Black Assimilation in Song of Solomon, Push and The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah EquianoOur African American texts call for careful examination of the status of slaves and subsequent generations of free blacks, how they integrated into American society, and their pursuit and denial of the benefits of Americanism. So, do we assimilate or resist? But the Melting Pot theory does not include black people since the assimilation process could not work its magic on black skin. In the slave narrative, The interesting account of the life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African, the capture of Africans, their ultimate slavery in the Americas, the West Indies and Europe illustrate the inferior status attributed to blacks in societies of foreign worlds. Black people have less than their proportional share of wealth, power and social status, and are discriminated against by those who constitute the majority. The yoke of slavery did not sanction inclusion, but rather increased their status as immigrants or colonized minorities and this feeling remained constant. Equiano's race and life as a sea slave reduced his opportunities for citizenship in a landed community; therefore, he was neither immigrant nor colonized. In fact, she was more out of place than ever, sailing under her owner/captain's flag. In Song of Solomon and Push, the characters are several generations removed from slavery. The question is therefore not whether the position of blacks is that of an immigrant or colonized minority, even if it can appear as one or the other. More importantly, their problem is dealing with the ambiguities of being “out of slavery,” as the characters come into their own. The su...... middle of paper ......neighborhoods permanently fixed, or "sold" by embracing the dominant culture and sometimes attempting complete assimilation (even if this proves impossible) in order to advance one's career, and acquiring better housing and/or a better education for one's children is omnipresent. Total assimilation is not real for black people, it never has been and it probably never will be and it is a sad commentary on the state of the country. Works Cited Equiano, Olaudah. The interesting account of the life of Olaudauh Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African. “Classic Slave Narratives.” Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. New York: Penguin Group, 1987.McLemore, Dale S. Race and Ethnic Relations in America. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1991. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: The Penguin Group, 1977. Sapphire. Push. New York: vintage contemporaries, 1996.