Traditionally, assimilation is regarded as an unidirectional, irreversible and sequential process that captures the immigrants' gradual shift away from their culture of origin to incorporate the characteristics of the dominant mainstream society over several generations. When the generation has succeeded in incorporating all the traits and cultural practices of the mainstream society, it is considered to have achieved significant progress (Suarez-Orozco, 2000). However, this traditional conception of assimilation and acculturation belies the dynamic quality and the different dimensions of assimilationù"economic, social cultural and political" (Skerry, 2000, p. 60). Essentially, immigrant groups may have assimilated in certain aspects of their life, while retaining their connection to their ethnic origins in others. In the remainder of this paper, the argument that immigrants can lead a successful life in mainstream society, while maintaining their cultural ties will be presented.
To understand the flaws in the traditional concept of assimilation, it is important to highlight the two components of culture: "instrumental culture" and "expressive culture" (Suarez-Orozco, 2000, p. 17). Instrumental culture refers to the competencies and social skills that are vital to one's ability to succeed in life. On the other hand, expressive culture encompasses the set of values, beliefs and practices that govern one's relationships with others and define one's identity (Suarez-Orozco, 2000). The implications of the distinction between these two components of culture for the ideal lifestyle for immigrants will now be examined.
From the instrumental cultural perspective, there is no denying that immigrants and their descendents will need to adopt the skills and competencies of the American mainstream society in order to succeed. In fact, through the globalization of the economy and the rapid advances in information technology, work sk...