Assimilation in the American Culture Term Paper

Stronger connections with family and other persons from the same country are also formed (Lee).

Another gain for immigrants can be experienced from partly assimilating with the mainstream of American culture, even while retaining what is best of the original culture. What results is then a combination of the original and the new culture in order to form something new. This new culture then becomes part of the "melting pot" concept (McGuire) that has been part of the ideal of assimilation. Although this is often perceived as negative by those wishing to retain as much as possible of their original culture, it could also reflect positively upon the general culture formed by the variety of elements making up the American culture.The country and culture being lost are replaced not by anonymity, but rather by a new and improved identity.

Sources

Lee, Jonathan. "Assimilation? If so, to what degree?" American Immigration, 2004. http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/Immigration/assimilation.html

McGuire, William C. "Immigrants & Cultural Assimilation Now." Donovan-Fitzgerald, 2004. http://www.donovanfitzgerald.com/articles/20.shtml.....