Considering the Tower of Babel: Correlates of Assimilation and Multiculturalism among Ethnic Minority and Majority Groups in the United States

Authors: Wolsko, Christopher; Park, Bernadette; Judd, Charles

Source: Social Justice Research, Volume 19, Number 3, September 2006 , pp. 277-306(30)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Survey data collected from multiethnic samples of geographically dispersed college students and a national probability sample of US adults were utilized to examine the correlates of support for multiculturalism and assimilation—two competing interethnic ideologies, or ideals for how an ethnically diverse society should optimally function. Endorsement of multiculturalism and assimilation was related to perceived ethnic group differences, intergroup bias, and voting behavior on a number of public policies, but in opposite directions. Relative to white participants, ethnic minority participants endorsed multiculturalism to a greater extent, reported higher levels of group identification, and were more likely to support pro-diversity public policies. Discussion focuses on explanations for the variety of observed differences between ethnic minority and majority respondents, on the meaning of assimilation and multiculturalism, and on the argument that harmony between ethnic groups and dissimilarity between ethnic groups need not be thought of as mutually exclusive.

Keywords: multiculturalism; assimilation; racial and ethnic differences; racial and ethnic attitudes; public policy

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11211-006-0014-8

Affiliations: 1: Email: cwolsko@uorego.edu

Publication date: 2006-09-01