Huntington's Hispanic challenge thesis and immigration assimilation

¶ … Hispanic challenge" real?

Immigration

Is the "Hispanic challenge" real?

The issue of immigration and the assimilation of other cultures into the dominant culture and social context of a country has become an issue of extreme political and social relevance in the world today. This problem or issue has also been exacerbated by the phenomenon of globalization. This is also an issue that is fraught with contentious debate and argument as there is a delicate line between political correctness in an increasingly multicultural world and the perception that national and cultural identity is being threatened by the influx of other cultures.

In the United States this issue is centered on the influx and the establishment of Hispanic and Latino culture in the country, while a similar debate about the influx of immigrants, especially from Africa and the Middle East, in the United Kingdom is ongoing.

This paper discusses the question of the alleged threat of Hispanic culture in to the United States and also compare this to the situation with regard to immigration in Britain. Central to this analysis will be an assessment of the validity or otherwise of Huntington's argument.

4. Assessment

Huntington's argument is based a number of assertions. The first and most important is that an immigrant culture becomes a threat when it does not assimilate and adopt the dominant norms, values and perceptions of that society. This leads to the view, in the case of the Hispanic issue, that American national identity is being threatened.

The above argument depends to a great degree on what is meant or defined as national identity. Huntington defines national identity in terms of race, ethnicity, culture and religion. He also include the propensity of the initial Protestant ethic in American culture to include, and assimilate, other cultures such as the Irish into as cohesive national identity, but he refers to the essential aspect of culture and creed as defining the American national identity. These include aspects such as the English language; Christianity; religious commitment; English concepts of the rule of law, and Protestant values of individualism and the work ethic. (Huntington 2004)

However, the above definition of national culture and the Hispanic threat to that cultural identity can be countered on a number of levels. Firstly, this view of national identity presumes that this identity is static. It could be argued to the contrary that the American national identity is built on a dynamic and more flexible model of acceptance and understanding of other cultures; after all America has often been referred to as a nation of immigrants. This would therefore suggest that Huntington's argument of the threat of Hispanic culture is overblown and does not take into account this flexibility.

British culture on the other is not generally considered to be a very dynamic and flexible culture. It does not have a history of the acceptance of immigrants. This is possibly a reason why even a relatively small influx of immigrants can lead to severe confrontations. This would then suggest that a different set of issues apply to Britain and that immigration and assimilation is linked to the relatively inflexcible cultural matrix of British national identity. According to some commentators, the British view of immigration borders on xenophobia. "The truth is, we reside in a society where we are immersed in hatred and political distortion on the issue of immigration, which has gradually infected our collective subconsciousness." ( Davis 2011)

Secondly, in relation to the United States, there are a number of critics who refute Huntington's views. Lowenthal ( 2004) states that "… none of Huntington's major arguments holds up under critical scrutiny." ( Lowenthal) He suggests that there is in fact no empirical evidence to support Huntington's views. Lowenthal also suggests that the facts tend to indicate that far from there being separate Hispanic enclaves developing which could be seen as a threat to American identity, the opposite is true. He refers to the large increases in Hispanic-American voter registration and political participation during the past 15 years which tends to refute the theory that they are not identifying with American culture. He also refers to the increased tendency for Hispanics and Mexicans to adopt and accept American culture with regard to consumerism, music and cultural tastes. ( Lowenthal) Furthermore he argues that; "… immigrants are hardly contemptuous of American culture but rather admire the rule of law and rewards for hard work are far from rejecting the values of the U.S. ( they) actually & #8230;. embrace core American tenets of individualism and patriotism than are non-Hispanic whites, according to survey data." ( Lowenthal) This view would tend to undercut Huntington's assertion to a great extent.

In conclusion, I would suggest that Huntington's assertion should be countered by a more flexible view of what constitutes American identity. I would also assert that Huntington's views should be taken into account but that the facts and reality of the actual situation with regard to Hispanic immigration should be balanced against these views. In the final analysis what is clear is that one cannot categorically support Huntington's views without further study and analysis.