A Call To Save The Culture Of Chinese Ethnic Groups In America With Reference To Cultural Erosion In The Accidental Asian: Notes Of A Native Speaker By Eric Liu

Abstract

The study aims to explore the correlation of history, new cultural identity and its impacts on Asian’s life because the erosion of the traditions followed by the ancestors has become a regret for the Asians in America due to their assimilation (Simons, 1901). It is a descriptive and qualitative study in nature while Hall's theory of Cultural Identity and Diaspora (1996) has been applied as a theoretical lens to explore the relationship of  language, identity, and cultural diversity which is interconnected with the exploration of history and new cultural identity. Stuart[1] Hall (1996) focuses on the traumatic characters' and their distorted selves under the influence of past and present as Eric Liu (1998), the author, narrates in his book The Accidental Asian: Notes of Native Speaker. By applying Close textual analysis technique, the study proposes that the narrator in the text (1998) is guilty and regret on being assimilated with the American culture. The focus of the study is that Eric Liu’s culture (Chinese) has been forgotten while being in America; he has lost his culture, identity and, most importantly, language which is the cause of regret for the author. The findings show that tough he has an emotional attachment with his family, culture, and language of his ancestors yet he is unable to read the writings of his father which is due to his assimilation. The study concludes as a harbinger for the Asians to save their language, culture and norms before it is too late to undo the damage. Being aware of the importance of their own culture, traditions and identity while having a new identity is the need of the time in the multicultural settings of the world.