Assimilation
Assimilation is a term which is so much associated with immigration. Its significance is not only felt in today’s immigrant communities but also throughout the history of the US. Previously, the term was used to mean a biological process carried out by the body used in the conversion of food into a substance which can be absorbed in digestion. However, the use of the term in today’s world as a physiological process has been eclipsed as a result of its greater social significance. Its broad use is evident by the many definitions it carries. Some sources define assimilation as a process by which people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds come together and interact in the life of a larger community without any constraints. Other sources define assimilation as a process or act of becoming or making identical or like; the process or act of bringing into harmony. Lucky, Armstrong, and Estrada (19) defined assimilation from a strictly socially adaptive phenomenon. According to them, the definition of assimilation is defined in two parts. Firstly as an adjustment of the person and the immigrants’ collective activities as they adapt to the new cultural environment. Secondly, as the extent of absorption, conformity, and relative change of the immigrant into the host society or culture. Lucky, Armstrong, and Estrada view the second part of the definition as a process which starts with contact, followed by tolerance, then accommodation, and eventually acculturation. The authors further asserted that the debate over the definition of assimilation can be separated into two arguments. The first argument is based on the reasoning that assimilation is tantamount with the Anglo-conformity or the ‘melting pot’ theory where the immigrants are viewed as moving toward the dominant ethnic group. This argument has been seen to consider assimilation as a contrast to cultural pluralism and declare that cultural pluralism and assimilation are mutually exclusive. The second argument considers assimilation as an act which initially begins with a cultural integration before proceeding to become a structural integration which is more mutual from both the immigrant and the host groups. In this theory, the immigrant group change so that they can adapt to the dominant group while the majority or the dominant group adopt or incorporate certain cultural aspects, values, and attitudes from the immigrant groups which will ultimately redefine or modify the dominant society or the host group. The authors explained that this model presumes that there exist some symbiotic relationship between the newly infused immigrant group and the dominant society that allows for conformity and adaptation while still preserving certain features of the immigrant culture such as language, food, and social values.
Benefits of assimilating into one’s culture
According to Bertha, Crawford, and Fogarty (296), assimilation can help in enhancing patriotism. They argued that if the American melting pot is truly working or is accurate, then as the time goes by, the current immigrants, as well as their offspring, should firstly identify themselves as Americans and then secondly as members of a particular ethnic group. To them, ethnic differences in patriotism ought to be very small. The authors further pointed out that assimilation brings about vigour in both the immigrant and the dominant group since it reinforces their relationships. As a result, both the immigrant are more active in not only the economic aspect of life but also the political aspect. Assimilation has some benefits. Assimilation leads to strengthened spiritual relationship between the host and the immigrant. Assimilation also leads to an increase in the number of employable people which adds to the labour force. However, assimilation also has some disadvantages. The process of assimilation may lead to engaging in illegal or unlawful activities such as human trafficking, robbery, and smuggling or trading in illegal drugs. Assimilation can also lead to loss of identity for the immigrant or the host or both since assimilation can cause the two sides to share many values, attitudes, and culture. In the process, one or both lose the identity. The immigrant might abandon their culture and follow that of the host. The host may also borrow a lot from the immigrant and abandon some of the cultural values. Bloemraad, Korteweg, and Yurdakul (153-179) contend that citizenship, usually regarded as a potential source of cohesion, justice, and equality is threatened when large numbers of people with diverse religious, ethnic., linguistic, cultural and racial backgrounds cross boundaries.
Challenges of assimilating into one’s culture
Assimilating into another’s culture may is not very easy. Some immigrants face some challenges. Haddad (237) observed that the Muslim community faces challenges when trying to assimilate to the American dominant group. The challenges have been found to affect the Muslim life in the America. Muslims would wish to retain their identity, but they face challenges. To Haddad, Muslims find that identification in America is by ethnicity, culture, language, and politics. Haddad argues that these concentric circles of identification diminish the Muslim wishes to retain identification with religion. Studies have also found that immigrants face a problem of adapting to the new culture and struggling to retain their original culture such as language, values, attitudes, clothing, and food (Mwakigagile 132).
Works cited
Bertha, Michelle, Crawford Beverly, and Fogarty Edward. The Impact of Globalization on the United States. London: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008. Print.
Bloemraad, Irene, Anna Korteweg, and Gökçe Yurdakul. "Citizenship and Immigration: Multiculturalism, Assimilation, and challenges to the nation-state." Sociology 34.1 (2008): 153.
Haddad, Yvonne Yazbeck. The Muslims of America. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print.
Loucky, James. Armstrong Jeanne, and Estrada Lawrence. Immigration in America Today: An Encyclopedia. London: Greenwood Press, 2006. Print.
Mwakigagile, Godfrey. Africans and African Americans: Complex Relations - Prospects and Challenges. Scotts Valley, CA: Custom Books Publishing, 2009. Print.
