Does assimilation into American culture come easily for immigrants or individuals with foreign-born parents? As the characters in Chang Rae Lee's novel, Native Speaker demonstrate, adaptation to the Western world occurs with great difficulty and often ultimately results in a sense of alienation and shame. The narrator, Henry Park, a Korean-American suffering from an identity crisis, reveals the resentment he feels for his parents abandoning their Korean roots in an attempt to achieve the typical American dream. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Throughout the novel, Henry Park's attitude is critical and often finds fault in others. Unlike both of his parents who are not proud of their Korean heritage and instead try to blend in with Americans, Henry personally resides more in uncertainty territory, unsure of whether to classify himself as Korean or American. For this reason Henry comments: I remember thinking about her, what is she afraid of, what could be so bad that we have to be so careful about what people think of us, as if we had to delicately mince with aching feet through our feet. immaculate neighborhood, we silent partners of the WASPs and the neighboring Jews, never criticizing them except with a smile, as if everything was always fine with us, in our great pretense of correctness, as if nothing could touch us or cause anger or sadness on us us. us (52). She openly questions her mother's hesitation and shame associated with her Korean background when she says, "I remember thinking about her, what is she afraid of, what could be so bad?" (52). The partial italics of Henry's analysis profoundly exemplify the stigma that Ms. Park feels associated with her status as a Korean-American immigrant. Lee's sparing use of italics dramatizes his embarrassment and accentuates the moment of the work. Henry's reference to his family's life as a “great sham of propriety” strongly testifies to his objections to the façade his family has put up since immigration. The lengths to which the Park family goes to gain acceptance, such as hiding all negative emotions and instructing Henry to "show them how well [he] spoke English, to prove it," clearly shows the difficulties that accompany assimilation . in American culture (53). The Parks maintain an outsider status in their neighborhood. Because of Park's pride associated with independence and non-dependence on others, Mrs. Park would stop cooking halfway through the recipe rather than borrow the necessary ingredients. “My mother… would gladly ruin a birthday cake rather than bear the slightest shame in asking her next time- neighbor and friend for the egg she was missing, the pinch of baking powder for the baby” (52). Even something so small and inconsequential makes them feel ashamed. By sharing this memory of his mother's past, Henry allows the reader a greater understanding of the struggles his family faced in the United States, where they were seen as complete foreigners despite attempting to abandon all of their Korean ties. Henry's critical tone illustrates his disapproval of his parents' complete loss of Korean identity, despite being born there, following their move to North America. After moving to the United States and dedicating himself to the pursuit of the American dream, Henry's father's life revolves not only around money but also around the exploitation of his workers for his own personal gain. There.