Assimilation

One concept explored in Finding My Voice is the idea of assimilation. Assimilation is the process by which one group, in this case Ellen and her family, takes on traits of and becomes part of the larger culture. Ellen's parents are natives of Korea, while their daughters were born and raised in the United States. Ellen knows little of her Korean heritage, and she cannot speak or read the language. Her parents have told her little about their past. They are the only Koreans in a town that is primarily Scandinavian in extraction, leaving them somewhat culturally and socially isolated.

Ellen's parents have assimilated less than their daughters, though Mrs. Sung is more assimilated than her husband. Ellen's father, a local doctor, insists on eating Korean food. Ellen explains, "I know that sometimes he likes to sample 'American' things, but when he does, he takes exactly one bite...