#040 -Why you must choose acculturation over assimilation!

#040 - In  this episode Gabi gives a more developed account of the history of the Jewish migrations in the US.

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Transcript

 Welcome to the Learning Languages in Society with Gabby podcast, where it's all about the fascinating world of languages and culture. Let's rock!  

Hi everybody, my name is Gabby and welcome back to your favorite show, Learning Languages in Society with Gabby. If you're already subscribed to this show, well, thank you so much.

And if you're hearing this for the first time, Please make sure you hit the subscribe button. Today, we're going to tackle one of my favorite subjects. We're going to be talking about assimilation versus acculturation. So please pay close attention and don't miss this chance to learn more about the difference between the two processes of cultural adaptation. 

I am going to teach you why knowing the difference is key to unlock some real wisdom for you. You know, the type of wisdom you need to know in order to learn.

 a new language just by interacting with others and feeling completely comfortable with yourself meaning you're not really desperate to be perfectly fluent and sound like the perfect native when you speak but acquiring a type of wisdom that That will enable you to be yourself at all times and learn more from the new culture, a new language you're trying to acquire, right?

So in this episode, we learn why one of these two types of adaptations will enhance your psychological wellbeing at a personal level and why. It enhances social harmony and mutual respect at a more general level. So stay tuned and listen to it.  Now, remember from the last episode, we spoke about the Jewish migrations in the U S and how strongly they fought to overcome.

Cultural and linguistic barriers in America, right? For the purpose of improving their integration and, and just be better. Well, it turns out that many people from different nations have gone through similar paths as a means to integrate. And it might be interesting to find out what path is more convenient to you. 

Okay, I confess that acculturation is preferable to assimilation, and here's why I think so.  In today's increasingly globalized world, people are often faced with the challenge of navigating cultural diversity. Immigration, globalization, and technological advancements have brought diverse cultures into closer contact than ever before.

Now, in this context, the debate between acculturation and assimilation, so the two distinct approaches to cultural adaptation, becomes highly relevant.  While both concepts involve adapting to a new culture, acculturation is generally regarded as the more humane and effective model compared to assimilation, and here's why. 

There's the preservation of cultural identity. Acculturation allows individuals to retain their cultural heritage while adopting elements of a new culture, fostering a dual identity. In contrast, assimilation requires abandoning one's original culture in favor of the dominant one, often leading to a loss of personal dignity.

And cultural identity. Now the richness of cultural diversity is preserved when acculturation is prioritized, allowing societies to benefit from a variety of traditions, perspectives, and innovations. For example, Mexican Americans who celebrate both, uh, CIN de Mayo and Thanksgiving, A body acculturation merging both Mexican and American traditions. 

Now, number two, psychological wellbeing. Research shows that individuals who undergo acculturation often experience better mental health than those who are pressured to fully assimilate. Acculturation fosters self esteem and emotional resilience because it doesn't force individuals to reject their roots.

For example, studies on immigrant populations suggest that individuals who maintain their native culture while adapting to their new environment are less likely to experience identity crisis, depression, or alienation. On the other hand, the pressure to fully assimilate can lead to cultural alienation, where individuals feel disconnected from both their native and host cultures.

And I'm gonna have to stop for a second and tell you a little story about myself.  I remember when I was about 16 years old  and I had recently arrived in Lyon, France. Having never been out of my country, I was overwhelmed.  My brother had recently married a French woman and I was staying at her parents house.

I enrolled at a language school the day after where I started attending French lessons. Now, the turning point for me was It's me getting a job, whether you believe it or not, the experience alone, that experience alone changed my life and yeah, that's right. I supported myself, uh, partly by getting a job working only a few hours a week at a local McDonald's, not far from where I lived.

And believe it or not, I ended up speeding my learning process in French simply by communicating with the people at work, because quite frankly, No one spoke any other language, so I had to learn French to survive, pretty much.  At school, things were really slow. No one else had to work there but me. And at home, I had to speak to the parents of my brother's ex wife in French.

