--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fact that we're all hyphenating our…" description: "\"The fact that we're all hyphenating our names suggests that we are afraid of being assimilated. I was talking on the BBC recently, and this woman intro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/richard-rodriguez-6515_assimilation_the-fact-that-we-re-all-hyphenating-our_2121514.png" --- # The fact that we're all hyphenating our names suggests… ![“The fact that we're all hyphenating our names suggests that we are afraid of being assimilated. I was talking on the BBC recently, and this woman introduced me as being "in favor of assimilation." I said, "I'm not in favor of assimilation." I am no more in favor of assimilation than I am in favor…” quote by Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/richard-rodriguez-6515_assimilation_the-fact-that-we-re-all-hyphenating-our_2121514.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/richard-rodriguez-6515_assimilation_the-fact-that-we-re-all-hyphenating-our_2121514.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/richard-rodriguez-6515_assimilation_the-fact-that-we-re-all-hyphenating-our_2121514.png) > “The fact that we're all hyphenating our names suggests that we are afraid of being assimilated. I was talking on the BBC recently, and this woman introduced me as being "in favor of assimilation." I said, "I'm not in favor of assimilation." I am no more in favor of assimilation than I am in favor of the Pacific Ocean. Assimilation is not something to oppose or favor - it just happens.” [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker argues that assimilation is a natural process, not a choice, and resists labeling it as favorable or unfavorable. **In simple terms:** Assimilation happens naturally, not a matter of preference. Key Takeaway Accept change without politicizing it. Themes identity culture assimilation Mood thoughtful neutral Type sociopolitical philosophical When to use this quote - immigration debates - corporate mergers - cultural festivals - personal identity formation - null Key Concepts sociology anthropology Questions to Reflect On - How does labeling assimilation affect cultural dialogue? - Can we honor heritage while embracing change? A Different Perspective Resisting assimilation can create unnecessary conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assimilation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assimilation/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ocean/) [Pacific](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pacific/) [Pacific ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pacific-ocean/) ## Related quotes > [Mexicans who come to America today end up opposing assimilation. They say they are "holding on to their culture." To them, I say, "If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/mexicans-who-come-to-america-today-end-up-opposing-assimilation-they/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [“He bent down, scratched the black dirt into his fingers. He was beginning to warm to it; the words were beginning to flow. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shaara/he-bent-down-scratched-the-black-dirt-into-his-fingers-he-was/) [Michael Shaara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shaara/) > [“Reminiscing in the drizzle of Portland, I notice the ring that’s landed on your finger, a massive insect of glitter, a chandelier shining at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-mcdaniel/reminiscing-in-the-drizzle-of-portland-i-notice-the-ring-that-s/) [Jeffrey McDaniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-mcdaniel/) > [“So much anger in here. So much hate. So much to take out on someone. This time it's going to count. She's adrift in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-watts/so-much-anger-in-here-so-much-hate-so-much-to-take-out-on-someone/) [Peter Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-watts/) > [“Whilst I viewed those mountains, I felt a secret pleasure in finding myself so near the head of the--heretofore conceived--boundless Missouri. But when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bakeless/whilst-i-viewed-those-mountains-i-felt-a-secret-pleasure-in-finding/) John Bakeless > [Most of the Amazon basin is as flat as a pancake and laced with extravagantly meandering waterways. One school of thought holds that more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-shoumatoff/most-of-the-amazon-basin-is-as-flat-as-a-pancake-and-laced-with/) [Alex Shoumatoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-shoumatoff/) > [A woman's mind is by and large naive but at the same time it's believed to be impenetrable too. And also, it's said to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chandlrababu-vs/a-woman-s-mind-is-by-and-large-naive-but-at-the-same-time-it-s/) [Chandlrababu VS](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chandlrababu-vs/) > [Of course the Japanese and Peruvian fish are different, but it's the same Pacific Ocean. They are different, but I know fish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nobu-matsuhisa/of-course-the-japanese-and-peruvian-fish-are-different-but-it-s-the/) [Nobu Matsuhisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nobu-matsuhisa/) > [“Our 182-passenger Boeing Classic this morning is under the able command of Captain Hiram Slatt, discharged from service in the United States Air Force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/our-182-passenger-boeing-classic-this-morning-is-under-the-able/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I'm so alive. As I stand facing the beauty of the never-ending Pacific Ocean, a late afternoon breeze blows down from the hills behind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-pelzer/i-m-so-alive-as-i-stand-facing-the-beauty-of-the-never-ending-pacific/) [Dave Pelzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-pelzer/) > [If a person who lives in God becomes miserable, what is the use of living in God? What is the use of such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/if-a-person-who-lives-in-god-becomes-miserable-what-is-the-use-of/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“His German Shepherd dog, Scully, sat beside him. She’d been subdued all day, presumably picking up on his mood. He glanced to his right.