Akkulturation og integration: En tamilsk oplevelse i Danmark

Hello guys, I want to talk about acculturation, and why I chose this topic is because it is interesting qtopic, a global issue, however my parents are immigrants as for I am a part of it.

Some facts. The etymology of acculturation. In Latin it is called Integratus, which means putting parts together to make a hole. The definition is that a minority group moves into a major group, and learn their culture and traditions without giving up their own.

Four fold models. Assimilation, which in that case means that the immigrant gives up their own culture and traditions and follows the host cultures. Separation. Certainly rejecting host culture, and do not gives up own cultures and traditions. Marginalisation. Namely, rejecting own and host cultures, and developing new own culture, traditions and values. Finally Integration. Similarly what we Tamils are doing today; following own culture and host culture at the same time.

What do we get from it? New culture. New language. New food. New friends.

Myself in Denmark. My identity. I am a tamil boy, and my mother tongue is tamil. I live in two kinds of cultures. My family. My father came to Denmark in 1986, and my mother came in 1991. They are dominantly tamil, but they are still integrated, and I speak tamil with them in everyday life. Integrated “I”. Nevertheless I am proud to have learned two dominantly language, because learning own culture at the same time learning the host culture is a challenge for me, but I have to. Indeed, in Denmark we Tamils, have 32 schools where we learn Tamil. As a result, we work hard to integrate ourselves into this society, which is a big challenge. I am also singing Carnatic music, at the same time listening to western music. I am a Brahmin, so I go to the temple, which is a Hindu tradition, but I also go to church with friends often. The Danes culture is different in correlation to Tamil culture, but there are still things we follow as they do. Like on Christmas Eve, we get presents from our family and friends, as they do. Above all, Danes are giving us freedom with responsibility, and they are a very open and friendly type. In a nutshell, Denmark have even won the price of being the happiest country in the world twice.