Immigrants who are considered members of ethnic groups already residing within the United States often have advantages over native-born members of those groups.
Members of resident minority groups are often “marginalized,” living on the fringe of society, often in poverty, lacking education, occupational skills, political power, or the means to integrate into the mainstream. These groups, much like immigrant groups, are frequently made up of ethnic and racial minorities. However, compared with marginalized groups, immigrants have numerous advantages and often become successful, productive members of a society.
One of the primary advantages that many immigrants have is that most people who immigrate to a new country typically do so by choice and therefore arrive already motivated to succeed. Another advantage is that they often have the resources needed to relocate to a new country. National immigration services typically work at keeping out low-skilled and poorly educated immigrants.
A third advantage is that immigrants to the United States tend to believe in the
Barone, Michael. The New Americans: How the Melting Pot Can Work Again. Washington, D.C.: Regnery, 2001. Cook, Terrence E. Separation, Assimilation, or Accommodation: Contrasting Ethnic Minority Policies. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2003. Jacoby, Tamar, ed. Reinventing the Melting Pot: The New Immigrants and What It Means to Be American. New York: Basic Books, 2004.
Affirmative action
African Americans and immigrants
Assimilation theories
Civil Rights movement
Employment
Hansen effect
“Immigrant”
Melting pot theory
“Middleman” minorities
Migrant superordination
“Model minorities”