May 14, 2008

Mexican immigrant assimilation low

Although it deals with national data and trends rather than those specific to California, a new study of immigrant assimilation is directly pertinent to the state, which has, by far, the nation’s largest immigrant population.

The study by the conservative Manhattan Institute for Policy Research is based on what it says is the first-ever effort to create an “assimilation index” that can be applied to immigrants from specific countries, with specific status and living in specific communities.

Applying that index and using Census Bureau data, the study found that immigrants from Mexico, the largest immigrant population, are the least likely to have assimilated, followed by those from El Salvador, China and India. In a cultural assimilation subcategory, immigrants from China and India trail Mexicans.

Another finding was that New York City has one of the nation’s highest immigrant assimilation rates while Los Angeles has one of the lowest.

The full report is available here.

Posted by Dan Walters on May 14, 2008 12:45 PM