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Is The American Model of Integration Going to Work?

assimilating Muslims | “American model� | “European model� | peaceful integration | religions Shiva Shankar - Monday, February 27, 2006 - 10:58pm

I’ve been trying to read up on this situation involving the peaceful integration of groups such as Muslims into western countries. One thing that I have found is that there seems to be a “European model� and an “American model� for approaching this issue.

Europe is largely considered to be doing an unsuccessful job of assimilating Muslims. The examples abound. The riots in France last autumn and the current riots concerning cartoons of Mohammed that were originally published in a Danish newspaper serve as such examples.

What is the approach that Europe takes towards the assimilation of Muslims that, apparently, has proven to be unsuccessful? Europeans may exhibit a stronger sense of allegiance to their own religions and ethnicities than they do to any overall guiding ideals or principles. That may not have left open the possibility for Muslims to actually feel as if they are fully recognized and respected citizens of whatever European country they have relocated to.

And what is the “American model� for integrating such groups as Muslims? And has it proven to be successful?

Americans, in very general terms, seem to be able to relate to broad themes and ideals as well as or instead of to their religions and ethnicities. When an individual thinks of what it means to be an American it’s likely that such an individual would say that a USA citizen believes in personal rights and freedoms. It seems less likely that he or she would say that a USA citizen must belong to this or that religion.

Supposedly this approach leaves more room for incorporating different immigrants from around the world. People from India or China who live in the USA may have an easier time saying “I am an American� than an immigrant in a European country would have declaring that he or she is a citizen of that country.

At present I'm not sure that this approach has been fully tested on Muslim immigrants in the USA. I believe that at present the Muslim population in the USA is less than one percent of the total population.

When the Muslim population does grow in the USA, as it eventually and inevitably will, then will our “American model� of integration manage to integrate them into our country peacefully?

I suspect that it will not.

It may not matter that in the USA we base our identity on broad concepts and ideals. It may be those broad concepts and ideals, such as freedom of expression and belief, that the Muslims not only dis-agree with but, in fact, are actively attempting to stamp out.

As we extend to them an open invitation to share in our values and thus in our identity I’m not sure that they won’t respond by seeking to impose their own values instead.

Well, no one knows for sure yet how it will play out.

But when the time comes here in the USA I’m not sure that we will prove to be much more successful than the Europeans have been in dealing with the integration of Muslims.

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good information

jasmiles; Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 2:32am

good information

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Tell Me That I'm Wrong

Shiva Shankar; Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 8:52pm

Yes I suppose it is good information; but, to be honest, i was kind of hoping to hear a different type of comment. I was hoping that someone would be able to tell me that I am wrong.

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Tamiya's picture

Muslims

Tamiya; Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 8:59pm

I can't really comment much except that I have some Muslim friends. I just happened to meet a girl in one of my classes who is Muslim but she doesn't wear the head wrap so I didn't know. All of her friends wear it, though, and they're just like normal college girls!! It was pretty shocking, and 2 of them actually converted after coming to the university.

In my area people seem pretty accepting but I still notice stares and sneers. During 9-11 they were afraid to even leave their apartments/dorms and their mosque was getting threat calls. It was pretty sad....

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Maverick's picture

You're wrong

Maverick; Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 9:26pm

The American model assimilates good ideas and provides knowledge to combat against bad ones. The only situations not representing extremely isolated incidents to cite against this truth are found in the assimilation of American blacks and the recent rise in power of the religious right.

Both of these situations are highly unique. Most groups readily assimilate into American culture because they want to be participating members of society. American blacks, apparently through generations of disollution, for the most part choose as a group not to integrate into American society. This is unlike any newly immigrating group which would not choose to integrate because American blacks do not have the choice of just not coming here.

The rise of the religious right is also a unique situation. Normally, no one religious or political force or group can gain as much power as the religious right has in recent years. Other groups keep them in check. It began with the Clinton era and the unification of the religious right as a political force in opposition of that administration and grew out of control because of the state of fear that existed after September 11th and a trick of perception (Republican = Military = Security) that unified the voting of the religious right with more moderate but fearful Americans.

The backlash against the religious right will likely be so severe as to prevent any such rise in power of a religious/political group in the future.

So, in other words, Muslims will not come to the US if they strongly oppose assimilation of American culture and no group, Muslim or otherwise, will be able to force religious or cultural ideals on this country after, say, 2008.

Which is not to say that some religious and many cultural ideals will not be assimilated by American culture, they will just become part of the culture for the reasons they always have. That is, they are good ideas or people enjoy them/prefer them to the alternative.

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I hope you're right about Muslims

Shiva Shankar; Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 10:26pm

One thing that I am certain of is that the Muslim population will continue to grow in the USA. They will come even if they are opposed to the assimilation of USA culture and they may very well come with their own agenda in mind; that is, the imposition of their own ways.

Will that approach on their part work?

I hope that, as you say, no such religious group will be able to weild an inordinate amount of power here.

I know a number of Indian families who live nearby me in this San Francisco Bay Area. The parents of those families are, for the most part, judgemental of the USA lifestyle. They feel that teenagers here are too free and don't study hard enough. They don't want their own children influenced by that. They want their own ways imposed on the USA, not the other way around.

But how do their children react? It's kind of funny to see. Some of the indian children of immigrants from the sub-continent of India are more "americanized" than any natural born americans i'v ever seen.

One teenage indian boy i know is the biggest hip hop fan that i am personally aquainted with; another teenage indian boy i know is the star of his high school basketball team.

The point is like this: the parents of those indian boys are not getting their way and i think the reason for that is because something in the "american model" of integration has had the effect on those indian kids of making them feel that they are, in fact, americans.

But will it be the same with Muslims when their numbers grow in this country and they start marching in our streets when our newspapers print some cartoons (or editorials, etc.........) about them?

I hope that it works out as you say and "they will just become part of the culture..."

Anyway, for better or ill we'll know soon enough.

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