Question

Review the discussion of the assimilation of different American minorities, and then compare the different experiences of Asians and Latinos. Identify the criteria for assimilation and discuss which groups has assimilated most readily. Then explain the sociological reasons for the difference in assimilation.

Answer 1

Answer.

There can be many historical, socioeconomic, and sociological factors that can directly or indirectly influence the decision of immigrant minorities to either assimilate into the host culture or maintain their native ethnic identity. Thus Hispanic and Asian populations may have distinct cultural experience. Cross cultural research shows that the acculturation experience of  identity among second generation Asian Americans is inevitably tied to the process of assimilation, that is they tend to seek a merger between the mainstream American economic and political values and the religious and linguistic customs of their ancestral or familial culture. A major point of difference between the acculturation experience of Asian and Hispanic minorities is that the former groups are found to show greater tendency towards structural or socioeconomic assimilation wherein they get integrated into the formal social, political, economic, and cultural institutions of the host country . In other words, compared to the Hispanics, Asian minorities begin to participate as full members of American society because of the higher rate of adoption of English language, higher education and occupation, residential integration, etc.

On the other hand, the Latin groups tend to show lower level of cultural integration in terms of the adoption of English language, and many face impeding difficulties in acquiring access to higher education, higher jobs and income due to the difficulty in acquiring status as permanent residents in the United States. The political issues surrounding resident status of ethnic minorities has been an important factor in producing the differences between Asian and Hispanic communities.