Culture Shock Leads To Tragedy

On Monday, twenty year-old Noor Faleh Almaleki died from injuries suffered on October 20th when she was run down by her own father outside a Phoenix, Arizona. Almaleki's father has admitted to the act, saying that his daughter had become too westernized. According to county prosecutor Stephanie Low, "This was an attempt at an honor killing." Amal Edan Khalaf, a friend of the daughter, was also injured in the incident. Low is charging Faleh Hassan Almaleki with aggravated assault.
While there is no doubt that this is a tragic story, it is interesting to observe the story of immigration and culture shock. In the 21st century, immigration has become the norm in the west. While a few countries are still struggling to come to terms with what immigration is doing to their national identity, most notably Russia, the United States has embraced (legal) immigration. However, most people, even immigrants, fail to realize the trauma that can occur in relation to their own identity. Obviously, Faleh Hassan Almaleki thought that he would have more influence over his own daughter than the society she lived in.
While there has been much discussion in this country about immigration, and the necessity for immigrants to conform to our society, it is often missed that, really, they have no choice. While first generation immigrants can choose not to learn the native language, even choose not to teach that language to their children, eventually their children, and their children's children, will adapt to their surroundings. When one thinks about the society that the west has built for itself, there can be no doubt about the adaptability of the human condition.