Assimilation & Integration

The Chicago School of Urban Sociology made the term “assimilation” popular at the beginning of the 20th century to describe the process of immigrant adaptation to their host societies.  For the Chicago School, assimilation entailed immigrant’s loss of identity and original culture without causing significant changes to the local community. In some versions, the assimilation process also entails breaking the relationship between immigrants and their country of origin (Alba, 1985). In contrast, European scholars use the concept of “integration” to describe the process of immigrant adaptation to hosting societies. As formulated by these scholars, integration takes the form of a cultural exchange between immigrants and the native population, contributing to the creation of hybrid cultures. These scholars also suggest that, after the initial migration movement, immigrants keep some ties with their countries of origin. The assimilation process is popularly known as the “melting pot” and the integration process as the “salad bowl.” 

Despite being a contested concept, assimilation continues to be central to immigration debates, academic writings, and political discourse. The concept of integration is less contested. However, there are many distinct understandings of the term. More recently, another approach, the “transnational framework” (living here and there), has assumed an important place in academic and policy circles and among activists.