Migration, assimilation and the cultural construction of identity: Navajo perspectives

ISSN： 1466-4356

Source： Ethnic and Racial Studies, Vol.30, Iss.6, 2007-11, pp. : 1132-1151

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Abstract

The concept of assimilation has experienced a rebirth in the last fifteen years of immigration research. In critiquing this current emphasis, I explore the case of New Mexico in the Southwest where ethnic and cultural differences have been a hallmark for 400 years. Using data from the Navajo reservation, I argue that focusing on ways that Navajo families deal with increased regional migration, economic integration, and intermarriage offers insights into the processes by which elements from a dominant society are incorporated in to distinctive ethnic repertoire that also preserves cultural practices and identities. These processes also characterize change for new immigrant populations. Recent studies have stressed the need to examine the shifting US milieu, the role of new gateway cities in the South and West, and the importance of replenishment in creating the conditions for maintaining cultural difference. This article goes further and underlines the importance of examining variations within families, networks, and communities as well as attention to the micro-practices for creating new cultural forms and retaining older ones.