Hispanics Are Like Everyone Else Who Comes to America
The idea that immigrants from Latin America fail to assimilate doesn’t hold up.
It really is a melting pot.
Photographer: Abaca Press/SIPAPREVeteran TV news anchor Tom Brokaw recently caused a stir when he admonished Hispanic-Americans to “work harder on assimilation” and to “make sure all their kids are speaking English.” Brokaw backpedaled after the uproar, but many will view his apology as forced. His comments have the unfortunate effect of perpetuating the myth that Hispanics aren’t assimilating into American society, especially among those who are already primed to believe that immigration is a problem.
Just for starters, data convincingly show that Hispanics have adopted English at very rapid rates. A 2016 Pew survey found Spanish is the dominant language for just 19 percent of Hispanics aged 18 to 25; the rest are either bilingual, or speak English only. The 2000 census revealed that young second-generation Hispanics spoke English at about the same rate as young second-generation European immigrants.