Amalgamation Theory of Immigration - Term Paper Example

16 December Immigration Conrad (199) defines immigration as the movement of people from their home countries into other countries with an aim of attaining permanent residence. Factors that lead to immigration include natural disaster, the wish to stay in new surroundings, poverty, education, search for decent employment, and family re-unification. The countries of destination are usually more favorable than the countries of origin, especially in terms of economic developments (Conrad 199). Therefore, individuals move from less developed countries such as African countries to highly developed ones, especially the United States. According to Conrad (200), immigration affects the minority groups in the destination countries, both positively and negatively because of the increase in population. The minority groups in the United States include African-Americans, Latinos, and Hispanics (Conrad 199). This discussion will consider the effects of immigration on African-Americans in the United States because the African-Americans constitute the largest minority group. Amalgamation Theory The effects of immigration on African-Americans range from social to cultural to economic effects. Amalgamation theory can relevantly describe the cultural effects of immigration. Conrad (334) defines amalgamation as the processes through which different cultures or ethnic groups intermingle, but remain distinguishable. Immigrants, especially the African immigrants have a great impact on the culture of African-Americans because they interact freely. Amalgamation leads to both positive and negative outcomes to the African-Americans. For instance, Africans possess some values and beliefs such as showing respect to elderly members, which can positively transform the African-Americans and other ethnic groups in the United States (Conrad 311). Immigration has negatively affected the employment of the African-Americans, especially those individuals with little or no education (Conrad 201). Studies have shown that immigrants, such as the Europeans are displacing the African Americans and the Hispanics in the labor market. The African Americans are vulnerable to experiencing stiff competition with immigrants as compared to whites. Conrad (202) concluded that African Americans seem to lose job opportunities to immigrants, who depress their earnings as well. In some cases, employers prefer Asian and Hispanic immigrants to the native-born black Americans. Native-born African Americans do not experience any positive economic effects of immigration. Immigrants and the native whites are the only individuals who benefit from the effects of immigration. Ideologies The most important ideologies that provide the basis for the discussion of the effects of immigration on native-born African Americans include equality, USA nationalism, economic competition, freedom, external conformity, and democracy (Conrad 327). International migration results in global inequality on various aspects such as labor market opportunities, wages, and lifestyles. In the United States, the white employers prefer immigrants to native-born African Americans simply because the immigrants may demand little money as compared to their African American counterparts (Conrad 240). Due to constant wages from their employers, the natives will be richer than the native-born Black Americans (Conrad 241). Therefore, immigrants will develop will lead better lifestyles than Black Americans. This brings about economic inequality between immigrants and the native-born African Americans. Conrad (319) defines external conformity as a sheer attachment to conventional group practices without first considering their meaning and worth. Immigration is the apparent cause of external conformity because people from different parts of the world can copy each other’s cultural values and beliefs without knowledge on their meaning and worth. Research has shown that native-born Black Americans experience external conformity more than other ethnic groups in the United States (Conrad 325). Black Americans are susceptible to copying the culture of other people, especially the immigrants. Therefore, they are likely to lose or deteriorate their cultural values and beliefs by blending them with those of the immigrants. Black Americans may find some cultures harmful, for instance, those cultures that encourage terrorism or same sex marriage (Conrad 327). The minority ethnic groups such as Blacks, Hispanics, and Latinos experience more impacts as compared to whites. Democracy refers to a form of government in which every adult citizen has an equal say in those decisions that influence their lives (Conrad 307). In the United States, the whites consider Black Americans as immigrants. The whites do not consider Black Americans as the American citizens, but consider them as those people who immigrated into American long time ago (Conrad 312). Democracy may lack a meaning to the Black Americans because the whites discriminate them based on skin color, and their ancestral origin. In most cases, the Black Americans feel that they do not have equal rights as their white counterparts. Discrimination lowers self-esteem of the Black American individuals (Conrad 257). Freedom is another ideology that has a close relationship with democracy. Whites consider themselves as having more freedom than the Blacks have. Interactionist Theory Interactionist theory is the theory that primarily influences how people understand and deal with immigration and the related issues (Conrad 342). This is a theoretical perspective that infers social processes such as identity formation, cooperation, and conflict from human interaction. Interactionist theory provides the understanding on how individuals relate to each other within their societies. It is clear that some societies are diverse, in that, people belong to have different values, beliefs, cultures, and attitudes (Conrad 201). According to the Interactionist theory, individuals from different parts of the world share their values, beliefs, cultures, and attitudes as they interact. Effects due to immigration have a basis on the interaction between immigrants and the natives (Conrad 348). The minority ethnic groups such as the Blacks, Latinos, and the Hispanics are more likely to experience adverse effects from their interaction with immigrants. Whites discriminate their black counterparts based on various aspects such as skin color, wealth, and their ancestral origin. Therefore, in most cases the whites do not interact freely with their black counterparts. Other concepts Various concepts such as self-fulfilling prophecy, ethnocentrism, giving up, blaming self, lower self-esteem, and blaming society can explain the effects of immigration on the members belonging to Black American ethnic group. Conrad (382) defines ethnocentrism as making of value judgments concerning another culture from the viewpoint of an individual’s own cultural system. Ethnocentric individuals will judge other ethnic groups relative to their own culture or ethnic groups, especially with regard to behavior, language, religion, and customs (Conrad 383). Based on ethnocentrism, the whites consider themselves as belonging to superior ethnic groups, and the blacks as belonging to and inferior ethnic group. When individuals experience discrimination based on the ethnic group they belong to, they often develop lower self-esteem. Self-esteem refers to a psychological term that reflects an individual’s overall appraisal or evaluation of his or her own worth (Conrad 259). An individual develops high self-esteem when other people like and support his or her cultural values and beliefs. However, if an individual realizes that some people are against his or her cultural values and beliefs, he or she often develop lower self-esteem. An individual with low self-esteem finds it difficult to express himself or herself in front of other people (Conrad 259). The blacks develop lower self-esteem because of the discrimination they receive from the whites. This discrimination is because the whites consider the blacks as immigrants. Therefore, the black can blame the American society when it does not take a step against discriminatory practices (Conrad 203). Self-fulfilling prophecy refers to an anticipation that indirectly or directly makes it to be true because of the positive feedback between behavior and belief (Conrad 361). According to self-fulfilling prophesy, individuals react both in the current situation and to the way, they become conscious of situations as well as the meaning they ascribe to the awareness. The blacks may become aggressive against the whites because of the mistreatment and discrimination they receive (Conrad 232). It is true that immigration is a very important issue who discussion can reveal a lot, regarding various ethnic groups in the United States. The minority ethnic groups such as the blacks, Hispanics, and the Latinos experience adverse effects of immigration (Conrad 201). Works Cited Conrad, Cecilia. African Americans in the U.S. economy. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005. Print. Read More