Assimilation Today: New Evidence Shows the Latest Immigrants to America Are Following in Our History’s Footsteps
In this paper, U.S. Census Bureau survey data are used to investigate how well the assimilation process is working for today's immigrants. The results show that assimilation is happening across our nation. The illusion of nonassimilation is created by looking only at newcomers who have not had time yet to assimilate as fully as earlier arrivers.
Integration is occurring fastest in the areas of citizenship and homeownership. The rates of assimilation in education and occupation are higher among immigrant children, especially among Latinos, than among adult first-generation immigrants who have less access to education because they are newly arrived workers.
The college graduation rate among immigrants is on the rise since 2000, demonstrating that immigrant children are more able to pursue opportunities for educational advancement. Lesser access to education and learning centers for immigrant adults also means a lower English proficiency rate, especially among Latinos. But immigrant children are bridging this language gap quickly.
Geographically, too, America's latest immigrants are following in the footsteps of the ancestors, spreading out across the country. There are now 14 states that have foreign-born populations greater than the national average share of 12.5 percent.
Myers, D. and Pitkin, J. (2010). Assimilation Today: New Evidence Shows the Latest Immigrants to America Are Following in Our History’s Footsteps. Center for American Progress: Washington, D.C.