I dont know if I should assimilate into American culture?

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My parents are Turkish and Muslim, and I was born here. I feel like Im falling in love with American culture as I have normally identified quite strongly with Turkish and Islamic culture. Im thinking of changing my religion, too, and start dating, and be okay with drinking alcohol (when Im 21 and up), and feel like an American only. What do I do?

No one can answer that but you,do whatever you feel comfortable doing.You can love both cultures,make them both yours.

where is 'here' ? You in the US?

If you are then its your choice. You can take the best of both if you want.

Your life, your body, your time and your energy are yours. Decide how you want to use them.

ruveyn

I am american but I don't really see much of a consistent culture, there is popular culture which I can't say I want much part in at all...so not sure how one would assimilate into american culture as I am not so sure how that would even be defined.

Some places have a distinct American culture,New England,Cajun,Hillbilly,Deep South,and Western.

Muslim faith in the Western world seems like having to be body builder among slackers.

Muslim
-Ramadan
-multiple daily prayers,
-NOT take loans (against faith)
-abstain from certain foods
-no alcohol

American non-Muslim
- No thirty day sacrifice
- more free time
- take out a home loan/car loan
- eat to enjoy
- Beeeeeer!

You must not really believe in your religion if you can change it like a shirt. So yeah, why follow all the many rules of Islam if you don't feel strongly about it, anyway?

Assimilating to American culture for yourself is good if that is what you want but do not allow yourself to be bullied or intimidated into assimilating. Be proud of your own heritage and adapt. Don't allow anyone to make you feel ashamed of where you came from. You have things to offer society just as you are. Don't allow people to bully your language from your life either. Dress the way you want, the way you feel comfortable and dont allow peer pressure to force you to do anything. There is some culture in America, but there is more ignorance in America. Be yourself.

you're not the first to face this dilemma. America is a land of immigrants. All of us Americans had a forebearer who at some point had to face that same dilemma: assimilate, not assimilate, or strike a compromise between the two extremes. Individuals, and whole ethnic groups, differ in how they responded to the dilemma.

Whichever path you take: welcome to the club!

Do you wish to stay in this country? Do you want to associate only with Muslims or do you want to meet all peoples? It would be a pretty lonely insular life to not assimilate in the country you intend to live the rest of your life in, it's hard enough as an Aspie. Your faith is your faith, I wouldn't suggest staying in it if you don't believe it since that's no way to live in my opinion. There is more to life than keeping your parents happy and that's what it comes down, do what makes YOU happy.

Rather than "changing religion" as such, which would likely cause problems with your parents, why not just let it lapse and call yourself a Muslim, but in name only; this is what most people do nowadays in religious families, be they Muslims or Christians, it saves a lot of falling out with family, peers and colleagues, especially if you don't feel strongly about religions.

You could always become an athiest and not let beliefs hold you back so you can have the freedom to enjoy being who you are .

But, why would you want to be a selfish jingoistic ignoramus, though? Don't mistake secular values with american ones. America is a brainwashed oligarchy with a level of religious fundamentalism close to Iran's. To willingly give your mind over to american propaganda would be a monumental mistake in my opinion. It might be worth looking at what's worth preserving in your own culture before you completely cast it aside.

I am curious about which aspects of american culture you find so alluring.

Last edited by Stannis on 20 May 2014, 12:18 pm, edited 4 times in total.

"religious fundamentalism" perhaps in another way too...

America is a "debt culture". A lot of Americans joke that their "religion" is the pursuit of the 'Almighty Dollar'.

"Almighty dollar is an idiom often used to satirize an individual or cultural obsession with material wealth, or with capitalism in general. The phrase implies that money is a kind of deity"

source,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almighty_dollar

I think its a pretty sad indictment that you don't feel its possible to identify as an American muslim. Like you said in your other thread you want to convert to Judaism just because of this.

This is why it makes me laugh when we're told by the usual suspects that Islamophobia doesn't exist.