Prejudice - cheerfulrobot

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Assimilation and Pluralism: From Immigrants to White Ethnic to White Americans Chapter Two

Assimilation and Pluralism •

Assimilation

is a process in which formerly distinct and separate groups come to share a common culture and merge together socially.  As a society undergoes assimilation, differences among groups begin to decrease.

•

Pluralism

, on the other hand, exists when groups maintain their individual identities.

 In a pluralistic society, groups remain separate, and their cultural and social differences persist over time.

Assimilation and Pluralism

• In some ways, assimilation and pluralism are contrary processes, but they are not mutually exclusive.

• They may occur together in a variety of combinations within a particular society or group.

• Some segments of a society may be assimilating, while others are maintaining (or even increasing) their differences.

Type of Assimilation

•

Melting pot

 A process in which different groups come together and contribute in roughly equal amounts to create a common culture and a new, unique society Healey. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender 4e © 2014 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Types of Assimilation

•

Americanization

 or

Anglo-conformity

Rather than an equal sharing of elements and a gradual blending of diverse peoples, assimilation in the United States was designed to maintain the predominance of the British-type institutional patterns created during the early years of American society Healey. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender 4e © 2014 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Types of Assimilation

• Under Anglo-conformity, immigrant and minority groups are expected to adapt to Anglo-American culture as quickly as possible.

• Americanization has been a precondition for access to better jobs, education, and other opportunities.

• But Americanization has also created conflict, anxiety, demoralization, and resentment.

The “Traditional” Perspective on Assimilation: Theories and Concepts

• Robert Park and “Race Relations Cycle”     Contact Competition Accommodation Assimilation • Assumed that assimilation is inevitable in a democratic and industrial society • In a political system based on democracy, fairness, and impartial justice, all groups will eventually secure equal treatment under the law.

The “Traditional” Perspective on Assimilation: Theories and Concepts

• Milton Gordon,

Assimilation in American Life

Gordon’s Stages of Assimilation

The “Traditional Perspective on Assimilation: Theories and Concepts • •

Human Capital Theory

- Explains success achieved by an individual in terms of individual characteristics and abilities such as educational level and skills. More a

status attainment theory

(High levels of affluence and occupational prestige are the result of superior education that makes affluence possible more so than being born into a privileged status ) than assimilation theory  Incomplete in explaining status attainment as it de emphasizes structural factors in favor of individual factors  Also assumes fairness in U.S. society Healey. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender 4e © 2014 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Pluralism •

Horace Kallen (1915) rejected the notion of Anglo conformity, which was inconsistent with democracy and other core American values.

•

Evidence that full assimilation has not materialized, even among European ethnic groups

•

Interest in pluralism has also increased due to  Increasing U.S. diversity  Global conflicts rooted in ethnic differences

• Types of Pluralism

• • •

Cultural pluralism

exists when groups have not acculturated and each maintains its own identity.

Structural pluralism

exists when a group has acculturated but not integrated. That is, the group has adopted the Anglo-American culture but does not have full and equal access to the institutions of the larger society.

Integration without acculturation reverses the order of Gordon’s first two phases 

Enclave

establishes its own neighborhood and relies on a set of interconnected business for its economic survival and 

middleman minorities

relies on small shops and retail firms, but the businesses are more dispersed throughout a large area rather than concentrated in a specific locale Healey. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender 4e © 2014 SAGE Publications, Inc.

English Speaking Generations

Other Group Relationships

•

Separatism

goes well beyond pluralism and exists among groups in French Canada, Scotland, Chechnya, Cyprus, southern Mexico, Hawaii, etc.

•

Revolution

Other Group Relationships

• Dominant groups may engage in forced migration or expulsion, extermination or genocide, and continued subjugation of the minority group. Healey. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender 4e © 2014 SAGE Publications, Inc.

From Immigrants to White Ethnics

• A massive immigration from Europe began in the 1820s • They came as immigrants, became minority groups upon their arrival , experienced discrimination and prejudice in all its forms, went through all the varieties and stages of assimilation and pluralism, and eventually merged into the society that had rejected them Healey. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender 4e © 2014 SAGE Publications, Inc.

