Segmented Assimilation Theory

Immigrant assimilation is a well known process in which a group of immigrations change their culture in order to adapt with the dominant society, which are the native people of a certain country. In the United States, this process had been widespread since the early 1800s, where immigrants gradually become similiar with natives. There are two kinds of assimilations. The first one is that immigrants are becoming more similar over time in norms, and behaviors, while the second one , the racialor ethnic disadvantage model states that mostly black immigrants or other races that are discriminated have no chance to assimilate. An example of this model is discrimination to job opportunities. There were three theoretical explanation referring to assimilation. In 1845 Ralph Emerson referred to assimilitaion as the main idea for imigrants of changing themselves in an equal way, because not only the europians, but also the other races can contribute to the new formed citizens. Mead and Kwan studied a person’s treatment in society for what he truly is and not categorizing people in racial minorities. Robert Park interpretated assimilitation as a process in which people share experiences together and in this way help the immigrants to be part of the american mainstream life. He viewed this process as the end of the stage of race cycle. After World War 1, he and Thomas, after some studies of immigrants in Chicago,explained that it will be easier if immigrant groups were left to make this process happen slowly and not being forced to change because of the feeling discriminated. It has been proved that people were more efficient this way, and assimilation shows inwhat direction are these people actually moving or changing. The third theory shows Gordon’s points of view. He explained assimilation through acculuration, which according to him is a one way process where the minority integrates with the majority. He also focused on the generational change because he noticed that the