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Ethnics and Immigration
Immigration has become a common phenomenon in this globalized world, and with migration comes the problem of maintaining cultural identities. Immigrants relate with the society of the host country in varied ways. The resultant process of cultural transformation can be classified into three broad ways - assimilation, ethnic pluralism, and transnationalism.
Connectivity between the home country and host country is an inherent aspect of immigration. However, this connection and the resultant networks give rise to a multitude of communities, sometimes organized along conflicting principles. These communities tend to shape both the migrants and the state polices, and thus, there is a need to clearly distinguish the various processes through which migration communities are built.
Transnationalism refers to those social interactions that transcend national boundaries. It is a social phenomenon that denotes the penetration of national cultures and political systems by global forces. The process of migration has always involved multiple affiliations and cultures. However, today we see more people having types of transnational affiliations that differ from the traditional ones. We are today witnessing simultaneous ethnical and transnational affiliations.
Assimilation is a process through which the culture of a particular group is absorbed by another group. In other words, when the immigrants to a country are made, either willingly or by force, to imitate the ways and lifestyle of the dominant ethnic group of the host country, the process is referred to as assimilation. In this process, one culture is completely eradicated and the members who belong to that culture denounce it and embrace another culture. Full assimilation is said to take place when the new members of the society are indistinguishable from the existing ones.
Ethnic pluralism is a condition in which many different ethnic groups coexist with each other and are tolerated by the society. Each group retains their cultural roots and other aspects, such as religion, language, etc., and each group is considered equal to the other. All the groups are interdependent on each other, and exist as independent entities rather than one unchanging whole.
All these three categories differ from each other and each offer a unique solution to manage the cultural and social problems arising out of immigration. However, ethnic pluralism has its own disadvantages. According to Stephen Steinberg,
“Ethnic groups in a position of social and economic advantage, when exercising their prerogatives of associating with their own ethnic kind, deprive outsiders of rights and opportunities protected by democratic norms.”
Assimilation is considered to be an extreme means of cultural integration because it involves migrants giving up their identity to resemble the ethnic majority of the host nation.
Thus, out of the three categories discussed by us, transnationalism is the better option for the immigrants to adapt to the host society. Assimilation and ethnic pluralism are concepts that evolved during an early period, and are chiefly based on American experience. Earlier immigrants had mostly immigrated to a foreign land with a plan of breaking of all homeland cultural and social ties, and becoming an integral part of the host society.
In contrast, the new age immigrant’s life, network and activities encompass both the host and home culture and societies. In this age, where communication and transport have seen rapid development, it is hard for any immigrant to severe his ties completely from his home country. So, transnationalism offers a better solution for new immigrant identities and communities.
Works Cited
ESF Standing Committee for the Humanities Forward Look Report. "Migration and Transcultural Identities." An ESF Standing Committee for the Humanities Forward Look Report. 2004. web. <www.esf.org>.
Guarnizo, Luis Eduardo and Michael Peter Smith. The Locations of Transnationalism V6. Comparative Urban and Community Research. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers, 1998. Print.
Steinberg, Stephen. Ethnic Pluralism. 3 May 1981. web. <http://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/03/books/l-ethnic-pluralism-109659.html. 3 November 2014.
Waldinger, Roger and David Fitzgerald. "Transnationalism in Question." AJS Volume 109 Number 5 (2004): 1177–95. Print.