From Immigrants to White Ethnics •

Industrialization and Immigration  Industrialization destroyed the traditional way of life as it introduced new technology, machines, and new sources of energy to the task of production. In response, peasants began to leave their home villages and move toward urban areas

•

The first wave or “ Old Immigration ” came from Northern and Western Europe in the 1820s; the second wave or “ New Immigration ” began arriving from Southern and Eastern Europe in the 1880s Healey. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender 4e © 2014 SAGE Publications, Inc.

From Immigrants to White Ethnics

• Northern and Western European immigrants included English, Germans, Norwegians, Swedes, Welsh, French, Dutch, and Danes. These groups were similar to the dominant group in their racial and religious characteristics and also shared many cultural values with the host society, including the Protestant Ethic.

• Immigrants from Norway – On a per capita basis, Norway sent more immigrants to the U.S. before 1890 than any European nation except Ireland • Immigrants from Germany – The stream of immigration from Germany was much larger and German Americans left their mark on the economy, the political structure, and the cultural life of their new land Healey. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender 4e © 2014 SAGE Publications, Inc.

From Immigrants to White Ethnics •

Assimilation patterns – By and large, assimilation for Norwegian, German, and other Protestant immigrants from Northern and Western Europe was consistent with the traditional views discussed earlier

•

Immigrant laborers from Ireland and Southern and Eastern Europe – these “ immigrant laborers ” came in two waves: the Irish took part of the Old Immigration, while Italians and other Southern and Eastern Europeans made up the New Immigration Healey. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender 4e © 2014 SAGE Publications, Inc.

From Immigrants to White Ethnics

• Eastern European Jewish Immigrants and the Ethnic Enclave – Jewish immigrants from Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe settled in the urban areas of the Northeast and Midwest; NY city was the most common destination. • Unlike most European immigrant groups, Jewish Americans became heavily involved in commerce and often found ways to start their own businesses. • The enclave economy and the Jewish neighborhoods established by the immigrants proved to be an effective base from which to integrate into American Society.

From Immigrants to White Ethnics •

Chains of Immigration

tended to follow “ chains ” – All of the immigrant groups established and maintained by the members of their groups.

•

Someone from a village would make it to the United States; the successful immigrant would send word to the home village; within months, another immigrant from the village, perhaps a relative, would show up at the address of the original immigrant Healey. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender 4e © 2014 SAGE Publications, Inc.

•

The Campaign against Immigration: Prejudice, Racism, and Discrimination

Anti-Catholicism – Much of the prejudice against the Irish and the new immigrants was expressed as anti-Catholicism • Anti-Semitism – Jews faced intense prejudice and racism as they began arriving in large numbers in the 1880s • The prejudice and racism direct against the immigrants also found expression in organized, widespread efforts to stop the flow of immigration. The National Origins Act established a quota system that limited the number of immigrants that would be accepted each year from each sending nation, a system that was openly racist, allocating nearly 70% of the available immigration slots to the nations of Northern and Western Europe.

Patterns of Assimilation

•

The Importance of Generations

- It takes time to become completely Americanized.  First generation (immigrants) - Settled in ethnic neighborhoods and make limited movement toward acculturation and integration. Focused energies on family and social relationships.

 Second generation (children of immigrants) - Psychologically or socially marginalized as part ethnic, part American. Many experience conflict between school and home worlds which reflected different cultures. Enjoyed wider choices and opportunities than their parents.

 Third generation (grandchildren of immigrants) - Usually born and raised in non-ethnic settings. English is their first language. Ethnicity is a minor part of their self-image. Attain high levels of integration at secondary and primary levels.

Comparisons Between Italians and White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs)

Patterns of Assimilation

•

Ethnic Succession

 A second factor that shaped the assimilation experience is captured in the concept of ethnic succession or the myriad ways in which European ethnic groups unintentionally affected each other ’ s position in the social class structure of the larger society.

