U.S. “Assimilate or Go Home” Immigration Debate Misreads History, Study Argues
CIUDAD JUÁREZ, MEXICO - JUNE 30: Leidimar Muñoz López, center, her daughter Yefreannys Isamar Muñoz López, left, and partner Alexander Jesus González Rodríguez, right, wait next to migrants being admitted for processing via the CBP One app hoping they'll be granted an appointment as well although they do not currently have a date. They're standing on the Paso del Norte Bridge between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, on June 30, 2023. (Photo by Danielle Villasana for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
A recent commentary has challenged growing political rhetoric in the United States that claims modern immigrants are failing to assimilate, arguing that historical evidence tells a different story.
The debate was reignited after U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville and Representative Andy Ogles promoted a proposed immigration bill emphasizing strict assimilation requirements, including English proficiency before arrival. Tuberville argued that earlier generations of immigrants worked harder to integrate into American society, while many current arrivals allegedly show little intention of doing so.
However, the commentary disputes this claim, calling it “a persistent theme in current right-wing commentary” that is not supported by data.
According to research by economists Leah Boustan of Yale University and Ran Abramitzky of Stanford University, immigrants from the late 19th and early 20th centuries—the so-called “great wave” of European immigration—faced similar challenges in economic mobility and cultural integration as today’s immigrants from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Their findings, summarized in the 2022 book Streets of Gold: America’s Untold Story of Immigrant Success, suggest that modern immigrants are integrating into American society at least as quickly as earlier waves, and in some cases faster.
One study, co-authored with researchers from Northwestern University and the University of California, Davis, found that children of low-income immigrant parents often experience upward mobility over time, challenging assumptions that immigrant communities remain economically stagnant or culturally isolated.
The article concludes that claims portraying recent immigrants as unwilling to assimilate overlook historical patterns and overlook the long-standing role of immigration in shaping American economic and cultural development.
Despite political tensions surrounding immigration policy, researchers argue that data consistently shows immigrants continuing to contribute significantly to U.S. society while integrating across generations.
