Question

1. What is assimilation according to sociologists?

2. Identify two advantages of assimilation to the USA. Explain why these are advantageous t US society

3. Identify two disadvantages of assimilation to US society. Explain why these are disadvantageous t US society

4. In what way is the Internal Colonialism Theory applicable to Native Americans? Explain fully drawing examples from Native Americans.

5. Summarize the Caste Theory. In what way is it applicable to the experiences of African Americans?  

Answer 1

• 1. Assimilation is a gradual process by which a person or group belonging to one culture adopts the practices of another, thereby becoming a member of that culture. Sociologists commonly distinguish between forced and unforced assimilation.
• Assimilation describes the process by which a minority integrates socially, culturally, and/or politically into a larger, dominant culture and society. The term assimilation is often used in reference to immigrants and ethnic groups settling in a new land. Immigrants acquire new customs and attitudes through contact and communication with a new society, while they also introduce some of their own cultural traits to that society.
• Immigrant assimilation is one of the most common forms of assimilation. It is a complex process through which an immigrant integrates themselves into a new country.
  
• Social scientists rely on four benchmarks to assess immigrant assimilation:
• Socioeconomic status is defined by educational attainment, occupation, and income. By measuring socioeconomic status, researchers seek to determine whether immigrants eventually catch up to native-born people in matters of capital.
• Spatial concentration is defined by geography or residential patterns.
• Language attainment is defined as the ability to speak English and the loss of the individual’s mother tongue. The three-generation model of language assimilation states that the first generation makes some progress in language assimilation but retains primary fluency in their native tongue, while the second generation is bilingual and the third generation speaks only English.
• Intermarriage refers to marriage across racial, ethnic, or, occasionally, generational lines. High rates of intermarriage are considered to be an indication of social integration, as they suggest intimate and profound relations between people of different groups. Intermarriage reduces the ability of families to pass on to their children a consistent ethnic culture and thus is an agent of assimilation.
• 2.First, immigrant populations keep the engine of growth moving forward.As populations age, they become an increasing economic burden that needs to be offset by younger entrants into the workforce.
• In the US, white Americans are having less children, so it is immigrant families (with a higher birth rates) that are filling the labor gap. In effect, it is this group that is largely responsible for keeping pension funds and social security well financed; while driving the US economy forward into the next generation.
• Second, immigration has been a tremendous force for innovation and entrepreneurship in the US, the extent to which is unrivaled in modern history. More than half the billion dollar companies in the US are founded by an immigrant.
• Each of these, on average, create 760 new jobs. 25% of all new businesses in the US are started by immigrants; and these businesses have experienced 60% increase in wages over the last decade.
• Immigrants are job makers, not job takers. Their entrepreneurial drive combined with high representation in higher education programs will help keep the nation’s innovative spirit strong as well as its competitive edge in the world.
• Due to time limit,remaining questions can be asked as another question,they will be answered,thankyou for your cooperation