Asian Americans and Socio-Economic Status of Immigrants, Essay Example

According to Waters and Eschbach (423), socio-economic indicators of different racial and ethnic groups in the United States show a great inequality. Comparing the median income, labor force participation, and poverty level, the authors find that the most advantaged ethnic racial groups are White non-Hispanics and Asians, while the most disadvantaged are American Indians and Blacks. While the comparison table does not provide detailed data about the country of origin, it is clearly indicated that within the large ethnic categories, inequalities exist, as well. As an example: Japanese groups had a median household income or over 50,000 dollars a year in 1990, while those who came from Hmong only had $14,327, averaging $41,583 for the entire Asian U.S. population. The below essay will examine the reason why some ethnic groups, and their second generation are more successful in the United States than others. The main thesis that the author is looking to prove is that the more positively the group is perceived by the mainstream society the better their socialization and assimilation of the second generation will be. The research, however, will not be able to examine Blacks’ and Native Americans’  assimilation, as these groups have been historically considered inferior by the mainstream society, and their long term oppression has influenced their ethnic identity.

Portes and Rumbaut (46) talk about how immigrants are received and the impact of their reception on their socialization patterns. The main dimensions determined by the authors that define socialization patterns and assimilation are: individual features, such as English proficiency, background, the receiving social environment, and their family structure.

It is important to prove the validity of the above statement by comparing the motivations and individual features of two immigrant groups: Asian Americans and Hispanic immigrants. As Slide 5 (Asian Americans) confirms: the Asian group of immigrants has the highest percentage of high-skilled professionals. While this is valid for the first generation immigrants, it also indicates that second generation of this group will also have a higher earning and socio-economic status. Parents who hold a degree will aim for their children to achieve at least their level of education. The social environment in which many Asian immigrants settle is also more supportive than that of Hispanics. Slide 4  (Asian Americans) confirms that they often settle in the suburban areas, as they have a higher socio-economic status to start with. The family structure of Asian families is cohesive, and supportive. As a contrast, the majority of Hispanic immigrants arrives in America as an illegal immigrant, or becomes illegal when a short term visa expires. The language proficiency of the families arriving to the USA from Latin America is generally low, as well as their education level and socio-economic status. The family structure of Hispanic immigrants is hierarchical and traditional, and this often restricts children’s assimilation processes.

The above comparison and review indicates that the longer the ethnic group has been present in America, and the more knowledge they have about the receiving country, the better the outcome of the second- and first-  generation assimilation will be.  Waters and Eschbach (429) confirm this statement through statistics: “The longer established Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and Asian Indians are doing well-better than the white non-Hispanic average. However the Southeast Asian refugees from Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam are not achieving as well”.

There is another important aspect of immigration that Waters and Eschbach (433) mention regarding Asian immigrants. The United States has a selective criteria for immigration in relation with Asian groups. This means that those who settle down need to meet some requirements, therefore, they will be highly skilled, and economically self-sufficient. The same criteria do not apply to Hispanics or other groups. Hispanics often enter the United States as undocumented workers, and their socialization is limited by the low skilled and low paid jobs they do.

The assimilation of second generation Asian Americans seems to be smoother than any other group’s. According to Waters and Ueda (280) talk about the identity of second generation “Asian Americans” who consider themselves American, while Hispanics (due to their hierarchical family structure) seem to be holding on to their ethnic identity and language more.

The two main factors influencing the assimilation of Asian immigrants’ children are the socio-economic status of the parents, and the perception of the society about their ethnic group.  While it has been revealed that the average academic attainment of first generation foreign-born Asian immigrants is higher than in other groups, it is also important to note that Asians are considered to be hard-working and the stereotypes related to them within the American mainstream society are mostly positive (Asian Americans, Slide 8). They – in contrast with Hispanics –  are not considered as “troublemakers”. While illegal immigration among Hispanics is very common, it is very rare among Asians, therefore, this group is considered to be more hard-working, law-abiding, and overall more beneficial for the U.S. economy. Therefore, the two main factors that impact the socialization of second generation immigrants are initial socio-economic background of the parents, and the reception of the society.

Works Cited

“Asian Americans”. Slides.

Foner, Nancy, and Kasinitz, Philip. The Second Generation In: Waters, Mary, and Ueda, Reed, and Marrow, Helen. (eds.) The New Americans. Harvard University Press. 2007. Print.

Portes, Alejandro, and Rubén G. Rumbaut. Legacies: The story of the immigrant second generation University of California Press. 2001. Print.

Waters, Mary C., and Karl Eschbach.  Immigration and Ethnic and Racial Inequality in the United States. Annual Review of Sociology 21: 419-446. 1995. Print.