Conundrum of an Immigrant: Assimilation versus Cultural Preservation

Noting that "the discourse about the cost and benefits of cultural diversity is intense" both in Europe and North America, this paper reviews the different approaches to diversity, including the traditional model of assimilation, multiculturalism in all its variations, hybrid models,  and structuralism. The author also examines the role of religion in identity formation, as well as the effects of intermarriage.

Although elements of traditional culture may serve as a tool of adaptation, e.g. the emphasis on education in many Asian cultures, Caytas posits that assimilation wins out in the end. "No genuine and pure cultural preservation remains possible whenever a group faces assimilation. What appears to be an expression of determined cultural preservation is, in fact, merely another expression of assimilation actually occurring." Although the policy implications of her analysis are not entirely clear, the author does observe that "vigorous efforts to preserve a culture alien to the place and country people inhabit may ultimately have an effect opposite to the one intended." (Abstract courtesy Nick Montalto, PhD.)

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