Prompt: Assimilation or Multiculturalism?

Most nations today have become a diverse mix of people, forcing almost everyone to struggle with the tension between affirming diversity and seeking unity. In this context,

1. What is your position regarding personal and social identity, cultural values and beliefs, social interaction and policies toward immigrants?

I believe that immigrants should be able to express their culture openly as we all see things differently.

1. Is your position regarding personal and social identity, cultural values and beliefs, social interaction and policies for established ethnic minorities, the same or different? Explain

I feel the same about ethnic minorities as I do immigrants when it comes to freely expressing their culture, personal and social identities.

Assimilation maintains that cultural minorities should give up their so-called “heritage” cultures and take on the “American” or “Canadian” way of life. Multiculturalism is the view that these groups should maintain their heritage cultures as much as possible while establishing themselves in the new culture. Lambert and his colleagues (1990) asked in their research: “Some people believe that cultural and racial minority groups should give up their traditional ways of life and take on the American (Canadian, French, etc.) way of life while others believe that these groups should maintain their traditional ways as much as possible when they come to America.

3. What do you think?

I think that no one should feel as though they have to conform to societies way of doing things. Cultural minorities should not have to give up their heritage cultures just because it is the American way of life or so forth. Everyone should be able to live in a culture where we accept others cultural background.

In a survey of Americans, Lambert and Taylor (1988) found surprising support for maintaining heritage cultures not only among immigrant minority groups but also among most majority “host” groups, black and white. Working-class whites were one exception. Conducting a similar study in France, Lambert and his colleagues (1990) found that middle- and working-class families were neutral to slightly favorable of immigrants maintaining heritage cultures and languages rather than losing them through assimilation.Does pride in one’s ethnic group competes with identification with the larger culture.

4. More specifically, does a strong ethnic identification displace other social identities?

                Personally, I think this is a very hard question. But I do think that a strong ethnic identification can displace other social identities in some instances. People that identify strongly with an ethnic identity may want to hold onto their roots strongly while others are more open to other social identities as well. I think it is important to be open minded to other social identities but also hold onto your roots within your ethnic group as well. Everyone has a different “norm” and that is okay. However, society has to accept this as a whole.

Research suggests that a positive ethnic identity contributes to positive self-esteem, as does a positive mainstream social identity among those who have lost touch with their mixed ethnic roots. “Marginal” people who lack both an ethnic identity and a mainstream identity often have low self-esteem. Phinney (1990) found that bicultural people, that is, those who identify with both the ethnic culture and the larger culture, typically have a strong, positive self-concept. 

5. What are your thoughts on the above comment?

                I do believe the above comment makes sense and is correct. When people are “marginal” or lack both ethnic identity and mainstream identity they may in fact have a low self-esteem. I believe this relates to a sense of feeling that since they do not identify ethnically or mainstream, they feel as though they are left out because they are different. When we have an ethnic identity and a mainstream identity, we feel more overall accepted.