ABSTRACT
Whenever an ethnic or racial group finds itself assigned to minority status by thedominant society, it must react. Historically, many such groups developed out of the immigration process. They came voluntarily to the United States seeking a better life-which for them meant more economic opportunity and greater religious and political freedom. Therefore, they desired to assimilate. Their choice of tactics to pursue a strategy of accommodation was either economic or political. This chapter discusses the economic path to accommodation, that is, first to incorporation within the economic structures of society, then for some groups followed by political and social incorporation. Since more immigrant groups came for economic opportunity than for any other reason, many pursued an economic path. Groups who immigrated during a period of an expanding economy, or who arrived with special skills or resources, were more able and willing to use this tactical approach to the overall strategy. This chapter discusses in some detail the accommodation patterns of several groups. It begins with a discussion of Asian American groups, distinguishing those who arrived pre-1965 and post-1965. Asian Americans used this tactical approach very successfully and are sometimes called “model minorities” because of that fact. The chapter then uses examples of several European groups to illustrate their use of economic accommodation, again noting the pre-and post-1965 distinction. It discusses how subgroups of Hispanic Americans pursued economic accommodation and closes with a description of Arab American employment of this strategy and tactic. Most of the people in the last two groups arrived after 1965.
