I read with interest an article passed on to me by a colleague from UMSL about how well immigrant
children are adapting to life in the United States.
As I have argued on many occasions, these children are in fact assimilating. The problem, according to the authors, is that this process has several paths, and not all of them are positive.
As I have argued on many occasions, these children are in fact assimilating. The problem, according to the authors, is that this process has several paths, and not all of them are positive.
They identify a number of factors that lead the kids down one path or another: a welcoming versus a threatening government; a sympathetic versus a hostile native population; and the existence or absence of social networks with a co-ethnic community that can help pave the way. When these factors are largely positive, immigrant children tend to assimilate "upwards," which is what we associate with fully acculturated New Americans who contribute significantly to their adopted country. But when the factors are negative, "downwards" assimilation tends to occur. The kids still assimilate into American society, but in ways we would not wish: "stagnation into menial jobs, unemployment, and poverty."
I'm proud that in St. Louis we have made meaningful progress on addressing these factors. Mayor Francis Slay has set the tone in local government, taking the lead on the City's response to the Central American and Syrian refugee crises and in general being supportive of immigrants. The St. Louis Mosaic Project, most visibly through its Ambassadors program, is working diligently to build a welcoming environment for newcomers. And the International Institute has done phenomenal work to help establish many ethnic communities and strengthen their networks. There are a host of other good things happening, including the myriad ethnic chambers of commerce and social societies that have blossomed.
Still, more must be done. We must continue to resist legislation and policies that treat immigrants as people to be feared or shunned. And social services centered on families need to be strengthened rather than cut. The authors show that stable families reduce the likelihood of downward assimilation by a net 25%, and suggest that "employers who profit greatly from immigrant labor should also accept part of the financial burden required to ensure that the children have at least a fighting chance to attain the American dream."
As always, it comes down to what kind of community we want to live in: one that is inclusive, diverse, and thriving; or one that is exclusionary, provincial, and stagnant? The choice seems clear to me.
