CultureAugust 17, 2026
assimilationist
uh-SIM-uh-LAY-shuh-nist
Definition
Relating to or advocating for a policy of pressuring minority groups or indigenous peoples to adopt the dominant culture, often involving the abandonment of their own language, customs, and identity.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'assimilare' (to make like), the term evolved in English to describe the social or political process of absorbing or merging disparate groups into a single dominant culture.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe the historical, government-led agendas that forced Quandamooka people to conform to colonial norms while they were laboring under institutional confinement.
The Quandamooka Arts and Culture Centre (Quampi) by Cox Architecture
Read the full article ↗ArchitectureAu