How were boarding schools supposed to help the assimilation process?

Boarding schools, particularly those run by governments and religious organizations for Indigenous peoples and other marginalized groups, were supposed to help the assimilation process through a multifaceted approach designed to erase cultural identities and replace them with the dominant culture. The methods were brutal and often traumatic, and the goal was not genuine integration but rather the complete absorption of the targeted group into the dominant society. The supposed benefits, from the perspective of the colonizers, were:

* Language suppression: Indigenous languages were forbidden. Students were punished for speaking their native tongues and forced to learn the language of the colonizers (e.g., English in the US and Canada, French in Canada, Spanish in Latin America). This severed ties to their cultural heritage and made it difficult to maintain traditional practices and knowledge.

* Cultural eradication: Traditional clothing, hairstyles, ceremonies, and beliefs were actively suppressed. Students were forced to adopt the clothing, hairstyles, and social customs of the dominant culture. Religious practices and spiritual beliefs were often actively discouraged or replaced with the religion of the colonizers.

* Skill acquisition: Boarding schools often aimed to teach students practical skills deemed suitable for the dominant economy, such as agriculture, domestic service, or basic trades. However, this was often done in a way that reinforced subservient roles within the colonial structure.

* Civilization and "moral improvement": Proponents argued that boarding schools would "civilize" Indigenous people by teaching them "proper" behavior and morality according to the standards of the dominant society. This often involved harsh discipline, forced labor, and the imposition of Westernized values.

* Separation from family and community: Removing children from their families and communities disrupted the transmission of cultural knowledge and practices across generations. This isolation made it easier to control and assimilate them.

It's crucial to understand that the "help" offered was entirely from the perspective of the colonizer, imposing a culture on others through coercion and often extreme cruelty. The devastating long-term consequences on individuals, families, and entire communities are now widely recognized and constitute a grave violation of human rights. The assimilation process was not about beneficial integration; it was about domination and cultural destruction.