Excerpt: Immigrant America: Who They Are and Why They Come

Portes, Alejandro, and Ruben Rumbaut. [1996] 2005. "Immigrant America: Who They Are and Why They Come". Pp. 184-188 in Understanding Society, 2nd ed., edited by Margaret L. Andersen, Kim Logio, and Howard Taylor. Belmont, CA: Thomson Learning, Inc.

This article presents four biographies of immigrants in America who were all educated (or became educated) and came to the United States for financial opportunities, ultimately becoming successful middle-class members of society.

Portes and Rumbaut call attention to the high immigration rate as compared with that of the middle of the Twentieth Century:

A common exercise is to compare this 'new' immigration with the 'old' inflow at the turn of the century. Similarities include the predominantly urban destination of most newcomers, their concentration in a few port cities, and their willingness to accept the lowest paid jobs. Differences are more frequently stressed, however, for the 'old' immigration was overwhelmingly European and white; but the present inflow is, to a large extent, nonwhite and comes from countries of the Third World.

Due to their Third World origins, many immigrants are perceived by Americans as poor, unskilled, and uneducated. The four case studies counter this perception and highlight the fact that a "uniform assimilation process" is implausible. Assimilation today is not the same as it was for Europeans in the early 1900s, nor will it be the same for people from different countries and backgrounds.

The argument is individualistic, but it helps in the understanding that not all immigrants (or forms of immigration) are the same. For my interest in theory, it's worth mentioning that the discussion of who makes it and why can be applied equally to all immigrants, and for comparison's sake the differing perceptions of immigrant groups can be considered as part of the answer to that question.

Relevance: 3/5 (neutral)
Salience: 3/5 (neutral)

References:

• none.