from the American language policy. First, the author puts the English Only Movements as the superficial phenomenon of assimilating in American society and will analysis the American immigrant culture from the development of language policy and the aims, the essence and the results of the English Only Movements. Second, the author will take the assimilation of immigrant culture value as an example to state assimilation more clearly. Third, the author will do researches on the reasons of assimilating American immigrant culture value.【Key Words】the English Only; Movements American immigrant culture; value assimilation摘要美国，作为一个移民国家，早期移民带着本民族的文化不断注入美国已有文化，形成了独具特色的美国主流文化，美国主流文化又可被称为WASP，它指的是美国文化的主导模式，它的含义是：以英语为中心，是出生于盎格鲁-撒克逊族的新教徒政治、文化、宗教信仰和价值观的代表。

但是当代移民仍然保持着自己已有的文化，这就导致了美国主流文化和移民国家文化之间的冲突。

为了避免冲突，同化移民势在必行。

同化一词最早是赫克托·圣约翰·德·克雷弗克在1782年《一个美国农民的来信》中用“新人”的观点体现同化概念。

在这种观点的基础上，笔者所理解的“同化”是表现在移民对美国语言，民族身份，价值观等方面的认同感。

其中，美国移民文化价值观显得尤为重要。

本论文的重点在于美国移民文化同化，试着从美国语言政策的角度去学习和分析美国移民文化价值观的同化。

笔者首先把唯英语运动看作是美国社会同化的表象，从美国语言政策的发展，即唯英语运动的目的，本质以及结果去分析美国移民文化同化这一发展趋势。

其次，笔者以美国移民文化价值观同化为例进一步说明移民文化同化趋势。

最后，分析其同化的原因.【关键词】唯英语运动美国移民文化价值观同化Chapter one IntroductionAmerica, which is a country consisted of many immigrants, is full of various languages, cultures, values and so on. However, with the English Movements moving forward, assimilation gradually becomes a hotspot in American society. Some scholars even think that the change of American language policy will influence the development of American immigrant culture, especially the value. So unifying language has affected American immigrant culture more. In this chapter, the author will introduce the background and the significance of this research.1.1The background of the researchWith the deeper understanding of American language’s policy study, sociologist tends to the implication of the English Only Movements. The content of it can be divided into two parts: one is to legislate for English as the official language. The other is to legislate for English as the only language in America. From the official language to the only language, American language finally is assimilated. The assimilating of language has given enlightenment to Sociologist. Due to the closer relationship between language and culture, the assimilation of American immigrant culture becomes a hotpot among them. Some scholars even tries to look for the reasons which leads to unify American language. American immigrant culture value crashes into their eyes. In one slice of time, debate can’t be intermittent. However, as we all, the position of American dominant culture can’t be shook. There is no doubt that the new immigrants enrich American culture, but they can’t change the pattern of American society and can’t form the new pattern and nationality. So the assimilation of language is just the superficial phenomenon of the assimilation of American immigrant culture.1.2The aim and significance of the researchLanguage is the carrier of culture. Language is also the acceptance and symbol of national identity. The social anthropologist Malinowski once said that language is the spirit of a nationality. For America filled with immigrants from many countries, language is particularly important. From 1980 to 2001,with the development of the English Only Movements, Bilingual education is abolished and is taken place by monolingual education, which means American immigrant language is assimilated. In other words, their own language may disappear no sooner. With the disappearance of language, what is gone with is the national special cognitive approach, cognitive origin, cultural characteristics, word view and value. All of these, what is more important is the immigrant value, which can affect immigrants’ behaviors. So American immigrant culture will be assimilated in a short times. The paper aims at analyzing the American immigrant culture from American language policy, analyzing the assimilation of American immigrant from the English Only Movements.From the angle of immigrant families, assimilation can remove the conflicts between parents and children. In a family, if parents are immigrants and their children are born in America. In some way, their children are American. It’s the American education that thechildren receive and the culture they accept is American dominant culture (WASP). If parents still reserve their own culture, conflicts between parents can’t be avoided. Besides, assimilating immigrants can help them integrate into American society more quickly. There is no doubt that the new immigrants enrich American culture, but they can’t change the pattern of American society and can’t form the new pattern and nationality. The position of American dominant culture can’t be shook.What’s more, assimilating American immigrant culture is conductive for the development of American politics and economy. Unifying American immigrant culture value can lead to American consistent worldview and view of life, which can avoid conflicts from various nations. Unifying American immigrant religious belief which is American national ideology can contribute to politic life.Chapter Two Literature ReviewBefore starting writing this paper, the author has collected a pile of books about assimilation, also the author has collected so much information in CNKI. Therefore, the author has a general knowledge of assimilation’s connotation and American language policy’s history.2.1Assimilation’s