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ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
Asian American Assimilation vs Acculturation
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 06:02:42 PM)
ooner of later every minority person faces the identity question. It comes in a variety of flavors but at its core is the assimilation vs acculturation dilemma.
What's the difference?
As used by social scientists, assimilation is allowing one's original culture to be overidden by the dominant culture. Acculturation is acquiring the capability to function within the dominant culture while retaining one's original culture. The distinction seems subtle but is fraught with not-so-subtle social and psychological implications.
Assimilate or acculturate?
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Collectively, the Asian American population shows statistical evidence of both assimilation and acculturation.
The 2000 Census counted 11.9 million identifying themselves as Asian Americans. That total was comprised of 10.2 million (85.7%) claiming purely Asian heritage and 1.7 million (14.3%) claiming mixed heritage. Of the mixed-heritage Asian Americans, 868,395 (52.4%) claimed part white ancestry, 138,802 (8.38%) claimed part Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander ancestry, 106,782 (6.45%) claimed part black ancestry, and 249,108 (17.7%) claimed another unspecified race. These mixed-race Asian Americans evidence a notable degree of assimilation, especially in light of the fact that in most parts of the U.S. anti-miscegenation laws weren't outlawed until the late 1960s.
Other statistics suggest Asian Americans prefer to acculturate while retaining their Asian heritage. Spoken language provides some insight into the issue. As of 2000 8.5 million Asian Americans (71.4% of the AA pop.) spoke English "very well". Yet at home 54% nevertheless spoke an Asian language, suggesting an effort to preserve Asian heritage even among those who had acquired the ability to function in the mainstream.
In the final analysis, the assimilation vs acculturation decision can only be made individually by each of the 13.4 million who make up the Asian American population as of late 2002. The decision may turn on personal factors like length of residence in the U.S., occupation, education, early experiences, family influence and self-image.
Asian Americans share one commonality which, for some, may override all others: faces that irrevocably distinguish us as members of a minority race -- one which happen to be the plurality in the world at large. This physical identification factor induces some of us to see ourselves as having neither the ability nor the incentive to assimilate like the Irish, Germans, Russians, Italians, Jews, Poles and other European groups.
Others believe that socio-economic status and not the mirror is the primary criterion for mainstream acceptance. By this measure, we may well have arrived. While only 24% of the overall American population completed at least a 4-year degree, among Asian Americans the college-completion rate was 42% as of 1997. And the college-completion rate is climbing. Among Asian Americans aged 25-29, fully 50% had at least a bachelor's degree. The higher educational levels have translated to higher rates of entry into professional positions (43% vs 27%) and higher median household incomes: 42% of AA households earned more than $75,000 as of 2000.
Ultimately, the million-dollar question isn't whether we can assimilate, but whether we should. What are the advantages and disadvantages of retaining our identities as Asians in a white-majority society? What's the price paid by those who choose to assimilate? What's better for the U.S. as a nation?
This interactive article is closed to new input.
Discussions posted during the past year remain available for browsing.
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
Boy, nothing is more of a bigger wake-up call about your identity than joining the workforce. The crap you have to put up with. Good God. The "I don't get you" look, the "You people" look, the "We don't want you here, really" look. It frustrates the Hell out of me that guys of Asian ancestry don't get any respect, unless maybe that we drop a line that we know Karate or something. I'm trying hard to not let my cynicism get the better of me but it's getting more difficult.
JT
Saturday, November 30, 2002 at 14:54:16 (PST)
[65.59.76.29]
Identity? Yeah, I used to have one of those. I kept it in a glass case on my coffee table. Then life happened and I was forced to pawn it to buy a suit and a new car. Now I have strengths and weaknesses. I use my strengths to impose my will on other males and my weaknesses to intrigue females. I have also acquired tastes for certain foods and women. My sentimental attachment to the facial features of me and my family are the only things that makes me Asian. But then again I'm may be too young to know for sure.
Great Primate
Monday, November 25, 2002 at 06:37:59 (PST)
[198.82.14.88]
We shouldn't assimilate or acculturate- we should DOMINATE. Push our values into the limelight, and for every time that you experience cultural domination by white people, make it your conscious duty to bump our viewpoint twice. It's the only way the Azn-American culture will survive in its true form, because our numbers are still low.
