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Essay On Cultural Assimilation

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Essay On Cultural Assimilation
According to Healey’s (2013) textbook, “Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class”, cultural assimilation is best defined as a process that an individual in a minority group or a minority group undergoes when they begin to take in the culture of the dominant group (pg. 47). Their language and/or culture become similar to other groups, causing differences between groups to decrease (pg. 43). This process includes things like, having to adopt different values, changing the spelling of one’s name, and even changing one’s eating habits under certain circumstances (pg. 47). In the textbook, secondary structural assimilation is best defined as when an individual of a minority group, or a minority group integrates into the social structure of the dominant …show more content…
Although in Laredo, Tx it is seen that much of the population is similar, the English speaking skills are still needed for better potential outcomes in social class, education and the work place. The town is small, therefore the job offerings are not so big in the area. Although it seems like if you know Spanish in that town you are pretty much set. The reality is that the skills one has are still very important and determines the experiences, social mobility and secondary assimilations that are taken in. Only being fluent in Spanish- speaking in America definitely prevents one from full secondary assimilation. One may be able to join public institutions but the challenges of integrating and interacting with those of a different group are very hard. In the case of being undocumented, this also prevents one from secondary assimilation under the word place category the most. Getting paid under the table is not the same as getting paid in a written check. People live with the fear of being exposed by other workers (specifically of a different group) if they decide to tell them that they are undocumented. It definitely creates a huge wall for the potential opportunities that they could have if they were able to speak English and/or be documented. Lastly, the advancement of Laredo, Tx seems to be impacted by the

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