
Globalism is Amping Up
As the 21st century continues forward, the cultural currents around the world continue to flow together. Advancement is acting as a magnet for the unique customs, beliefs, and lifestyles around the world opening sociopolitical barriers to new possibilities. With this conglomeration of culture comes the need to understand the unique pressures and experiences which go along with immigration and integration into a country. Perhaps one of the most pertinent – Cultural Identity.


Careful! it’s High Voltage
The pursuit of a new home and the surge of immigration around the world is a dangerously jarring experience for those involved. The societal standards and overall culture can be widely different from that of an Immigrated Families country of origin, so the attempt to fit into a new home is difficult for these families. This process, known as Acculturation, requires families to make extremely difficult decisions about their cultural identity. Do they decide to hold on to their roots? Will they fully assimilate into their new home? Unfortunately the answers to these questions are not entirely in their hands. Even within the U.S the communities in which these families find themselves have a shocking influence on the type of Acculturation they undergo. Places such as Miami or New York, which have a higher acceptance rate of bicultural individuals, allow Immigrants to Integrate, keeping their old cultural values while also picking up those of their new home. However, in more rural areas, such as western North Carolina, it is much more difficult to integrate, which often leads to Assimilation or Separation.
Cultural Recharge
The experience of acculturation is a tricky one which has a variety of effects on the Immigrated individuals. While studies show that the mental and physical health of Immigrated individuals is higher than U.S born individuals when they enter into the U.S, known as the Acculturation Paradox, this slowly declines to or below the national average. This is made especially problematic for younger generations, as often the Children of Immigrants begin to run into much more substantial mental and physical health issues. This is because of several factors, including the familial cultural identity coming at odds with the predominant cultural identity as well as a remarkable 71-89% of Immigrant Children acting as language brokers. Among these stressors includes that of achieving acceptance in the communities in which they find themselves. This task isn’t always difficult, as a healthy balance between familial and societal cultures can be found in more diverse cultural centers. However, in the more monocultural areas of the U.S, this balance often is difficult to maintain, with societal pressures pushing more for conformity and Assimilation rather than accepting ones Biculturality.

An example of Monocultural society pushing for assimilation is the story of Pavel Nitchovski. An Associate Professor with UNC, Pavel moved from Bulgaria to Texas when he was 8 years old. This move was far away from any real Bulgarian Population in the U.S, so Dr. Nitchovski’s felt a strong pressure to conform and assimilate into the dominant culture. Listen to Dr. Nitchovski speak more about his experience.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6589340/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5966037/
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/data-hub/charts/immigrant-share-us-population-and-civilian-labor-force?width=1200&height=850&iframe=true
https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/wmr_2020.pdf https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/data-hub/charts/children-immigrant-families?width=900&height=850&iframe=true
Rothe, E. M., & Pumariega, A. J. (2020). Immigration, cultural identity, and mental health : Psycho-social implications of the reshaping of america. Oxford University Press, Incorporated.