SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- On the question of whether recent immigrants assimilate as quickly as previous waves, many Americans exhibit short fuses -- and even shorter memories.
Ruben Navarrette Jr. notes that immigrants have been criticized throughout history for not assimilating.





They have convinced themselves that, instead of adapting to the customs of this country, new arrivals -- most of whom come from Asia or Latin America -- expect the rest of us to accommodate them. They go ballistic over little things -- Mexican flags, taco trucks, libraries that offer bilingual story time, or having to "press one for English."
Yet, even as they look down on new immigrants, many Americans look back fondly upon their immigrant ancestors. Legend has it that when grandpa arrived from Ireland, Germany, Italy or Poland, he jumped off the boat, immediately draped himself in the American flag, ripped out his native tongue, and abandoned his culture -- all while singing "Yankee Doodle Dandy." Germans did not move to Milwaukee and make beer and cheese. The Irish did not settle in Boston and join organizations like the Hibernian Society to preserve their heritage and culture.
And even while Americans complain about how the current crop of immigrants aren't like their predecessors, they miss the irony: At the time, there were people who said the same thing about their ancestors; the Germans were thought to not be like the English, the Irish weren't like the Germans, the Italians weren't like the Irish etc. And the Chinese weren't like anyone who had come before them, and so they were labeled "unassimilable" by the Tom Tancredos of that era.
Some things never change. When I was growing up in Central California, which is home to a large population of immigrants from Southeast Asia, thousands would gather to celebrate Hmong New Year. The local newspaper would do a feature. And, in the days that followed, someone would write an angry letter to the editor complaining that these people weren't melting into the pot.
Yet, there is more melting going on than one might think, according to a new report from the Manhattan Institute. Billed as the first annual Index of Immigrant Assimilation, the study was written by Duke University Professor Jacob Vigdor. It measured three kinds of assimilation: economic (employment, education, homeownership, etc.); cultural (intermarriage, English proficiency, family size, etc.); and civic (citizenship, military service, political participation, etc.). Far from discovering that recent immigrants are ducking the assimilation process, the study found that "immigrants of the past quarter-century have assimilated more rapidly than their counterparts of a century ago, even though they are more distinct from the native population upon arrival."
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Of course, individual groups still fall behind in some categories. Chinese and Indian immigrants have low levels of cultural assimilation. Mexican immigrants have low levels of economic assimilation. And Canadian and Indian immigrants have low levels of civic assimilation, since few of them become citizens.
But, overall, the news is good. After more than 200 years, America still does an excellent job of assimilating immigrants. Even if a particular group tried to resist the process, they wouldn't stand a chance. Assimilation happens, whether the immigrants are ready or not.
Those are the facts. Of course, fear doesn't listen to facts. That is something else that hasn't changed.

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I heard that fluoride lowers peoples IQ's. Along with other harmful side effects.

YouTube - Professional Perspectives: Fluoride in Tap Water

YouTube - Fluoride Poisoning

"The literacy levels of our children are appalling." *gives thumbs up*YouTube - Again stupid Bush

YouTube - Dangers of Fluoride


RON PAUL REVOLUTION!

~PEACE~

__________________
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." Ghandi........
"We must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools." MLK

Most latinos refuse to become Americans. They believe America stole half of Mexico in an unfair war. They want America to become North Mexico. Well, it is all stupid. If they refuse to become Americans, they should walk back across the border to the land they love!

We did pick the fight.

We picked them all from The "mayflower" to the present. That's what America does, pick fights. Usually with lessor opponents. We always come up with some phony reason like Terrorism, that was brilliant. Now anyone can become the enemy.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

Well.... perhaps not ALL of them..... seems to me Japan picked a fight with us on December 7, 1941.

Of course knowing your hatred of America I'm sure you think Peal Harbor was somehow our fault too.... hell you probably even think it was justified.

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(¸.·´ (¸.·´ FL Girl

Got me there, Kudos. Now about all those others...........................BTW, I certainly don't hate America, just those in charge. Most Americans are nice people, but those few assholes running things are certainly on my list...........................Oh yeah, seems there is evidence that our Government knew in advance about Pearl harbor and did absolutely nothing, go figure.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

Are you referring to the Radar mishap? Yes radar technology was new back then and an untrained officer mistook the approaching Japanese as the expected arrival of six US B-17 bombers. I'd call that human error using new technology... not evidence the government knew of the attack in advance and did nothing.....

Then again perhaps you are referring to some other conspiracy theory you've dreamed up.

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(¸.·´ (¸.·´ FL Girl

Yeah, I'm just busy dreamin up stuff to argue with you about,~LOL~. I don't think so.
Do Freedom of Information Act Files Prove FDR Had Foreknowledge of Pearl Harbor?
March 11, 2002
Robert B. Stinnett, Douglas Cirignano


An Interview with Robert B. Stinnett by Douglas Cirignano
On November 25, 1941 Japan’s Admiral Yamamoto sent a radio message to the group of Japanese warships that would attack Pearl Harbor on December 7. Newly released naval records prove that from November 17 to 25 the United States Navy intercepted eighty-three messages that Yamamoto sent to his carriers. Part of the November 25 message read: “...the task force, keeping its movements strictly secret and maintaining close guard against submarines and aircraft, shall advance into Hawaiian waters, and upon the very opening of hostilities shall attack the main force of the United States fleet in Hawaii and deal it a mortal blow...”
Do Freedom of Information Act Files Prove FDR Had Foreknowledge of Pearl Harbor?: Newsroom: The Independent Institute

Why do you think they sent all the carriers out to sea? There are volumnes of this information all over history. One mans conspiracy is another mans facts. I guess you would have to have been there, FDRs office, when the info came in.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

I don't feel like researching anything right now because I g2g soon, but didn't we commit 'war crimes' with the Japanese? We stopped trading with them and did other things to antagonize them?

Also I'm pretty sure that another country(I forget whom) let the USA know that there was a huge fleet of Japanese moving in our direction days prior to the attack.... IDK, just something to think about/research.

RON PAUL REVOLUTION

~PEACE~

EDIT- I feel like an idiot now, ~LOL~ I just read MM post, I skipped his before I finished writing mine.... hehe

__________________
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." Ghandi........
"We must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools." MLK