What is the process called when immigrant communities adopt the dominant culture they move into?

The process by which immigrant communities adopt the dominant culture they move into is known as assimilation. This concept involves individuals or groups from a minority culture gradually adopting the customs, values, and behaviors of the dominant culture, often to the extent that they lose distinct characteristics of their original culture.

Assimilation can occur on various levels, including language acquisition, lifestyle changes, and social integration, leading to a more homogenized cultural identity. In many instances, this process is influenced by societal pressures and the desire for acceptance within the new cultural context. Assimilation is significant in sociology because it examines how cultures interact and the impact of migration on social dynamics.

Other concepts like integration and acculturation also relate to cultural exchange and interaction but denote different processes. Integration refers to the inclusion of minority groups into the societal framework while allowing them to maintain some of their ethnic identities, whereas acculturation involves adopting certain cultural traits of the dominant culture without completely losing one's original cultural identity. Colonization, on the other hand, implies a much more forceful and oppressive acquisition of land and culture by a dominant group, rather than a voluntary adaptation process.