related researches at home and aboardAssimilation first appears in a letter from a farmer written by Hecter San John Dirk Leif. He used the word- ―the new people‖ embody assimilation. In the late 1900s, the American distinguished historian Frederick Jackson Tenacan had given his approval for Dirk Leif’s idea, but he thought what America had fused is ―a mixed race‖. In the early 2000s, Jewish writer Israel Zengerwell put forward that America is the smelter of the god in his works--smelter. It is a great smelter which has changed European various races. The concept of ―smelter has pushed forward with assimilation. In 1920s, the movements called a hundred of American socialized the concept of assimilation. In 1960s, assimilation refers to various races in America adjusted themselves to accept culture which regarded Anglo-Saxon as the center. Sociologist Milton M. Gordon in 1964 in the "assimilation of American life: race, religious beliefs and the role of the original ethnic" divided assimilation into several parts: cultural, structural, marital, identity, attitude acceptance, behavioral acceptance, and secular from the change of American immigrant society family evolution.George Eaton Simpson definite assimilation in its "national assimilation" that it is a process that people whose backgrounds are different live in a bigger community, in which people get rid of their intrinsic background and culture and communicate with each other. There are also researchers who thought that assimilation is to let each immigrant approve of immigrant-accepting social vaule and cultural pattern with diversified methods. Meanwhile, the immigrants should give up their sense of identity towards own country’s culture.There is few researches about assimilation in our countries. Huang Yaoqun gave a simple introduction to the experience and the environment of American races and thecharacter of culture in ―Under the Furnace Flame-----American immigrants, nation and races”. And he also made comments on the Unit State nation’s concept, the process of formation and characters. Deng Shusheng, in the American Dreams - American Immigration Course and Ethnic Contradiction make researches on immigrants, American society transition, the change of American immigrant policy and the historical destiny of minorities.2.2 the English Only Movements Related Researches at home and aboard Language, as the basic ways of communicating, is always the hotspot among American scholars. There is also many various opinions about whether adapts Bilingual Education or English Only Education. American distinguished historian Arthur Meier Schlesinger Jr. of the time think that America is a country with many nations, the only way to link them together is the common language. In 1997, American billionaire ·K ·Angze in Silicon Valley organized a group named ―English for the children‖in California, aiming at abolishing Bilingual Education. In order to achieve the aim, they also drafted proposition227.There is a long history of the English Only identification. In the "Bible Genesis‖, the Tower of Babel story literally explains the reason of various languages in human society, it also explains a kind of concept: At the beginning of life, using only language is better, various languages mean worse, which was the punishment to humans from the God. As we all know, Bible has a great influence on European society. So at the beginning, European language culture believed in monolingual tradition and thought only one language is good. In fact, the tradition is a kind of ideology which has a great power and is the center of European language culture view.In ages of colonialism and early nationalism, there were many people who support the monolingual socialist such as Benjamin Franklin and Noah Webster. They stands for the early nativists’ thoughts. Facing the disordered situation where languages were mixed, John Adams was worried. In 1780, he proposed to the Congress to establish an American language study so that it can perfect, correct and promote English. John Jay (1745-1832) also expressed his wishes of unifying languages in the "Federalists Collection”, the language he referred absolutely is English. Nativists regarded leaning English as a symbol of patriotism, and is also an important part of Americanization. And saying English means America. In early 1800s and 1900s, the nativists succeeded in making English as one of the necessary conditions for citizenship to become citizens. During the First World War, English is a major part of the American movement of thousands of new immigrants (McClymer, 1982). People who said other languages had to yield to this tendency.Chapter Three the relationship between American language andImmigrant culture valueIn last chapter, the readers have a general understanding assimilation’s and the EnglishMovement’s concept. That is helpful for learners to learn their relationships in chapter 3. There is no doubt that relationship is important for two matters that can affect each other, because without that, we shouldn’t have analyzed clearly. There is no exception to their relationships, for the reason different people have different idea. According to their stress points, the author discusses as followed.3.1 The function and role of American languageLanguage is not only the important communicate tools for human being but also is the main cognitive channel. Its importance also embodies in