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as·sim·i·la·tion

noun 1. the act or process of assimilating; state or condition of being assimilated.

2. Physiology . the conversion of absorbed food into the substance of the body.

3. Botany . the total process of plant nutrition, including photosynthesis and the absorption of raw materials.

4. Sociology . the merging of cultural traits from previously distinct cultural groups, not involving biological amalgamation.

5. Phonetics . the act or process by which a sound becomes identical with or similar to a neighboring sound in one or more defining characteristics, as place of articulation, voice or voicelessness, or manner of articulation, as in  /?græmp?/ Show Spelled[gram-pah] Show IPA for grandpa. Compare dissimilatio

Everybody learns to live together in a particular area.  Example.  It took many years for blacks and whites to be able to live this well together in America.  That's what America's civil war was all about.  Many people wanted to keep black people slaves and many thought it was not right and a war was fought over that.  Then laws were passed in the 50's & 60's to break up segregation and overt discrimination.  And now assimilation has taken place, even tho some are still mad over that assimilation.  It's hard for many to accept that a former slave group member is now president of the United States.  It like if eventually a UFO or gorilla, or a talking monkey became president of the United States.  Think about how you might feel about that.  That's how a lot of people feel about Obama.  People are so mad about Obama now some are trying to get rid of voting rights in the south again.  Back in the day, they just walked up a shot a black or burned down his house if he tried to vote.  So with regards to voting, some forgot about that old assimilation.