Thread: Think tank study finds assimilation hard for Latinos

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Think tank study finds assimilation hard for Latinos


7/13/05
By AYAI TOMISAWA
NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT


WASHINGTON -- A report by a national think tank that promotes limiting immigration suggests Latinos so dominate the immigrant population that it is difficult for them to assimilate into American society, a conclusion that drew quick and strong criticism.

According to the report by the Center for Immigration Studies, births to foreign-born mothers accounted for 23 percent of all U.S. births in 2002, the latest year for which figures are available. Almost half of the 915,800 children had mothers from Mexico.

In California, there were 244,770 births to foreign-born mothers in 2002, an increase from 55,286 in 1970. The survey said that in 2002 there were 284,587 babies born to native U.S. mothers, compared with 307,470 in 1970. In Santa Barbara County, 46.5 percent of the 5,699 births in 2002 were to immigrant families, compared with 13.5 percent of 4,478 total births in 1970.

The fierce debate about the meaning of the report mirrors the national discussion about illegal immigration in the halls of Congress, in Sacramento and across the country.

Steven Camarota, the author of last week's report, said his study indicates that "the enormous number and proportion of children from immigrant families may overwhelm the assimilation process, making it difficult to integrate these new second-generation Americans."


Mr. Camarota said in a phone interview that immigrants from the 1800s and early 1900s, when the immigrant population was more diverse, tended "to take on the language, values, cultures of their new home country. . . . But when . . . one country comes to dominate those births, you may get the reverse situation."


However, Walter Ewing, a researcher with the Immigration Policy Center of the American Immigration Law Foundation, which promotes the value of immigration for U.S. society, said Mr. Camarota's statistics have nothing to do with whether immigrants are assimilating.

"Assimilation has always been a multi-generational process. Attempting to measure it in one generation is ridiculous," Mr. Ewing said.

"Especially when analyzing Mexican-Americans, it's easy to overlook this fact because 41 percent of them are first-generation," Mr. Ewing said. "It's easy for the progress that has occurred over many generations to get lost in the midst of such a large first-generation population."


Children of immigrant parents tend to learn more English, earn higher incomes and have higher educational levels than their parents, he said.

He also said immigration critics used an argument similar to Mr. Camarota's to argue against allowing European immigrants to enter the country in previous generations.

"It was often said the Italians would never learn English, they were too poor, they wouldn't assimilate. . . . Looking back 100 years, we know that that was wrong," Mr. Ewing said. "The same thing is going to happen in this case. The immigrant groups may change, but the overall process does not."


The grandchildren of Mexican immigrants, he said, "are going to be just as mainstream as any other group."


Luis Villegas, president and CEO of the Santa Barbara Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said comparing the Mexican immigrants' assimilation process and that of European immigrants makes no sense.

"The mere fact that Mexico borders the United States (means) that Mexican culture is constantly reinforced in our country. . . . (That) is very different from European immigrants that assimilated more quickly because they don't have that immediate cultural reinforcement," Mr. Villegas said.

However, Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Simi Valley, said the root issue to ensure that immigrants assimilate is stemming illegal immigration.

"If we had no illegal immigration, or a very minimal amount of illegal immigration, we wouldn't be having this discussion today," Mr. Gallegly said. "I think you will find a lot more people that are not as willing to assimilate that are coming here illegally than those that come here legally because those that come here legally by and large understand and respect the rule of law and they want to a be part of this country."


As for documented immigrants, he suggested that they be given opportunities to become U.S. citizens, "speak a common language and pledge your allegiance to this country as other Americans do."


"That is a giant step toward promoting assimilation," he said.

Mr. Camarota said stronger border control is needed to stop the flow of undocumented immigrants from Mexico. But a UCSB associate professor who studies the issue said illegal immigration is driven by the profound wealth gap between the United States and Mexico, as well as Central America. "Unless there are some serious efforts on the part of our government to stimulate economic development in those places to give these people an alternative from migrating, migration will continue," said John Park of UCSB.

"Unless there are some serious efforts on the part of our government to stimulate economic development in those places to give these people an alternative from migrating, migration will continue," said John Park of UCSB.

Duh!!!! If Bushie would yank up the welcome mat and put some troops on the border that would help!!

Poor babies. They have trouble assimulating. Maybe it's because they don't want to assimulate because candy a-- pandering politicans like Bush want to roll out the welcome mat everytime they break the law. How about we close off our borders and start deporting the freeloaders that are already here? That would help. Quite frankly I have no use or need for law breakers in our society.

"Unless there are some serious efforts on the part of our government to stimulate economic development in those places to give these people an alternative from migrating, migration will continue," said John Park of UCSB.

Say genius, since when are we responsible for Central America?

Mr. Camarota is a member of a true "think tank."

Mr. Park's thinking just went in the tank.

Originally Posted by dataman

"Unless there are some serious efforts on the part of our government to stimulate economic development in those places to give these people an alternative from migrating, migration will continue," said John Park of UCSB.

Say genius, since when are we responsible for Central America?

Mr. Camarota is a member of a true "think tank."

Mr. Park's thinking just went in the tank.

No where does he suggest that you are responsible for Central America

Originally Posted by Jose

Originally Posted by dataman

"Unless there are some serious efforts on the part of our government to stimulate economic development in those places to give these people an alternative from migrating, migration will continue," said John Park of UCSB.

Say genius, since when are we responsible for Central America?

Mr. Camarota is a member of a true "think tank."

Mr. Park's thinking just went in the tank.

No where does he suggest that you are responsible for Central America

Apparently english is your second language.