An analysis of the acculturation patterns and future prospects of
children within key ethnic groups living in the San Diego and
Miami/Ft. Lauderdale areas. Rumbaut ("Immigration Research for a
New Century", not reviewed) and Portes ("City on the Edge", 1993)
have assembled a dense volume outlining the status of children of
recent immigrants to the US. Their study focuses on the offspring
of Mexican, Cuban, Nicaraguan, Filipino, Vietnamese, Haitian, and
Jamaican immigrants. These second-generation youngsters do not
adopt American identities as was thought, but rather turn toward
ethnic identities and away from assimilation. The contrasts between
immigration groups are startling. In a comparison between two
groups with the longest US contact-the children of Mexican and of
Filipino immigrants-the Mexican-American study is especially
dispiriting: this group shows substantially lower achievement in
contrast to all other second-generation groups. Their educational
and occupational aspirations are unrealistic (67 percent anticipate
completing college, while only 10 to 20 percent will actually do
so), leading the authors to note that they will certainly be
dissatisfied with the poorly paid work done by their parents, but,
as a group, they will not be able to compete for the highly skilled
jobs they aspire to. If decent jobs in the middle range do not
materialize, the situation could become unpleasant. On the other
hand, Filipino immigrants (in population second only to Mexican
immigrants) tend to be college-educated professionals, and fit
easily into the US middle class. The children of this group have
realistically high educational desires, with daughters hoping to
obtain advanced degrees (a significant percentage seek medical
careers), and sons aiming for a bachelors of science. (Males tend
to choose engineering and computer technology fields.) While the
statistical information will soon overwhelm nonacademics, this is a
timely and important subject. (Kirkus Reviews)
""Ethnicities is a timely and important book. Rumbaut and Portes
have brought together a group of stimulating essays by leading
scholars in immigration studies that deal with issues at the heart
of debates about the new second generation. From Mexicans to
Vietnamese and Haitians, the essays show how the children of
immigrants in diverse groups are faring and, in different ways,
"becoming American." This volume is sure to become a standard
reference for future research in the field."--Nancy Foner, author
of "From Ellis Island to JFK: New York's Two Great Waves of
Immigration
"The authors take the reader on an instructive cross country
journey to understand the newest immigrants and their children.
"Ethnicities fills a big gap in the sociological portrait of
today's American mosaic."--Herbert Gans, author of "The War Against
the Poor
"This pathbreaking book, rich in new data and incisive analyses,
is the first to bring together a collection of studies of the
second generation's diverse origins, pathways, and challenges.
"Ethnicities will spark many lively discussions among my students,
many of whom belong to this brave new second
generation."--Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo, author of "Domestica:
Immigrant Workers Cleaning and Caring in the Shadows of
Affluence
"This tightly focused collection makes it clear that the
children of immigrants are key to understanding the nation's new
immigrant experience. It reveals contradictory trends among, for
example, Haitians, Filipinos, Cubans, Vietnamese, and Mexicans,
such as high praise for American society along with increased
reports of discrimination. This book contributes significantly to
major empirical and theoretical debates."--RodolfoO. de la Garza,
co-author of "Making Americans, Remaking America
"Remarkably coherent, readable and insightful, this volume makes
important contributions to theory, particularly in recasting the
concept of assimilation. By combining survey data with interviews
and historical background, "Ethnicities (and its companion,
"Legacies) provides a wealth of information about the long-term
effects of contemporary immigration--examining what happens to the
second and subsequent generations. It is both an exciting and a
disturbing book."--Bryan R. Roberts, author of "The Making of
Citizens: Cities of Peasants Revisited
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