Blog #3 Social Inequality

       The problem with Assimilation

           The United States is made up of many different races that have immigrated here through out our short history.  The "American" culture differs from person to person. Some how though the dominant belief is "white culture" when it comes to assimilation.  To assimilate is defined as, "to bring into conformity with the customs, attitudes, etc., of a group, nation, or the like;"  (Dictionary.com, n.d.) Which can cause an identity crisis. While a Harvard study found that the large majority is against the traditional meaning of assimilation (Alba, 1997).  

       So what is it that is happening if it is not assimilation? Well according to Greenman and Xie, assimilation is still relevant but it is not the same assimilation that many of us think of.  They explain that traditional assimilation focuses on differences from culture to culture. While more recent assimilation focuses on what different cultures have in common.  Much like multiculturalism; honoring all cultures as well as honoring the current culture of the place that someone is in.  Today's assimilation does not have to be a way to strip someone of their identity.  Multiculturalism and Assimilation being bonded together can create a  much more dynamic theory. This can allow for the complexity that is a human and celebrate the relationship between and the differences between.  Studies have long shown that diversity and immigration breeds innovation (Winter, 1999).  

       I can not speak for other countries but, I can speak in regards to my country and what it means to me. The United States has been regarded as the "Melting Pot" or "The land where dreams come true".  The United States is supposed to be a land of equality where everyone has a shot, if they work hard. Assimilation in the traditional sense tells an immigrant that they must leave behind what makes them, them. They must become the dominant culture.  I have found that my life became so much more fruitful when I opened myself up to the vast amount of cultures that we have in our country. Living in Southern California near the coast makes that much easier to do.  This country is made up of immigrants that come together to create a better tomorrow. As the statue of liberty says, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! " (Boston Fed, 2008). 

            

Citations

    Alba, Richard. "Rethinking Assimilation Theory for a New Era of Immigration." The International Migration Review 31.4, Special Issue: Immigrant Adaptation and Native-Born Responses in the Making of Americans (1997): 826-74. JSTOR. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

    "Assimilate." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2017.

     Greenman, Emily, and Yu Xie. "Is Assimilation Theory Dead? The Effect of Assimilation on Adolescent Well-being." Is Assimilation Theory Dead? The Effect of Assimilation on Adolescent Well-being. Elsevier, Mar. 2008. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.