So I was immersed in that culture right from the beginning, which is not a bad thing in and out of itself. Now, the problem lied in the fact that I started to become too much like them in order to fit and started to lose myself in the process without being aware of it. And now this is what I mean by assimilation.

You don't want none of that. Trust me, you try so hard to fit in a certain group of people that you end up getting lost in the process. At some point during my stay I realized I had to stop. Having been brought up in a country with Spanish culture, the French seemed a little too rigid and discreet, and I was simply not used to that.

So one day I said to myself, okay, enough of this. I need to stop acting like them. I have to be myself. And I completely changed my attitude and went back to simply being myself. And that's what you have to do. You just got to learn the new language, acquire that new culture, understanding and understand it and honor it, but never stop being yourself.

So you bring a. All your cultural background in these new culture into these new culture. So you enrich the country as well, and you enrich them and you enrich yourself because you gain so much more wisdom by sharing who you already are. And, and getting all this knowledge as well and learning, you know, these new things that have been, you know, uh, introduced in your life.

So that's the way to go. This is why I love acculturation. And that's why I support,  uh, fully the, this kind of process of adaptation, uh, acculturation. So remember that one.  Now, let's go back to number three. We're going to see why acculturation is also good for you. Acculturation brings social harmony and mutual respect.

Acculturation promotes cultural pluralism, where multiple cultures coexist and contribute to a shared society. This creates an environment of mutual respect and tolerance. A diverse society That values multiple cultures, fosters real inclusivity and reduces discrimination.  One example would be, for example, I don't know, Canada's multiculturalism policy, which encourages immigrants to maintain their cultural traditions, cultural traditions, while integrated into the broader society. 

Uh, this has been cited as a factor in the country's relatively low levels of ethnic tension. Okay. So this is why. Uh, I was trying to bring up when I, when I talked to you guys and I said, Hey,  I lived in France and I had this experience and then I understood what I had to do. I had to go away from assimilation into acculturation.

That's a way to go. Conversely, the pressure to assimilate.  As we know, often creates us versus them mentalities, uh, leading to social divisions and xenophobia. Okay, there you go. Another one, number four, better integration outcomes. Acculturation leads to better long term integration. Because it respects the reciprocal nature of cultural adaptation in acculturation.

Not only do immigrants or minority groups adapt to the dominant culture, but the host society also changes, enriching itself with new influences. For example, cuisine, fashion, music, and language often reflect this mutual exchange in acculturated societies. This process results in a more dynamic and adaptive society that benefits from the skills, knowledge, and creativity of all its members.

Assimilation, on the other hand, can stifle these contributions by encouraging conformity and homogeneity.  Number five, respect for human rights. The demand for assimilation often infringes on basic human rights, particularly the right to cultural expression. Acculturation, by contrast, respects the individual's right to maintain their cultural identity, which is protected by international frameworks like the Universal Declaration, Declaration of Human Rights.

Societies that favor acculturation uphold the idea that cultural diversity is a human right and a public good, rather than a threat that must be eliminated.  There you go. Number six, economic benefits. Cultural diversity nurtured through acculturation. Has been shown to boost innovation and creativity diverse teams where multiple cultural perspectives are brought together, tend to perform better and create more innovative solutions in the business world.

For instance, multinationals. Multinational companies, they thrive when they leverage the cultural diversity of their workforce. This economic advantage is less likely to flourish in assimilation focused societies where conformity can suppress the range of perspectives that drive innovation.  Uh, so what's the conclusion right now?

Well, acculturation, as I said before, and as opposed to assimilation, offers a more sustainable and humane model of cultural integration overall. By allowing individuals to retain their cultural heritage while adapting to a new society, acculturation promotes mental well being. Social harmony and respect for human rights.

It also fosters a dynamic and innovative society where diversity is seen as an asset rather than a liability. In this increasingly interconnected world, acculturation is not only preferable, but essential for building real, inclusive, vibrant, and cohesive communities. So that's what we want, guys. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed making it and just please subscribe and stay tuned for more. Bye. Bye.