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Postville and Immigration

Postville and Immigration

The process of acculturation refers the notion of change which affects the cultural and psychological nomenclature. This change takes place when two or more than two cultures tend to merge with each other. The processes of acculturation are far fetched as it allows social institutions, and customs of the society to grow and infuse the elements which are one considered alien (Berry, 1997). The immigrants who came to work to Postville, they did not come alone rather they also brought their culture, values and social systems with themselves. The cultures of the residents of Iowa and Hasidic Brooklyn completely differed with each other and as a result a clash was inevitable between the two cultures. It all started when the Hasidic Jews bought a land to establish the slaughterhouse near Postville, Iowa.

Underlying Issues

By establishing a large kosher meat enterprise, the economy of the Iowa started to grow; as a result new jobs were created. As jobs were created, now Mexican workers started to pour in. New communities placed themselves and started to grow as a result of increasing business. This was not at all welcomed by the residents of the Postville. The tension between the groups was so intense that when a Jewish teacher threw a watermelon party no one form the local population attended it. In my opinion the difference between the groups were more religious in nature. The residents took the position that the difference emerged due to the social differences, which in my opinion was not the case. Since Hasidic Jews were not the first intruders who have settled in Postville. The social differences were rendered from the local population that the Hasidism who has steeled in Postville did not have the appropriate manners.

The lifestyle adopted by the intruders was ...