After Texas became a U.S. state, many Tejanos experienced pressure to assimilate into the dominant Anglo-American culture, leading them to adopt certain societal norms, language, and practices in public life. However, rather than fully assimilating, which would involve completely blending into the Anglo culture, many Tejanos chose cultural accommodation, where they retained their distinct cultural practices and traditions in private while adapting certain aspects of their lifestyle to fit in with the new dominant group. This allowed them to navigate the changing cultural landscape while preserving their identity, as they might celebrate their own festivals, maintain their language at home, and engage in community practices specific to their heritage. Thus, Tejanos exemplified a blend of both strategies, adapting publicly to survive and thrive while cherishing their unique cultural roots.
In 3–5 sentences, differentiate between cultural assimilation and cultural accommodation. Focus on how Tejanos reacted to the newly dominant Anglo-American culture after Texas became a U.S. state. Your answer would include: (U5L7 page 10) cultural accommodation – individuals adopt aspects of a society’s shared dominant culture in public while maintaining the practice of their own distinct culture in private (people change things to fit in) cultural assimilation – individuals from a certain culture are absorbed into the culture of a dominant group (people blend in) After Texas joined the United States, what did many Tejanos do to take on Anglo-American culture? Did they fully assimilate? How did they accommodate their own culture?
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