Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Immigrants and Assimilation


Yesterday's Wall Street Journal carried a very encouraging report on how our immigrant population is doing in terms of "fitting in", or assimilation: "Immigrants are Still Fitting In" by Miriam Jordan.

Jordan ( and the chart above) are previewing  a new report by University of Southern California demographers Dowell Myers and John Pitkin. Key findings:

          * the US scores well above European countries on an assimilation success index, but below Portugal and Canada (who have smaller numbers and lower ratios of immigrant population)
          * progress happens over time with education, home ownership, English language capacity, and naturalization
          * 80% of all immigrants, including 70+% of Hispanics (including illegals) are living out of poverty

We are a country of immigrants - currently 40 million immigrants live in the US, having arrived in the 1990s', including those entering illegally. This is an enormous source of strength and new vitality for America. Our ability to attract newcomers and the country's remarkable capacity to effect their assimilation over time into our mainstream, is an enormous and unparalleled strength we possess for the long future.

Yes we need to be a country of laws and stop/greatly reduce illegal immigration. But we must never forget that we are all immigrants; and that to this day, the "new blood" transfuses our spirit and gives us new life.

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