Assimilation

Assimilation is the willingness of immigrants to relinquish their native cultural and linguistic characteristics and become part of American society. The concept of assimilation can be relatively abstract, but there are certain factors which are measured such as the ability to speak English, willingness to intermarry outside of one's own race, the number of children birthed and the marital status of immigrants.

Many experts believe getting immigrants to assimilate into American society is critical to U.S. financial stability and success. Civic assimilation assures all immigrants are willing to formally participate in American society, primarily through naturalization. Factors which can increase commitment to the United States include voting and serving in the military.

Proponents of assimilation argue that it provides future generations of Americans of every ethnicity and origin with the opportunity to share the ideas of liberty and prosperity that has made America great. Everyone deserves equality of opportunity, whether their parents were immigrants or not, and assimilation is the road to that equality.