Although the novels deal with different ethnic groups, there are similar as well as diverse ways that each group had to face a new dominant American culture. A fundamental difference between the two groups is that Jewish immigrants tried very hard to migrate to America while American Indians had their sense of home invaded and their people killed. Looking at the negative impact of assimilation on the American Indians and the positive impact of assimilation on Jewish immigrants, it is significant to analyze the similarities, differences, and the meaning of assimilation to both groups.

One prevalent theme throughout both Mean Spirit and The Promised Land is that of discrimination. Mean Spirit demonstrates this theme with its portrayal of the United States government's treatment of the American Indians in respect to land. The government made payments to the Indians for leasing their land and at first, they cut the...