 Politics – After a period of acculturation and adjust, the Irish began to create their own connections with the mainstream society and improve their economic and social position Healey. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender 4e © 2014 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Patterns of Assimilation

•

Ethnic Succession

 Labor unions – The labor movement provided a second link between the Irish, other European immigrant groups, and the larger society.

 Religion – A third avenue of mobility for the Irish and other white groups was provided by the religious institution.

 Other pathways – besides party politics, the union movement, and religion, European immigrant groups forged pathways of upward mobility.

Patterns of Assimilation

•

Continuing Industrialization and Structural Mobility



Structural mobility

resulted more from changes in the structure of the economy and the labor market than from any individual effort or desire to “ get ahead ” Healey. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender 4e © 2014 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Variations in Assimilation

•

Degree of Similarity

– the degree of resistance, prejudice, and discrimination encountered by the different European immigrant groups varied in part by the degree to which they differed from these dominant group characteristics Healey. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender 4e © 2014 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Variations in Assimilation

• The record numbers of Southern and Eastern Europeans arriving in the New Immigration of the early 20th century raised fears that U.S. cities and institutions would be swamped by hordes of what were seen as racially inferior, unassimilable immigrants • Thus, a preference hierarchy was formed in U.S. culture that privileged Northern and Western Europeans over Southern and Eastern Europeans and Protestants over Catholics and Jews. This hierarchy of ethnic preference is still a part of American prejudice, although it is much more muted today  Ex: the FHA Healey. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender 4e © 2014 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Variations in Assimilation •

Religion

- A major differentiating factor in immigrant experiences.

 Kennedy (1944) found the immigrant generation chose marriage partners from a pool whose boundaries were marked not just by ethnicity, but also religion. As children and grandchildren of immigrants married based on religion but less so by ethnicity (i.e., a triple melting pot)  Herberg (1960) - Acculturation didn't affect all aspects of ethnicity equally. European immigrants wee encouraged to learn English, for example, but not to change their religious beliefs. Religion became a vehicle by which immigrants could convey their ethnicity. Healey. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender 4e © 2014 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Variations in Assimilation

•

Social class

- A central feature of social structure that affected immigrants.

 Gordon (1964) argued that the U.S. in the 1960s had not three, but four melting pots, one for each of the major ethnic/religious groups and one for black Americans, which were subdivided by class. Believed the intersection of religious/ethnic and social class boundaries or "ethclass" was the most significant structural unit in U.S. society.

 Social class affected structural integration.

Variations in Assimilation

•

Gender

- Experiences of women immigrants recorded less than were men's experiences.

 Many immigrant women came from patriarchal cultures and had less access than men to leadership roles, education, and good occupations.

   Men immigrants outnumbered women immigrants.

Women immigrants' experiences varied depending on their country of origin. Women also began the process or acculturation and integration. For example, many Irish immigrants were young single women who came to the U.S. seeking jobs.

 The type and location of women's employment varied. Irish women, for example, concentrated in domestic work and factories. Italian women did tasks that could be done at home such a laundry and piecework. Jewish women usually found employment in the garment industry when they worked outside the home. Often they worked in small family-owned shops.

 Women's wages tended to be about half of what men earned.

Variations in Assimilation

•

Sojourners –

 (Or “ birds of passage ” ) Some immigrants had no intentional of becoming American citizens and therefore had little interest in Americanization.

The Descendants of European Immigrants Today

• The largest ancestry group in the United States is German American.

•

Integration and Equality -

completed assimilated.

White ethnic groups are today on the verge of being •

The Evolution of White Ethnicity

 Hansen ’ s

principle of third-generation interest

: “ what the second generation tries to forget, the third generation tries to remember ” o

Ethnic revival –

ethnic heritage a notable increase in the visibility of an interest in white •

The Twilight of White Ethnicity?



