Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography Practice Exam

Cultural assimilation involves the complete absorption of one culture into another, where individuals or groups from one cultural background adopt the customs, values, language, and behaviors of the dominant culture, often losing their original cultural identity in the process. This phenomenon typically occurs when immigrants or minority groups become integrated into a society to the extent that their distinct cultural traits are largely replaced by those of the host culture.

This process is significant in understanding the dynamics of cultural interactions, power relationships, and social integration within diverse societies. While different forms of cultural interaction exist, such as multiculturalism or cultural pluralism, which emphasize the coexistence of different cultures, assimilation focuses on a more uniform outcome where the unique characteristics of the assimilating group diminish or disappear.

In contrast, the alternative responses provided represent different processes or outcomes related to cultural interaction. For instance, superficial integration reflects a situation where some aspects of one culture may be adopted without deeper connections or understanding. Meanwhile, maintaining cultural identity emphasizes the retention of original cultural traits by immigrants, countering the concept of thorough assimilation, and resistance to blending suggests a refusal to integrate, which also diverges from the idea of assimilation.