What is the most unassimilated immigrant community in the United States? (crimes, taxes)
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This was my first thought too. The ultra-orthodox Jews in Brooklyn and parts of upstate New York are definitely and defiantly their own community. They have their own schools, synagogues, and always live near each other. As far as I can tell only a tiny minority of them will ever join the mainstream. I guess that this ethnic group was not n the original poll because it is so New York-centric. Outside of the New York metro I think its relatively rare to see the ultra-orthodox.
The other group that I think won't assimilate much is the Amish. They do their own thing, mostly in Pennsylvania, New York and the upper Midwest and haven't the slightest interest in going mainstream according to what I've read and seen about them.
It's interesting that long-established religious minorities are less likely to go mainstream, while almost all ethnic groups already have, are doing so, or are likely to eventually do so.
I agree with this. I have no idea how Dearborn Arabs are winning this poll as the most unassimilated. People must have never actually been to the region and are voting based on the numbers/perception. As this poster points out, it's probably the largest middle eastern population in the country, but not all necessary Arab (very diverse ethnic groups). Having lived in that region, I honestly can say that as a whole it is probably one of the most assimilated middle eastern populations in the country. Many born in the US and are die hard Detroit sports fans. Many young professional aged were very active in basketball and soccer leagues I played in. Again, many born here, and they had classic southeast Michigan/ Detroit accents. Also they were very integrated in this whole region.
This.
I went to a university that had a lot of Detroit area Arabs. They were so assimilated that unless you recognized their last names as Arabic, you'd never know they weren't WASPS.
Yes I live in West Virginia and most people here still have a mix of ancestries. Scots-Irish is often mixed in with Irish, German, English and Native American. A large number of people here are "white" but say they have Cherokee ancestors. The Trail of Tears did pass through WV and it was here that many were able to escape into the mountains. Also the people here who have accents do NOT speak in a Celtic or British accent. Not like how Spanish is the primary language of Miami and South Texas. And I disagree that people in South Texas shouldn't "assimilate" just because that area used to be Mexico, because after all the Native Americans now mostly speak English and live an American lifestyle.
Cajun country in South Louisiana is also a unique pocket.
I lived in south Texas. They're assimilated. But America is about multi culturalism and I find your post to be pretty cantankerous.
I'm not saying that those who were hijabs or go to mosques aren't assimilated, I just said a huge percentage of them don't even look identifiable muslim. I know a muslim girl from Turkey who happens to look Chinese (Central Asians and their weird features) and doesn't wear a hijab yet holds some pretty conservative views, while another who wears hijabs and is a party animal.
I'm an immigrant. I consider myself pretty assimilated in spite of not having lived in America for *that* long. I would say looking at it from the outside it depends a lot on language, religion and social class.
But to be honest - it doesn't seem to me like Americans are in any kind of agreement on what 'becoming American' means actually. Some say that speaking English as your first language is a part of it - and that's perhaps a majority view - but that's certainly not the official view and there's plenty of people opposed to that idea.
It is an interesting question in which community you get the most cases of 2nd generation people who do not speak English at all or only at a beginner's level. After all, the 2nd generation needs to go through U.S. schooling and thus would naturally pick up at least a decent level of English. So this would require an extreme lack of interest in education. How possible is it for people to bypass the school system and raise kids 'invisibly'?
Beyond that, and perhaps more commonly, which communities see a lot of 2nd/3rd generation people who are fluent in English but still choose to use their ancestral native language as their 1st language in day-to-day life? I would imagine this is far more common in working-class communities than middle-class communities where there's much longer exposure to English in the education system and people are more likely to get jobs that lead to them developing English-only social circles. If I had to guess I'd say Central Americans would be high on the list due to their prevalence in low-level jobs and the ease of access to other Spanish speakers and Spanish language media.
Amish and Cajun communities seem to be doing a good job of holding on to their culture over the generations. Maybe the Gullah? Certain Indian tribes have staunchly maintained their culture over many generations while others have not. Hassidic Jews and Amish and some others have a religious cult-like separatism. I suspect that there might be some eventual resentment among younger group members that leads to assimilation.
The typical immigrant family group will assimilate within a couple generations if they are allowed to by the broader community. That has been a problem in the past with some groups and communities.
There are probably many millions of Americans who are assimilated but observe certain native soil customs or practices. I have a Japanese friend and you take your shoes off when you enter the house. The Day of the Dead is observed by some with roots in Mexico. Food lingers the longest -- Tamales rather than turkey for Thanksgiving is one example. I have never eaten a pierogi but I have eaten an empanada. The native food has often transitioned into the main-line American menu.
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