Early in 2019, a firestorm of criticism descended upon veteran journalist Tom Brokaw because he said on NBC’s Meet the Press that Hispanics “should work harder at assimilation” and shouldn’t isolate themselves “in their communities.” NBC condemned his comments as “inaccurate and inappropriate,” media outlets ran articles and editorialscalling them racist and factually wrong, and Brokaw apologized.
Contrary to the blowback against Brokaw, scholarly sources show that modern Latino immigrants are not assimilating like previous generations of immigrants. Furthermore, this is having negative economic impacts on them and the nation at large. These facts have nothing to do with race and everything to do with factors that can foster or impede economic prosperity.
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The changing attitude of immigrants toward assimilation has been transforming the U.S. from a melting pot to a salad bowl. This is having harmful economic effects, especially on immigrants who don’t assimilate but also on the nation as a whole.
These harms are driven in part by declining rates of English proficiency, which limit their ability to communicate, and thus, their productivity and earnings. Other factors that may play a major role are their mindsets toward corruption, social institutions, and government policies.
Conversely, some elements of foreign cultures are associated with better outcomes than those of the U.S., and these can help immigrants and native-born Americans alike.
Some consider multiculturalism to be a universal good, while others deride it. By putting aside such ideologies and examining facts, people throughout the world can harvest the beneficial aspects of foreign cultures and scrap their harmful ones.
Great article. Read the whole thing.