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serenity-woods/his-german-shepherd-dog-scully-sat-beside-him-she-d-been-subdued-all/) [Serenity Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serenity-woods/) > [“What does Africa — what does the West stand for? Is not our own interior white on the chart? black though it may prove,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/what-does-africa-what-does-the-west-stand-for-is-not-our-own-interior/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In 'Past Lives,' the villains of the story are time and space - 23years and the Pacific Ocean - so those things needed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-song/in-past-lives-the-villains-of-the-story-are-time-and-space-23years/) [Celine Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-song/) > [“In December of 2007 human bones including skulls, which have been radiocarbon dated back to between 1304 and 1424, were found in a museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/in-december-of-2007-human-bones-including-skulls-which-have-been/) Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One ## More by Richard Rodriguez > [“Human unhappiness is evidence of our immortality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/human-unhappiness-is-evidence-of-our-immortality/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [In the Sacramento of the 1950s, it was as though White simply hadn't had time enough to figure Brown out. It was a busy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/in-the-sacramento-of-the-1950s-it-was-as-though-white-simply-hadn-t/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [Books should confuse. Literature abhors the typical. Literature flows to the particular, the mundane, the greasiness of paper, the taste of warm beer, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/books-should-confuse-literature-abhors-the-typical-literature-flows/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [Mexico is sex and Canada is mind. There is much about Canada that I find admirable - the treatment of immigrants, for example, particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/mexico-is-sex-and-canada-is-mind-there-is-much-about-canada-that-i/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [My decision was sparked by affirmative action. There was a point in my life when affirmative action would have meant something to me -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/my-decision-was-sparked-by-affirmative-action-there-was-a-point-in-my/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [Who knows what Yale thought it was getting when it hired Richard Rodriguez? The people who offered me the job thought there was nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/who-knows-what-yale-thought-it-was-getting-when-it-hired-richard/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [I have a good black friend who is a doctor, but he didn't become a doctor because he saw other black men who were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/i-have-a-good-black-friend-who-is-a-doctor-but-he-didn-t-become-a/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [In some ways I consider myself more Chinese, because I live in San Francisco, which is becoming a predominantly Asian city. I avoid falling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/in-some-ways-i-consider-myself-more-chinese-because-i-live-in-san/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [I think the universities have co-opted the intellectual, by and large. But there is an emerging intellectual set coming out of Washington think tanks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/i-think-the-universities-have-co-opted-the-intellectual-by-and-large/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [You don't know Mexico, man. You have trivialized Mexico. You are a fool about Mexico if you think that Mexico is five blocks. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/you-don-t-know-mexico-man-you-have-trivialized-mexico-you-are-a-fool/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [After the second chapter of Days of Obligation, which is about the death of a friend of mine from AIDS, was published in Harper's,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/after-the-second-chapter-of-days-of-obligation-which-is-about-the/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [What has happened in the last generation is that Tijuana has become a new Third World capital - much to the chagrin of Mexico…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/what-has-happened-in-the-last-generation-is-that-tijuana-has-become-a/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [We're looking at complexity. We're looking at blond kids in Beverley Hills who can speak Spanish because they have been raised by Guatemalan nannies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/we-re-looking-at-complexity-we-re-looking-at-blond-kids-in-beverley/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [Intimacy is not trapped within words. It passes through words. It passes. The truth is that intimates leave the room. Doors close. Faces