Mohammed 1st University –Oujda-

College of Arts and Humanities

Master Programme : “Humanities and Area
Studies
Colonial and Postcolonial Discourse”

A close reading in Roger D. Waldinger’s

article “Nationalizing foreigners”

By
Ahmed LAHMAR
November 9th 2009

Dept. of English. Mohammed 1st University – Oujda

 Outline
I) Towards transformation of foreigners into nationals.
1) Acculturation or Multiculturalism?
2) Integration, Naturalization or Americanization?
II) Ethnic and National reactions.
1) Reactions.
2) National « US » Vs the Alien « THEM ».
III) Liberal US, illiberal immigration policies !?
Conclusion
I ) Towards transformation of
foreigners into nationals
1) Acculturation or Multiculturalism?
 « Acculturation is a process in which members of one cultural
group adopt the beliefs and behaviours of another group.
Although acculturation is usually in the direction of a minority
group adopting habits and language patterns of the dominant
group”*.
 « Multiculturalism is the acceptance of multiple ethnic cultures,
for practical reasons and/or for the sake of diversity [.…..] In
this context, multiculturalists advocate extending equitable
status to distinct ethnic and religious groups without promoting
any specific ethnic, religious, and/or cultural community values
as central »*.
* A definition available in: http://www.rice.edu/projects/HispanicHealth/Acculturation.html
* A definition available in www.wikipedia.com/multiculturalism
1) Acculturation or Multiculturalism?
 Aculturation as literature describes it entails the political
process of re-socializing foreigners, turning them into
Americans of a particular kind.
 In the process of looking for a better life, only few immigrants
can keep of traditions and fully guard against change because of
their exposure to hosts.
 Gradually, ties of the homeland are substituted for those of the
hosts.
 Strangeness and foreign attachments leave one open to doubt.

2) Integration, Naturalization or Americanization?
 The acceptance is contingent on conformity.
 The membership to the united states is available for all those who wish to commit.
 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution* :
 “All persons born or naturalized in the United States… are citizens of the United
States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law
which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.”

The 14th amanment of the US Constitution is available in: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quatorzi%C3%A8me_amendement_de_la_Constitution_des_

%C3%89tats-Unis
2) Integration, Naturalization or Americanization?

 The new Americans need to master the native code (esp

social and cultural codes).
 New comers are not only expected to learn English, but
to lose gradually their mother tongue in favour of
English( mother tongue is reserved only for private
places).
 The disapearance of ethnocentric assimilation efforts
gave way to pluralism.
2) Integration, Naturalization or Americanization?

 Some foreigners naturalize for purely pragmatic

reasons.
 Supporting home countries always furthers
integration.
 There is nothing American than coming together
around homeland ties.
 Un-American behaviours (the example of soldiers).
II ) Ethnic and national
reactions
 1) Reactions.
 New American citizens who are always considered as
nationals of a different ethnic type and particular kind
assuming that those ethnic differences are imported from
abroad and must be left behind.
 The foreigners are seen strange not simply they are
aliens, but because of the nature of jobs they are put by
the hosts themselves (the right workers of the wrong
jobs).
 1) Reactions
 Nationals generate ethnic inequality in the sense that they
classify society into two categories: exterior and interior
 Political re-socialization provides further catalyst to ethnic
response
 The illegal immigrants enjoy the support of human rights
advocates, support from one another, and from the legal
friends and relatives.
2) National « US » Vs the Alien « THEM ».

- People of the state. - People in the state.

- Nationals. - Of a particular kind, indesirable.
- National ethnic background. - Imported ethnic background.
- American behaviours. - Un-american behaviours.
- Right workers for right jobs - Right workers for wrong jobs
III) Liberal US, illiberal immigration
policies !?
3) Liberal US, illiberal immigration policies !?
 Universalistic.
 Prohibits ascriptive distinctions among
nationals
 Membership is a birthright privilege.
 Exclusivist.
 Allawing few people to pass
their citizenship to their
children.
 Designing policies proves
difficult because it stands on
illiberal beliefs
A powerpoint representation available at:
http://www.nyu.edu/africahouse/forresearchers/africana/Mig120506MarceloSuarezOrozco.pdf
Conclusion (a Video)