	The experiences of every individual immigrant differ in small and sometimes large ways from historical narratives on immigration. Historical narratives can never be all-encompassing or entirely adequate because they are in essence generalizations; they provide a framework for analysis based on common experiences. Just as a narrative of US immigration that focuses on European immigrants fails to account for the many stories of non-European immigrants, any historical narrative focusing on immigration from a certain region will inevitably neglect the stories of immigrants from that region whose experiences are atypical. Every instance of such neglect is not equally harmful. Sometimes the experiences ignored are from those whose stories are commonly ignored in other facets of history - women, people of color, and the economically advantaged. At other times, and with fewer damaging implications, the story of a rich white man will fail to dominate historical narratives. The story of Mike Clutter, who immigrated to the U.S. in 2005 as an affluent Taiwanese 17 year-old, is arguably closer to the second type. Nonetheless, Clutter’s story adds to existing narratives on Asian immigration by qualifying them. Clutter relates far less conflict in his immigrant story than is common in narratives of Chinese immigration from the late 19th to mid 20th century. His experience suggests that economic status and the change in racial attitudes over time created the possibility for acculturation with minimal conflict. While the interview format has its weaknesses and it is possible that Clutter downplays the conflict involved in acculturation, not just the feelings but the facts Clutter relates consistently back up the idea that for him, acculturation was a neither physically nor economically dangerous process. Clutter was able to keep much of his traditional Taiwanese culture while adapting to American society and being accepted by Americans, a privilege impossible for many earlier and poorer immigrants.
	Mike Clutter was born in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, into an affluent family. His father was an engineer and his mother stayed home to take care of him and his younger sister. 
Although Clutter’s parents taught him to be “very proud” to be Taiwanese, he was exposed to American culture from an early age. At school he was taught English as well as Chinese in order to be bilingual. He sometimes watched American television shows and particularly enjoyed Friends. 
Clutter’s family decided to immigrate to America despite the importance they placed on Taiwanese culture after Clutter’s father was offered an exciting job opportunity in the United States. 
 Overall, Clutter and his family were prepared and excited for the move to America.
	Clutter’s family was much more prepared for acculturation in America than most immigrants from the late 19th to mid 20th century, thanks to economic advantages and the technology of the 21st century. Although television only provided a limited view of American society, it was a vast improvement in connecting future immigrants to the culture of their new society compared to books, newspapers, and word of mouth. It mitigated some of the culture shock of moving to a new country. However, technology alone did not make the difference. In Mexico, cyclical migration in the first half of the 20th century meant that Mexican immigrants who had become familiar with American culture while in the United States would bring it back with them to Mexico. This familiarity was only a limited help to new Mexican immigrants because they did not have the economic means to fit into American culture, and with the advent of American television around the world and the internet, cultural familiarity still has limited value for most Mexican immigrants. Economic advantages also insured that Clutter’s family arrived in the United States literate in English, due to high quality and demanding schools. Most Asian immigrants who arrived at Angel Island did not have this advantage, and without literacy and cultural familiarity they were detained for weeks or months. However, immigrants who were first-class passengers were able to skip Angel Island and the detainment; the vast advantages of privileged economic status are not a development of the 21st century. The story of Clutter and his family is influenced by cultural familiarity of America enabled through technology and economic status, but more than this it is economic status itself which prepared Clutter’s family to arrive in America. While Asian immigrants without cultural preparation for the United States suffered on Angel Island and Mexican immigrants with some cultural familiarity of America did and do end up in low-paying jobs with poor working conditions, Clutter’s family has more in common with affluent immigrants of the past than poor immigrants of the present.
