Formulating a Cosmopolitan Approach to Immigration and Social Policy - Lessons from American (north and south) indigenous and immigrant groups

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by OmBimo

This paper examines how the United States has historically sought to integrate indigenous and immigrant groups into society, then argues for a cosmopolitan alternative to assimilationist and nativist policies. Using ideas on globalization, education, and the complex nature of indigenous communities, it frames cosmopolitanism as inclusion, tolerance, and respect for cultural difference. The Otavalos in Ecuador serve as a case showing how indigenous identity and immigration practices can support integration into a modern global society.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The Assimilationist Tradition in U.S. Immigration Policy

Formulating a Cosmopolitan Approach to Immigration and Social Policy: Lessons from American (north and south) indigenous and immigrant groups Jeffrey P. Walker Teachers College, Columbia University Ana M. Serrano Loyola Marymount University Abstract Throughout history the United States has been constantly confronted with the responsibility of integrating diverse groups of people into its society. This paper uses current and historical ideas about the complex nature of indigenous groups, globalization, and education as vehicles for promoting the adoption of cosmopolitanism, a paradigm that values inclusion, tolerance, and respect for the other. Cosmopolitanism is discussed as a plausible alternative to historical assimilationist/nativist practices. The paper uses the Otavalos, an indigenous population in Ecuador, as an instructive example of a community that successfully applies a cosmopolitan approach to its indigenous identity and immigration behaviors to integrate itself into a modern global society. Introduction Before 1965, immigrants to the U.S. were primarily European (Takaki, 1993) . More recent data show significant changes in the ethnic configuration and proportion of immigrants entering the U.S. According to the 2000 census, immigrants and their children constitute 20 percent of the total American population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000) . Furthermore, Hispanics are overtaking African Americans as the largest minority, while non-Hispanic whites have declined to twothirds of the population and have even become a minority in California, the most populous U.S. state. Based on the latest projections, ethnic groups of color will comprise approximately half of the U.S. population by the year 2050 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000) . Given this minority-majority trend, what macrosystems will be envisioned in order to promote relationships among immigrants, minority groups, indigenous groups, and the larger society? How might these relationships take into consideration a new world order in an era of globalization? This paper responds to these questions by examining America’s historical response to indigenous and immigrant populations. The purpose of the paper is to make a case for a more inclusive approach to community building. We focus on indigenous and immigrant populations because historically, those in power have put serious, overt pressure on these two groups to assimilate. We suggest cosmopolitanism, the practice of valuing all cultures equally, as a plausible alternative to the historical assimilationist/nativist practices. Finally, we look at the Otavalo indigenous in Ecuador, who are both indigenous and immigrant, as an example of a group coping with and taking advantage of globalization to strengthen their community both at © 2006 Current Issues in Comparative Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Current Issues in Comparative Education, Vol. 9(1) Formulating a Cosmopolitan Approach to Immigration and Social Policy: Lessons from American (north and south) indigenous and immigrant groups home and abroad. The Otavalos may teach indigenous, immigrant, and dominant groups how to embrace a more cosmopolitan perspective toward each other. The Assimilationist Tradition in U.S. Immigration Policy The primary theoretical framework that social scientists and historians have traditionally used to analyze the relationship of the immigrant culture to that of the larger society has been assimilation. Scholars who write about assimilation often describe it as an evolutionary process in which immigrants gave up all traces of their old life in favor of the superior values of America (Hirschman, 1983) . Although the term "assimilation" is a fairly new one in education, the concept itself has been influencing American education for centuries. The establishment of French and Spanish missions by colonists in the sixteenth century was clearly intended to transform indigenous Native Ameri

FAQs

What question does the paper address about immigration and social policy?

It asks what macrosystems can promote relationships among immigrants, minority groups, indigenous groups, and the broader society in a globalized world order.

How does the paper contrast cosmopolitanism with historical U.S. assimilationist approaches?

It presents cosmopolitanism as valuing all cultures equally, positioning it as a plausible alternative to assimilationist/nativist practices.

Why are the Otavalos used as an example in the argument?

They illustrate how an indigenous community can apply a cosmopolitan approach through its identity and immigration behaviors to integrate into modern global society.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by OmBimo