Thomas
Sunday, November 24, 2002 at 16:09:54 (PST)
[129.81.147.133]
'American culture puts too much importance on instant gratification. That leads to things like cynicism, selfishness, alienation, obesity, cancer, schizophrenia, materialism, laziness, etc.'
'More Asian influence can help cure many of this country's ills!'
Definately! True to the core!
America actually puts too much emphasis on consumer excess and overspending.
If Asians in this country had more respect for their own people, many our ills would be gone, as Asian influence will balance out the one-sided Eurocentric views and perspectives.
LSD
Sunday, November 24, 2002 at 12:30:44 (PST)
[12.88.190.220]
I don't see myself as an Asian who happens to be living in the United States. I see myself as an American who happens to be of Asian ancestry. But that doesn't mean I blindly adopt American culture. I wouldn't do that even if I were White. American culture is basically in the beta-testing phase.
American culture puts too much importance on instant gratification. That leads to things like cynicism, selfishness, alienation, obesity, cancer, schizophrenia, materialism, laziness, etc.
But some aspects of American culture are good, like being more straightforward about expressing your views, more respect for good ideas, following your dreams. So I just adopt the best parts from both cultures. That makes me a more effective unit. But I know White and Black people who do the same thing. So cultural identity isn't necessarily dependant on race. Each person has to look hard at culture like a discriminating comparison shopper.
CPR
Sunday, November 24, 2002 at 04:45:56 (PST)
[154.101.13.88]
Most of us probably went through the assimilation phase when we were little kids but by the time we got to our teens the more perceptive among us saw that that was a poor strategy. There's the physical difference, of course which makes assimilation impossible in any event. More importantly, no one respects a wannabe. So by the time we're adults the better adjusted among us are past the denial phase and are comfortable about asserting our heritages. As far as what's good for the U.S., diversity does more for a society than conformity, and that applies equally to cultural diversity. More Asian influence can help cure many of this country's ills!
Tri-Me
Friday, November 22, 2002 at 08:21:27 (PST)
[208.48.129.11]
This is a good topic to bring up and I am glad to see this one on the site. One comment I would like to address as a rebuttal to the author is the notion of how "Assimilated" European/Caucasian Americans are in the US. In recent years, the pheonmena of Re-Culturation and In-Culturation has become more common in the EA Community.
Often when you have Caucasian families who are only 3rd generation American (Grandparents were immigrants), there is more acculteration than Assimilation. Those who are more than 3rd generation American tend to be more assimilated. However, those many families who feel something has been missing due to this have chosen to Re-Culturate (take up old traditions and languages of their ancestry) or in some cases, they have chosen to In-Culturate (find some cultural traditions and language which is not necessarily their ancestry and incorporate it into their life.)
Caucasian Families have begun going back to various traditions of their ancestral nations and have been pushing their kids to learn at least one of their ancestral languages. This has included use of it in the home at times. This Phenomenon was mostly found in the upper strata of the EA community until the late 1980s/early 1990s when the middle strata began seeing some movement towards this. This hasn't always been easy because many EA households have a mixture of multiple national ancestries and some traditions/languages are easier to pick up than others. However those families who have made the effort have found great reward in it as well.
Furthermore, many EA families in various regions were NOT Assimilated, but were Acculterated and still keep some languages and traditions of their nations of ancestry. Some examples:
Cajuns in South Louisiana still speak both Cajun-French as well as English and maintain their old traditions.
Irish and Italians in the Northeast have this same setup, as do the Irish Traveller Communities in Georgia, the Carolinas and so forth.
The Amish Communities in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa, Ontario and Indiana are VERY STRINGENT in maintaining their German heritage, language and their old-school values.
In my opinion, this is probably all for the good. I just wish that it was happening more in the lower strata of the EA community. It's that strata which seems to have the most trouble accepting the fact that other cultures, including Asian, add their distinction to this nation of ours and are what make it great.
Hank Lewis
Wednesday, November 20, 2002 at 07:31:54 (PST)
[161.159.4.35]
From history we know that the first non-Amerindians went to America BECAUSE they were different, not because they wanted to become assimilated by the people who were already there. For example the Jewish identity or certain Christian identities are established in the US.
It's a question of who would pay the money for keeping Asian identities alive in the US.
immigrant
Tuesday, November 19, 2002 at 14:43:13 (PST)
[62.227.110.14]
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