Although immigrants today are more assimilated into American culture than previous generations, they could still be more integrated. And contrary to what many on the Left argue, assimilation benefits not only immigrants but also the native-born by boosting job prospects, personal satisfaction, and social cohesion.
Many believe those who immigrated to Ellis Island were poor, illiterate Europeans who against all odds succeeded. But the Ellis Island narrative is misleading. While early 20th-century immigrants were poor by today’s standards, they were positively selected relative to their home countries — often better educated, healthier, and taller. That’s partly because coming to America was expensive, so the very poorest didn’t make the cut. Once here, there were no federal welfare programs before the New Deal. Immigrants who couldn’t make it simply went home. Those who stayed did so because they succeeded.
Today’s selection mechanisms are different. Airfare is cheaper, but legal immigration is harder. As a result, legal immigrants are still positively selected, but illegal immigrants from nearby Latin American countries, especially Mexico, tend to be negatively selected, as crossing the border is cheap and easy. That said, illegal immigrants from distant nations like those in sub-Saharan Africa are positively selected — only the best-off can afford to leave, and even the elite lack opportunities at home.
Two trends now shape immigrant assimilation in America. One is positive: immigrants increasingly “pre-assimilate.” Thanks to foreign schooling, global entertainment, and video games, many immigrants arrive already familiar with American culture and fluent in English. Newly arrived young immigrants today have the highest English proficiency ever. Nearly half report being fully proficient—a level youngsters who arrived in the 1970s have yet to reach after nearly four decades stateside.
It’s easier to assimilate when you are familiar with the culture. I know this firsthand. I grew up watching American TV, following American politics, and learning English before ever setting foot in the U.S.
Overall, today’s immigrants speak English at much higher rates than those at Ellis Island or even those in the 1980s and 1990s. Most report speaking English “very well” or only English. Including those who say they speak it “well,” English proficiency reaches 73%.
This trend is also visible in employment, wages, and education. Young immigrants today arrive more qualified than their predecessors in all respects, as I’ve found in my research for the Manhattan Institute.
The other trend is more troubling. Unlike the Ellis Island era, welfare use is now widespread. That means fewer immigrants leave if they fail to find work. Legal immigrants can access Medicaid after five years and later receive Medicare and Social Security, even if they never had children to support them in old age. In some states, illegal immigrants now receive government benefits too: California offers Medicaid, and New York City even provides free shelter in hotels. This changes the calculus. Immigrants no longer need to succeed economically to stay.
The combination of pre-assimilation and welfare access has a paradoxical effect: while immigrants arrive better prepared than in the past, they don’t assimilate as quickly once here.
There are two policy paths to encourage more assimilation. One is to return to something closer to the Ellis Island model — shrinking the safety net and increasing economic pressure to succeed. This could include limiting welfare access for noncitizens and tightening naturalization rules. The goal would be to ensure that only self-sufficient immigrants settle permanently.
The other option is to tighten immigrant selection criteria, ensuring that those who come are ready to stay and thrive. This would mean requiring job offers, English proficiency, working age, and enough financial means to avoid dependency on public assistance.
The best path forward combines both: smarter selection and modest welfare reform. One easy fix is ending the random 55,000 annual “Diversity Visa” green cards and reallocating them to highly skilled immigrants with job offers. Another is reforming family-based immigration. Each year, over 300,000 green cards go to extended family members of U.S. citizens, regardless of qualifications. These should be redirected to employment-based applicants chosen for age, English fluency, and job prospects.
BECOMING AN AMERICAN: HOW TO FIX THE LEGAL IMMIGRATION SYSTEM
At the same time, Congress should revisit welfare reform. Building on the 1990s reforms, lawmakers could restrict major federal benefits — like Medicaid, food stamps, and refundable tax credits — to U.S. citizens only. This would save trillions over time and encourage immigrants to self-select based on their ability to contribute economically.
We should welcome immigrants who want to be Americans and are prepared to earn their place. That’s the real legacy of Ellis Island — one worth reclaiming today.
Daniel Di Martino is a Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a PhD candidate in Economics at Columbia University.
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
