Friday, May 30, 2008

Assimilation?

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In a study conducted by Jacob L. Vigdor for the Manhattan Institute, the assimilation of Mexican immigrants into the United States was "measured." Assimilation was defined as

• Ability to speak English
• Intermarriage (whether an individual’s spouse is native-born)
• Number of children
• Marital status


Based on this graph and the many others posted in the study, it is apparent that Mexicans are having a hard time assimilating and are taking much longer to do so than other ethnic groups. What is the explanation for this? What separates Mexican immigrants, whether or not they are illegal, from Korean or Polish immigrants?

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