1. POL 168 Chican@/Latin@ Politics Professor Jones Dept. of Political Science UC-Davis Winter 2008

2. Acculturation and Assimilation What is it? Why might it be important? Do the changing demographics we have observed raise questions about what constitutes “an American?” These are real questions that spark major debate.

3. YouTube Clips Census Bureau PSA –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bJoIxqgDZ4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bJoIxqgDZ4 Footage from Immigration Rally (2006) compiled by anti-immigration group: –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM9uH4XgOmIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM9uH4XgOmI Public Testimony in Prince William County, VA –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjT1x23i5YUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjT1x23i5YU More from Virginia –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CbGjHLCBtg&feat ure=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CbGjHLCBtg&feat ure=related

4. Acculturation Fear and the Huntington Thesis Samuel Huntington –Leading scholar of the 20 th Century –The Third Wave –The Clash of Civilizations –Who Are We (2004) The last book is where article comes from. The Huntington Thesis: What is it?

5. Who Are We? The Thesis “Mexican immigration is leading toward the demographic reconquista of areas Americans took from Mexico by force in the 1830s and 1840s, Mexicanizing them in a manner comparable to, although different from, the Cubanization that has occurred in southern Florida. It is also blurring the border between Mexico and America, introducing a very different culture, while also promoting the emergence, in some areas, of a blended society and culture, half-American and half-Mexican. Along with immigration from other Latin American countries, it is advancing Hispanization throughout American and social, lingusitic, and economic practices appropriate for an Anglo-Hispanic society.” – S. Huntington (2004, p. 221)

6. Major Arguments Latin American immigration poses a threat to the American creed Why Hispanic? –Contiguity: 2000 mile border –Scale –Illegality –Regional Concentration –Persistence –Historical Presence Texan War 1835-1836 Mexican-American War 1846-1848 Aztlan? Or the fear thereof.

7. Aztlán is the legendary ancestral home of the Nahua peoples, one of the main cultural groups in Mesoamerica. "Azteca" is the Nahuatl word for "people from Aztlan."legendaryNahua peoplesMesoamerica

8. Assimilation Traditional view of immigrants is that they assimilate into the dominant cultural paradigm…the American creed “The Melting Pot” Language Acquisition –Proliferation of “English Only” measures Bilingual Nation? –Good, bad, possible?

9. Hispanization Miami –“Will the last American to leave Miami, please bring the flag.” Reconquista Names (Social Security Admin) –http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/names bystate.htmlhttp://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/names bystate.html Incentives to assimilate The Americano Dream?

10. Acculturation Fear Is there ample evidence to sustain Huntington’s argument? Perhaps the real question is this: Suppose many Americans thought in the manner of Huntington’s Argument Might have some testable hypotheses –Hate Crimes –Anti-immigrant/Latino legislation

11. Responses to Huntingon Met with widespread controversy, particularly among Latina/o scholars. Testable hypotheses Hispanics should look “differently” on a variety of indicators. Enter Citrin et al Main findings? http://psfaculty.ucdavis.edu/bsjjones/citrin.pdf Gonzalez Response