What aspect of culture does assimilation primarily involve?

Assimilation primarily involves social absorption into mainstream culture, which refers to the process by which individuals or groups from one culture adopt the customs, values, and behaviors of another, particularly the dominant culture in a society. This can result in the blending of cultural practices and the diminishing of original cultural identities, as individuals learn to navigate and adopt the social norms and practices of the mainstream culture.

Language acquisition, while an important part of assimilation, is largely a tool that aids social absorption. It allows individuals to communicate and participate more fully in the host culture, but social absorption encompasses a broader range of social behaviors and interactions. Economic integration and political alignment could be outcomes of assimilation but do not fully capture the process itself, as they primarily focus on economic or political aspects rather than the cultural and social adjustments that define assimilation.