move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/intimacy-is-not-trapped-within-words-it-passes-through-words-it/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [For me, diversity is not a value. Diversity is what you find in Northern Ireland. Diversity is Beirut. Diversity is brother killing brother. Where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/for-me-diversity-is-not-a-value-diversity-is-what-you-find-in/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) [Explore all 99 Richard Rodriguez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) ## More Assimilation quotes > [“The Portland school board's policy equated integration and racial assimilation. This policy, Rist explains, is a "means of socializing nonwhite students to act, speak,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-bell/the-portland-school-board-s-policy-equated-integration-and-racial/) [Derrick Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-bell/) > [“Being an immigrant is not a status but a state of mind. It doesn’t stop when you “assimilate” or “integrate” or when you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/being-an-immigrant-is-not-a-status-but-a-state-of-mind-it-doesn-t/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [Great genius takes shape by contact with another great genius, but, less by assimilation than by friction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/great-genius-takes-shape-by-contact-with-another-great-genius-but/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [ “\[I\]nclusion, not assimilation, should be the key concept in seeking, ever seeking, a more perfect national union. Our own history has shown that we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/i-nclusion-not-assimilation-should-be-the-key-concept-in-seeking-ever/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [“It's a fact— everyone is ignorant in some way or another. Ignorance is our deepest secret. And it is one of the scariest things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/it-s-a-fact-everyone-is-ignorant-in-some-way-or-another-ignorance-is/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [“Fuck I hate fucks Who think they’re so fucking great They know everything about fucking, When they’re just fucking fucks fucking! And no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/initially-no/fuck-i-hate-fucks-who-think-they-re-so-fucking-great-they-know/) Initially NO > [Jewish history turns out not to be an either/or story - as in, either pure Judaism detached from its surroundings or else assimilation -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/jewish-history-turns-out-not-to-be-an-either-or-story-as-in-either/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [“It’s a great honor, m’ijo. We know that. I’m sure everyone in Ysleta is proud of you. But this is who you are," she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-troncoso/it-s-a-great-honor-m-ijo-we-know-that-i-m-sure-everyone-in-ysleta-is/) [Sergio Troncoso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-troncoso/) > [Intellectual life requires for its expansion and manifestation the influences and assimilation of the interests and affections of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-addams/intellectual-life-requires-for-its-expansion-and-manifestation-the/) [Jane Addams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-addams/) > [“Does assimilation mean that they never came up against naked prejudice? Does it mean that you understood where the limits of your social world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-de-waal/does-assimilation-mean-that-they-never-came-up-against-naked/) [Edmund de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-de-waal/) > [Knowledge is a free good. The biggest cost in its transmission is not in the production or distribution of knowledge, but in its assimilation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-arrow/knowledge-is-a-free-good-the-biggest-cost-in-its-transmission-is-not/) [Kenneth Arrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-arrow/) > [“If you aren't destroying your enemies, it's because you have been conquered and assimilated, you do not even have an idea of who your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/if-you-aren-t-destroying-your-enemies-it-s-because-you-have-been/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [Finally it should be the earnest wish and paramount aim of the military administration to win the confidence, respect, and affection of the inhabitants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mckinley/finally-it-should-be-the-earnest-wish-and-paramount-aim-of-the/) [William McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mckinley/) > [If you would be a writer, first be a reader. Only through the assimilation of ideas, thoughts and philosophies can one begin to focus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-w-eckert/if-you-would-be-a-writer-first-be-a-reader-only-through-the/) Allan W. Eckert > [We must have life building, man-making, character-making assimilation of ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/we-must-have-life-building-man-making-character-making-assimilation/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) [Browse all 141 Assimilation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assimilation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The fact that we're all hyphenating our names suggests that we are afraid of being assimilated. I was talking on the BBC recently, and this woman introduced me as being \"in favor of assimilation.\" I said, \"I'm not in favor of assimilation.\" I am no more in favor of assimilation than I am in favor of the Pacific Ocean. 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