Toward a reconciliation of "assimilation" and "pluralism": the interplay of acculturation and ethnic retention

Abstract

"The reconciliation between ¿assimilation' and ¿pluralism' is sought to help prevent further polarization among immigration researchers and is based mainly on two arguments. First, if assimilation and acculturation are distinguished, acculturation has proceeded more quickly than assimilation in both ¿old' and ¿new' immigrations. This reconciles traditional assimilationist theory with current pluralist--or ethnic retention--theory, which admits that acculturation (and accommodation) are occurring but without assimilation. Second, the reconciliation can also be advanced by the recognition that the researchers of the old and new immigrations have studied different generations of newcomers and have approached their research with ¿outsider' and ¿insider' values, respectively." The geographical focus is on the United States.