The concept of assimilation has its origin in America in pre-colonial period and after WWI and WWII where there was a record in the population influx of people from one country to another who were looking for safety and other social amenities which were lacking in their countries (Portes and Rumbaut 2006). Assimilation can be defined as the process of becoming similar or making similar in regard to other. Basically, it can define as the basic process through which an individual or a group having an affiliation with a certain culture are integrated into other cultures practices and therefore becoming members of that large culture (Portes and Rumbaut 2006).
Commonly, sociologists have defined two forms of assimilation namely forced and unforced. Forced assimilation involves individual being compelled to adopt and embrace practices of dominant culture by adopting practices affiliated to it like speaking their language, practicing their traditions, among other practices. On the other hand, unforced assimilation is a deliberate effort by a person to embrace and integrate into a different culture (Portes and Rumbaut 2006). In history, the term assimilation has been defined and is frequently used by sociologists to refer the manner in which individual from a small culture of less influence respond to or maybe blend with a different culture or simply how minority group responds to the influence caused by a dormant culture.
The term was coined first in the US to describe the Europeans migrants who were being absorbed into American culture during the 19th century and early 20th century (Portes and Rumbaut 2006). The forced form of assimilation took place in Europe where indigenous groups were compelled to adapt to other cultures like the American culture and practices. Different models and theories have been used to define the practice. Among them include the segmented assimilation. The model attempts to explain why the US is the destination for many cases of immigration and their concurrent assimilation (Portes and Rumbaut 2006).
The approach suggests and stresses that the US is an unequal country whose society is highly stratified and therefore when immigrants arrive in the country, they found many different segments available for them in regard to aspects such as socioeconomic status. The model describes different routes through which immigrant can use to reach the US. The first route is through the classic model of assimilation. Through this model, immigrants once they arrive in the US, they find it easy to integrate into the middle-class community and thus having the latitude of time to fully adjust to local cultures (Portes and Rumbaut 2006). The second path is known as the downward mobility whereby the poorer segments end up assimilating into the society.
Classic assimilation theory also has explained the concept of assimilation. The theory views immigrants, the different ethnic communities or groups and the dominant group as having a "straight-line" of convergence whereby they become similar with time in regard to norms, their values, behaviors, and even characteristics. As a result of frequent intersections, the theory advocates that those immigrants, who stay longer in a certain community, should integrate fully in that society and overtime, exhibit similar features compared to the immigrants who usually spend less time in the community (Portes and Rumbaut 2006). However, the model has come under sharp criticism about its view on weaker cultures. For instance, the early versions of this theory such as Anglo-conformist have been criticized for its views that their values were superb and thus ignoring other cultures. As result, it leads to discriminatory laws being passed to subdue the interest of slammer cultures while many other groups were being curtailed out of the region.
In summary, the theory hypotheses that poor infrastructure such as schools, low employment levels, can result in the creation of disadvantaged communities which are likely to lead to stagnation or what has been termed as downward mobility (Portes and Rumbaut 2006). Therefore, when such groups move to developed countries like the US, they find some relieve and decide to integrate into the society. However, the model has been criticized of basically based on poor economic outcomes to increased radicalization globally as such can result from financial factors and low employment opportunities.
The concept assimilation mean different for the “new immigration.” Despite the fact the above-described theories have examined assimilation; contemporary researchers believe that they do not adequately examine the “new immigration”. For instance, the segmented assimilation theory was constructed as the helm of the radical and ethnic clash between the whites and the Africans (Portes and Rumbaut 2006). The due to current global concerns and animosity over immigrants, assimilation defines new immigration as a form of discrimination and radicalization. As a result, classic assimilation emphasizes that new immigrants are no longer disadvantages from poor Africa countries as the majority of them.
There is a hot debate about assimilation in relating to practices such as immigration and radicalization. Many countries have come up with policies to deter immigration as it leads to assimilation into a certain culture that later result in the radicalization of the immigrants and thus posing a big threat to the security. Nevertheless, the debate of immigrant’s assimilation into foreign countries culture has grown wide as the individuals or groups exposes greater similarities (Portes and Rumbaut 2006). Despite this, there has been a continued to be restrained to reduce assimilation of different communities as they end up eroding on influencing a certain culture and thus eroding social norms of the dormant culture. Instead of being integrated into the dominant culture, a reveal occurs where the major community is influenced by the minority group and therefore assimilating it.
Assimilation trajectories are likely to be on rising in future as more and more people are willing to be integrated in to new cultures especially with the areas surrounding the Mediterranean sea.it is predicted that assimilation of individuals into other cultures has shifted from being merely immigrants to currently being migrants who are seeking better life abroad and this will be very willful compared to the past where people were forced to take up cultures by their colonial masters. Moreover, the second generation immigrant will be characterized by downward mobility for workers’ children (Portes and Rumbaut 2006). Linguistic assimilation will be on high as many people tend to speak many languages at one time and thus able to integrate with other communities easily. It is also anticipated that probably origin families are likely to all migrant to conservative directions. In regard to individual achievement in items of social and economic aspects, migrants in the second generation of assimilation are likely to be pushed to liberal economies the more as many people
Work Cited
Portes, Alejandro, and Rubén G. Rumbaut. Immigrant America: a portrait. Univ of California
Press, 2006.increasingly become more enlightened.
