She writes,.
I choose to describe myself on my own terms, as an American, rather than as an Asian-American. Why is it that hyphenation is imposed only on non-white Americans? Rejecting hyphenation is my refusal to categorize the cultural landscape into a center and its peripheries; it is to demand that the American nation deliver the promises of its dream and its Constitution to all its citizens equally (359).
In this paragraph, the author emphasizes her resistance to the immigrants who label themselves Asian-American instead of just American. She felt proud of being an American. Mukjeree believes that all citizens should be treated equally regardless if they are native born or an immigrant. As an international student, I constantly struggle with assimilating to America's mainstream culture. I was in culture shock when I first arrived to America. The way people dressed, spoke and carried themselves fascinated me. I tried my best to be like them. My first experience was recognizing how Americans greet each other with a hug and/or a kiss. Vietnamese usually shake hands or simply smile when seeing others. I was a little apprehensive of this greeting habit as it was too "friendly" in relation to my country's norm. I tried to familiarize to this custom. I even went so far to hug the mailman. He gave me a strange look and at that moment I realized that I was being improper. After that experience, I understood that the form of greeting is based on the relationship between individuals. Even though I embraced the American culture, I still wanted to retain the traditions of my previous culture. Family and the city of Westminster was my ethnic enclave.
I believe that when ethnic enclaves are established, inter-ethnic communication is less enhanced. When an ethic culture is contained to itself, individuals lose sight of what is outside of the box. In "The Right Road to America," Amy Chua discusses pro-immigration and issues that need to be focused on such as, speeding up on admission priorities, mandating English as the official language, embracing America's virtues, law enforcement and equal opportunity.