Symbolic ethnicity

the “ old country ” or an aspect of self-identity that symbolizes one ’ s roots in  Gallagher proposed addendum to Hansen ’ s principle: “ What the grandson wished to remember, the great-granddaughter has never been told.

Educational Attainment 1990

Household Income and Families Living in Poverty for White Ethnic Groups 1990

Contemporary Immigrants: Does the traditional perspective apply?

• Assimilation today is fragmented or segmented and will have a number of different outcomes: some groups will integrate in the middle-class mainstream, others will find themselves permanently mired in the impoverished, alienated, and marginalized segments.

Implications for Examining Dominant Minority Relations

• Minority group status has much more to do with power and the distribution of resources than with simple numbers or the percentage of the population in any particular category.

Comparative Focus: Immigration, Emigration, and Ireland

• Like the United States, Ireland finds itself dealing with diversity and debating what kind of society it should become. • The number of newcomers entering Ireland increased by 5 times between the mid-1990s and 2007, to over 100,000, and the number of people leaving decreased dramatically, to less than 25,000.

• These numbers are miniscule compared to the volume of immigrants received by the U.S. each year, but the percentage of the Ireland ’ s population that consists of immigrants (12%) is actually comparable to the United States (13%) Healey. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender 4e © 2014 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Comparative Focus: Immigration, Emigration, and Ireland

• The immigration is changing the racial composition of Irish society.

• Although still a small minority of the total population, the number of Irish residents of African descent has increased by a factor of 7 since 1996. Similarly, the number of Irish of Asian descent increased by a factor of 6.

• Although many Irish are very sympathetic to the immigrants and refugees, others have responded with racist sentiments and demands for exclusion, reactions that ironically echo the rejection Irish immigrants to the U.S. experienced in the 19 th Century.

Comparative Focus: Immigration, Emigration, and Ireland

• The rejection of non-Irish newcomers was manifested in the passage of the “ Citizenship Amendment ” to the Irish constitution, which was overwhelmingly supported (80% in favor) by the Irish electorate in June 2004. • Prior to the passage of the amendment, any baby born in Ireland had the right to claim Irish citizenship. • The amendment denied the right of citizenship to any baby that did not have at least one Irish parent and was widely interpreted as a hostile rejection of immigrants. • One poll suggested that people supported the amendment because they believed that there were simply too many immigrants in Ireland. Healey. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender 4e © 2014 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Prejudice - cheerfulrobot

Transcript Prejudice - cheerfulrobot

Assimilation and Pluralism: From Immigrants to White Ethnic to White Americans Chapter Two

Assimilation and Pluralism •

•

Assimilation and Pluralism

Type of Assimilation

Types of Assimilation

Types of Assimilation

The “Traditional” Perspective on Assimilation: Theories and Concepts

The “Traditional” Perspective on Assimilation: Theories and Concepts

Gordon’s Stages of Assimilation

The “Traditional Perspective on Assimilation: Theories and Concepts • •

Pluralism •

•

•

•

Types of Pluralism

English Speaking Generations

Other Group Relationships

Other Group Relationships

From Immigrants to White Ethnics

From Immigrants to White Ethnics •

•

From Immigrants to White Ethnics

From Immigrants to White Ethnics •

•

From Immigrants to White Ethnics

From Immigrants to White Ethnics •

•

The Campaign against Immigration: Prejudice, Racism, and Discrimination

Patterns of Assimilation

Comparisons Between Italians and White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs)

Patterns of Assimilation

Patterns of Assimilation

Patterns of Assimilation

Variations in Assimilation

Variations in Assimilation

Variations in Assimilation •

Variations in Assimilation

Variations in Assimilation

Variations in Assimilation

The Descendants of European Immigrants Today

Educational Attainment 1990

Household Income and Families Living in Poverty for White Ethnic Groups 1990

Contemporary Immigrants: Does the traditional perspective apply?

Implications for Examining Dominant Minority Relations

Comparative Focus: Immigration, Emigration, and Ireland

Comparative Focus: Immigration, Emigration, and Ireland

Comparative Focus: Immigration, Emigration, and Ireland

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