its relations with nations. Language is not only the carrier of culture but also is the survival and development power of culture. Besides it’s the fundamental character of a nation, it’s also a lifeline of a nation. Meanwhile it has the ability to assimilate and unify society.In 1998, the "official movement of English" highlighted the importance of language in the nation and culture. Also, it prompted us to reflect on the language of social unity and assimilation function.In chapter3.1.1, the author will analyze the function of English through the essence of the English Only Movement. In chapter 3.1.2, the author will introduce the role of language towards culture (language ideology, social value )3.1.1 The essence of the English Only MovementThe American language policy has two characters: one is to strongly maintain the center of English, the other is to combat and crowd out other languages. With these two characters, the English Only movements comes into being. Literally, it focuses on the problem of language, in fact, the English Only Movement has a profound political connotation and historical roots. It attempts to achieve cultural coherence through linguistic unity, the essence of which is the publicity and catharsis of American nationalism that puts Anglo-cultural convergence concept as the core also is a challenge to multicultural trends and counter-action.First, the background of the English movement shows that movement is not accidental. From the beginning to the end of English official movement, it is one the behalf of a considerable number of conservative forces in American society. And it happened in 1980s when American social conservative forces prevail, Liberalism was replaced by nationalism. Various anti - mainstream social ideological trends caused by the civil rights movement in the 50 – 60s lost its former edge by the end of 70s. National autonomy, multilingualism, Doctrine, multiculturalism began to be questioned and attacked. For decades, the exclusion of the United States nationalism and the Anglo-Saxon spirit began to revive, boarding the political arena again.Second, the activists of the English Only Movement show that Movement is not a simple language and education. They claimed that English is the symbol of the United State’s nations. English is and must be the substantive characteristics of American society. Therefore,defending the official status of English is to defend American Independence and Unity. As the American present Roosevelt once said in his speech: We only have one flag, that is American flag. We only have one language. That is English. We only have one kind of honest. That is the honest towards American people in 1907.Third, the purpose and concept of the English Only Movement has a history. Language as atool and means of assimilation of alien civilization is not the initiative of English Activists. This concept has a long history, especially in America. Achieving cultural consistent through unifying language has always been the mainstream philosophy of the community, also has always been the tradition obeyed. After the American Revolution, Bilingual Education was merely to adapt Americanization education and a method of relaxing conflicts among nations.3.1.2 The carrier of American culture-----American languageThe concept of American society language ideology appears with the English Official Movement, it refers to people’s language conceptions of cognition, attitude , opinion towards language. Schiff man calls it ―language culture‖. He points out the language and culture of a particular society is the important components of the social consciousness and is an important factor So it is also the key to the formation and development of language pattern and language relationship influencing the planning and policies of the society in dealing with language relations.While American official English Movement reflects the ideology of American language, it also reveals and explains social and cultural characteristics which are the most important for language. English official movement originated from the American social language culture, and the American society's language ideology is the deeper reason for the social function and function of language or the social value of language. The language culture that supports the movement is is a kind of language social value orientation. The core of the social value of language is that language has irreplaceable social functions and vital cultural characteristicsMalinowski Generation claimed Language is the spirit of the nation. The researches of contemporary scholars are more specific, they think that language is the main human cognitive approach; different languages reflect different cognitive approaches. And cognitive approaches affect the choices of immigrants towards culture. Therefore, language is the carrier of culture, is the symbol of national identity.3.2 The assimilation of American Immigrant cultureThe reader have a general idea of the relationship between American language and immigrant culture, and the English Movement is the tendency of unifying American immigrant culture in last chapter. Scholars have held different opinions toward American immigrant culture.For example, the sociologist park said, the group live with each other in the ways of migrating, at beginning, they will compete or argue with each other, but with getting to know each other, the conflicts