Despite the blubbering from folks like Pat Buchanan that we are about to "lose the American Southwest" to Latino immigrants, The Washington Post reports that they are assimilating even faster than the folks who came here at the turn of the 20th Century. European immigrants a hundred years ago were not, it turns out, somehow qualitatively "different" than the current influx of new Americans.
This probably has something to do with technological advances in communications and media; immigrants, especially children, have access to movies, television, and the internet, rather than just the folks down the block who speak another language. Still, you should forgive Spanish-speaking immigrants and their kids if they want to keep Spanish language channels, since it turns out they broadcast more "serious and civic-minded" news than offerings in English.That isn't hard, considering broadcast outlets are busy pretending they aren't mired a massive violations of public trust by irresponsibly presenting Pentagon propaganda as "news."
What's more, Latinos assimilate easier when they have job opportunities, and so at least partial credit for the high assimilation index is the prosperity in the 90s ushered in by the Clinton Administration. This means that the people so desperately fearful of immigration have enabled the Bush Administration's mismanagement of the economy, which in turn is making assimilation for immigrants harder, rather than easier.
Really though, there's no contradiction since the Michelle Malkins of the world don't really want integration. Instead, they'd prefer no immigrants at all.
--A. Serwer
