The socioeconomic success of second generation immigrants

A great number of people come to the United States hoping that their children will have more opportunities in terms of education, employment, or healthcare. However, the socioeconomic achievements of second generation immigrants can differ dramatically.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The socioeconomic success of second generation immigrants specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, it is important to understand the factors that contribute to this inequality among the descendants of immigrants. Overall, one should focus on two determinants, in particular, the socioeconomic position of their parents and the attitude of the community toward a certain ethnic group or nationality. These circumstances can greatly affect the status of second generation immigrants, especially their economic welfare. First of all, when speaking about the socioeconomic class of parents, one should remember that this concept includes several elements. Special attention should be paid to such components as their education, income level, occupation, ability to access to healthcare services and so forth. Moreover, this status determines the expectations that parents set for their children. Each of these factors can significantly influence the socio-economic progress of second generation immigrants. For example, if first-generation immigrants belong to upper classes, they can help their children access to high-quality education. In turn, their descendants are more likely to become well-paid professionals. Additionally, people, who belong to upper classes, are seldom involved in criminal activities and they do not endanger the economic prosperity of their families. Thus, the influence of social class should not be disregarded. In this case, one can look at several examples. For instance, people, who came to the United States from Europe, belonged to middle classes, and they were better able to ensure the wellbeing of their c hildren. However, one cannot say the same thing about Hispanic Americans. Many of their parents were low-income and sometimes unskilled workers. These people were often unable to pay for the education of their children. This is one of the main factors that should be considered. Secondly, one should speak about different levels of ethnic and racial discrimination. In this case, one should focus on the attitude of the community toward a certain ethnic group or nationality. It can affect the welfare of second generation immigrants. Certainly, such biases and prejudices are not an official part of governmental policies, but they can affect the decisions of officials, policy-makers, or employers.Advertising Looking for essay on ethnicity studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For example, immigrants, who come from Mexico, can be perceived as non-white people, and they can be diversely affected by racial prejudices. Moreover, they are often viewed as a threat to the job security of workers. In turn, the immigrants, who come from Asia or Europe, do not face the same discrimination. They are more likely to receive the status of legal residents in the country. In turn, the legal status often determines the ability of a person to access education or healthcare services. Thus, the degree of discrimination can affect the social and economic progress of second-generation immigrants. On the whole, these examples indicate the welfare of second generation immigrants can depend on external factors such as the socioeconomic status of their parents and the level of ethnic or racial discrimination. Certainly, it is not possible to disregard the individual effort of these people, their attitudes or values. However, in many cases, social environment can be the most important determinant. The understanding of these factors is important for policy-makers and legislators of the country. This essay on The socioeconomic success of second generation immigrants was written and submitted by user Cuck00 to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.