1. Segmented assimilation theory.
- Author
-
Bonnett, Aubrey W.
- Subjects
Americanization ,Children of immigrants ,Assimilation of immigrants - Abstract
Assimilation, the process by which subordinate individuals or groups assume the characteristics of the dominant group, was developed by sociologists Alejandro Portes and Min Zhou. It is a nonlinear process that does not occur at simultaneous rates or places for all immigrants. During the early 1900s, the earlier stages of race relations theory, this process appeared simpler and more complete, especially for predominantly Northern European immigrants, whose Caucasian roots permitted greater assimilation. The revised conceptualization of segmented assimilation theory suggests or postulates that assimilation, especially for children of “new immigrants” (for example, Cubans, Vietnamese, Dominicans, Haitians, and Jamaicans) to North America, is more continuous and slower, or at times fragmented. Faced with continuing racial discrimination, poorly educated parents, inferior schools, and an economy less geared to labor-intensive jobs, these children’s assimilation is skewed toward an adversarial culture.
- Published
- 2024