Advantages and Disadvantages of Assimilation - Essay Example

Advantages and Disadvantages of Assimilation In the modern world, it is common to have people from different cultures and backgrounds living in one country. As the minority groups get integrated into the new country, they may be end up adapting to the culture of the host country. This assimilation may be advantageous to both the minority group and the host country. However, as noted in the article by Manuel Muñoz, assimilation may also prove to be costly, especially when the minority groups are considered.

Assimilation causes people to lose their identity. When a group assimilates, it is made to lose their original cultural individuality and take up the culture of another group. For example, in the article by Muñoz (2007), the author notes that people living in Dinuba have been forced to take up American names, neglecting their original Spanish names. As Muñoz notes, the English way of life had led to ‘quiet erasure of cultural difference that assimilation has attempted to accomplish’ (Muñoz, 2007).

In the end, people end up losing that which makes them unique. Secondly, assimilation causes groups to live in ‘dual existence’, and some may feel ashamed or out of place. In this case, assimilation causes people to adopt two lifestyles; one for the public and the other for the private. For instance, Muñoz (2007) acknowledges that he and others “splintered off into a dual existence of English at school, Spanish at home” (Muñoz, 2007). This creates a kind of battle in which individuals find it difficult to sustain both lifestyles.

In the end, as Muñoz (2007) notes, one looses the confidence to speak in public because he feels burdened by his own history. In spite of the above limitations, assimilation has several advantages. First, assimilation allows the minority culture to gain access to opportunities and privileges in the host country. For instance, Muñoz (2007) gives the example of his stepfather whose name was changed from Antonio to Tony, which allowed him access fieldwork. He had also to learn and use English as the main language.

In a country like America where English is the dominant language, it plays a critical role in various aspects of life, especially when it comes to finding employment. Therefore, learning English, as Antonio did, gave him the chance to convince his employers to offer him fieldwork. Assimilation creates a sense of equality that allows everyone to participate in the society equally. Secondly, through assimilation, confrontations between various groups in the society can be minimized. Muñoz says that he understood that his upbringing “would not have been tolerated by any of the students of color” (Muñoz, 2007).

The native languages of these students made them dominate the neighborhoods. He therefore had to adapt to the American way of life in order to avoid confrontations. In the end, assimilation helps to foster peace in the society. Based on the discussion above, it can be concluded that assimilation is worth it. Although the minority group ends up losing its identity and culture, assimilation is the best way to connect and integrate into the new country. The opportunities presented by assimilation make it a necessary approach for a minority group attempting to settle in a new country.

Groups can assimilate while maintaining their own identities by continuing to practice the traditions of their heritage. In this process, the minority group has to find ways of incorporating the new culture into their own ways of lives. This is the only way of ensuring that they maintain their cultures and at the same time adapt to the new lifestyles. ReferenceMuñoz, M. (2007). Leave Your Name at the Border. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/01/opinion/01munoz.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0