and competition turns into assimilation. Psychologist Berry believes that immigrants in the original culture and dominant culture will select he attitude and adaptation model. Based on these opinions, the author’s understanding towards assimilation is that the immigrants accept American language, national identity, and sense of worth. In other words, they have the sense of acceptance towards WASP.In this chapter, the author will introduce the formation of American dominant culture ( WASP ) and the conflicts between WASP and American immigrant culture3.2.1The formation of American dominant culture (WASP)There are four main constituent parts of American special WASP: races, the character of nations and the ideology. WASP originated from Anglo-Saxon Protestant culture of British Empire, standing for putting the White - Englishmen as the center. When the American nation was formed in1800s, the basic characteristics of this new country are regarding English as the main communication tool, the White as the main group, Anglo-American people as the main person, Protestant Christianity as the main religious beliefs. The early immigrants brought their own culture, language, religions, customs and politic systems to this new country. Under the influence of their home countries culture, the early immigrants in the difficult environment transplant WASP culture and belittle others culture, religions and believes. Thus the dominant position of WASP comes into being.There are three reasons about the formation of WASP. First, the early immigrants have similar reasons to crowd into the ―New World‖for the political persecution,religious or economic reasons. This similarity creates the basic conditions for their integration. Second, as the white race, early immigrants represented the mainstream of English society group. The resemblance of appearance and the commonality of language make the early immigrants settle down in the east coast states and always adhere to the Anglo-Protestant culture. Third, the early immigrants had the same religious belief, because most of them are protestant.3.2.2 The conflicts between WASP and American Immigrant cultureAccording to 3.2.1, the reader can find the early immigrants also called the first generation of immigrants formed the WASP. With a solid foundation in the colonial period, the culture has always been the dominant position in America, and became the core culture of the American nation.The United States has experienced three upsurges of immigrants. The period of the first time is from 1820 to 1860, which was called a great human migration because the Puritans who immigrated to North America regarded North America as a "land of hope" for God's gifts, portraying the New World as a paradise of fertility, attracting a large number of European immigrants. During that time, the amounts of immigrants reach to fifty million. They are mainly from the United Kingdom, as well as other Western European and Nordic countries. The main language of immigrants is English, the main belief is Protestantism. The second time is from 1900 to 1920, After the Civil War, the United States got into large-scale industrialization and urbanization stage, requiring a lot of labors. The third time is from 1965 to nowadays, The United States passed the Immigration and Naturalization. America also passed a series of refugee law. The relaxation of immigration policy has brought a third wave of immigrants.The first generation of immigrants formed the WASP culture. When the second and the third generation meet with the WASP culture, what will happen? In chapter 3.2.2.1, the author will introduce what is America immigrant culture. In 3.2.2.2, the author will talk about the conflicts between American immigrant culture and the WASP culture.3.2.2.1 What is American Immigrant Culture?As we all know,the United States is called "immigrant state". In 2001, according to theUS Census, the number of new Americans including the first generation of immigrants or the children of these immigrants hit a record high: there was one person who was an immigrant in five. In other words, 56 million Americans was born in other countries, the amounts of one of the parents who born in a foreign country is 12.7 million, both parents are immigrants to the United States has 14.8 million people.In America, you can see all kinds of complexions and hear the languages you have not heard before.Varieties of cultures meet, stir and shock with each other. Like many rivers that crash into the sea, this process is full of vitality and struggle. Some cultures gradually have lost in this process and ultimately blend in the American culture, turning into parts of American-made. Some have become sources of conflict, and even violence, bloodshed. That is American immigrant culture which carries many characters.3.2.2.2 How the conflicts come into beingAs it refers in 3.2.2.1, some immigrant cultures have become sources of conflicts. Due to reasons from many aspects, there are many conflicts between immigrant culture and WASP such as intergenerational conflict and religious conflict.Intergenerational conflict is particularly prominent in immigrant families where parents are immigrants and children are born in America. Intergenerational conflict here mainly refers to the conflict between immigrant parents and the second generation. Unlike their immigrant parents, they don’t have much personal experience of