Abstract

Diasporic movements, referring to the migratory activities of groups that maintain a unified sense of history and culture, have been driven historically by the impetus of events, such as: political upheaval, economic hardship, religious/ethnic intolerance and armed conflicts. The unified sense of history and culture that distinguishes diasporic groups from other migrants, however, can lead to a non-assimilative posture regarding the host culture. This paper focuses on two current, prominent diasporic groups - Mexican Hispanics in the United States and Islamic migrants in Europe - examining their attitudes toward cultural adaptation and the implications for both host and immigrant populations.