To be or not to be?

A little background research reveals to us that the book reflects Vonnegut's life. Vonnegut was part of a wealthy German family that immigrated to the United States and forced itself to be assimilated because they were ashamed of their German heritage. This led Vonnegut to be excluded from the culture.

I would have to say, that Vonnegut defends his ancestry, even though he wasn't exposed to it in childhood. We can see that his book tends to bash the American Army while putting the German Army and British Army in a more positive light. Vonnegut continuous to write about the generosity of the German people, such as when a family let the Americans sleep in their home and provided food for them after the bombing of Dresden. I would hypothesize that Vonnegut is irritated at not having the opportunity to experience his roots.

Now, coming out of Dresden, and out of the scope of Vonnegut, I think that assimilation is eventually inevitable to some degree but is still wrong. We should know where we came from, what past shaped not only our genetics but our customs and belief systems. It is part of our individual identity. Therefore, I think you're throwing a part of yourself away when you try and assimilate.

Sure, there will always be people who think one culture or one ethnic group is worse than another, but should you change based on the beliefs of those idiots? Absolutely not. You are entitled to be whoever you are, and you shouldn't trouble yourself with what delusions some people have. In Vonnegut's case, his grandparents may have assimilated because of the dangers posed (such as hate crime, loss of business) from being German. However, they should have at the very least still practiced their traditions at home, not revealing to the outside world.

As our world becomes more connected, as more people immigrate and learn new languages, we will constantly assimilate. But what is important is to still hold your own traditions and background in mind, and avoid the years to scrape them away.

-Daniel