their parents’ motherland. Most of them agree with the country of their own birth or growth. In other words, they believe in the WASP culture. However, growing in the immigrant family, children have been lived in two contradictory cultures---American dominant culture and their parents’homeland culture. There are many conflicts in immigrant families like this such as education, learning attitude, consumer behavior. Taking American consumer behavior for example, what Americans advocate is a concept of advanced consumption. In America, loan consumption is a very common phenomenon, from the house to the car, from credit cards to telephone bills, loan is everywhere. In American’s opinion, their dreams will be achieved one day through personal efforts, so they will go to bank loans to buy a house to improve their standard of living without hesitations. But the consumer behavior of other countries is not like this. For example, in China,The Chinese have virtues of economy; they will not blindly consume, and will not go to spend ahead with credit cards.Religious conflict is another conflict between WASP and American immigrant culture. Though there are many religions in America such as Christian, Catholic and Judaism, 85% of Americans believe in Christian. Christian gradually becomes the state religion of America. And the Christian culture also becomes the American dominant culture. Immigrants carry different religions into America which leads to conflicts of religious beliefs. Christians must receive pure biblical doctrine, and all doctrines must be verified by the inerrancy of the Bible. The doctrines accepted, believed, and practiced determine the person's character, behavior, and destiny, which is contradictory to other religious. For example, immigrants from Chinese believe in Buddhism. Buddhism concentrates on good and evil caused by effect and practice.Religious beliefs have had an important impact in all parts of the United States. President Eisenhower once said: "Our government does not make sense if it is not based on deepreligious beliefs." And Religion is important to most Americans because the United States church is an important place for people to interact with each other. The church is not only a place for religious ceremonies, but also an educational, cultural and social center. So religious conflicts can lead to many other disharmonies.3.3The way to avoid the conflictsIn 3.2.2.2 the reader have learned the conflicts between American immigrant culture and WASP, in this chapter the author will talk about the way to avoid conflicts.In America, bilingual education prevailed in a time. When the conflicts between English and language from immigrant countries appear, the English Only Movements came into being to assimilate language. The assimilation of American language is the superficial phenomenon of assimilation of immigrant culture as it referred in 3.1 and 3.2. So the best way to avoid the conflicts is to assimilate American immigrant culture.American sociologist Milton· Gordon puts forward; there is only the mainstream status of the WASP culture in America regardless of nation, race, religion. The immigrants and their descendants must be required to accept the Anglo-Saxon cultural standards, all foreign immigrant ethnic groups should be in all aspects to it. But The process of immigrant national assimilation is natural not coercive. Assimilation is a process of mutual understanding and recognition; It is "the process by which different individuals or groups of national traditions are dissolved into the predominant culture of society, usually they are immigrants or still are isolated ethnic minorities, by the process of making contact with the main culture and participating in the life of the main culture, slowly losing most of the original cultural features and accepting new features that vary so much that they are indistinguishable from the rest of soc iety‖With the same culture as WASP, immigrants hold the same education, learning attitude, consumer behavior, religious and so on, conflicts naturally will disappear.3.4 Immigrant culture will be assimilated-----take American immigrant cultural value as an exampleNatural rights are one of the content of American immigrant culture value. It is also the essence of the core values that American cultural values embodied. The idea of "natural human rights" has been reflected in three historical documents - the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States of America and the Bill of Rights at the beginning of the founding of America.For example, the Declaration of Independence declares solemnly that "all men are created equal", and think that everyone is entitled from their "Creator" to certain non-transferable rights, including the right to life, liberty and the right to happiness. So American have a special feeling for natural rights, the basic connotation of which is freedom, democracy, equality. This idea gradually becomes strong nationalism and self-center. In fact, "WASP" culture is the originator of this value. This value can also be regarded as one part of American dominant cultural value. Therefore, there is close relationship between WASP and American cultural value.3.4.1 American language and culture value affect each otherThe reader can see the relationship among WASP, American immigrant culture, American dominant cultural value and American immigrant cultural value as followed:。