What Drives Success? (Why are some ethnic groups in America doing better than others?)

The New York Times ^ | January 25, 2014 | Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld

[Count of Monte Fisto]

These facts don’t make some groups “better” than others

Why not?

[DaveA37]

What, no muzzies that are successful?

There is a call to odumbo to fix that ASAP. (sarc)

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***Maybe immigrants are more used to doing hard work than “soft” North Americans.***

I agree. Also, we are so adjusted to the American way of life we don’t see opportunities when they smack us in the face.

A new immigrant will notice this and immediately fill that gap, then everyone whines because the immigrant is doing so well.
An example would be common gardening. The locals plant a garden in the traditional Arkie style, get a few vegetables, then in mid summer it dries up and goes to weed.

The Hmong came into this area, ad their gardens are stunning! Even in dry weather they are green among the brown dried up pastures.
The local Farmer’s Markets have quite a few Hmong selling their crops there.

Then there are the motel operators (Patel family of India).

They came in the area forty years ago, looked at the books of motels for sale and bought quite a few. While not up to Holiday Inn standards, they are a decent place to sleep. Some of them have even become managers of high dollar motels and inns.

Then there is the local Tiendas. Fifty years ago, you could not find a store or cafe that had Hispanic foods. Now they are everywhere.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***Our dumbest and laziest, though, are with us forever.***

My brother-in-law (If you know him he probably owes you money)has not worked in thirty five years. He quit a good job when Reagan was elected, saying...”I’m not goinna pay taxes to Reagan!” He has not worked since, but games the welfare system.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I had a legal immigrant Mexican co-worker who had a chance to become a US citizen as he has been here for about 30 years. He chose not to become a citizen as there were better opportunities for an immigrant into the US.

[zeestephen]

I lived in south Florida from 1950-1990, so I have a long history with the first and second wave of Cuban immigrants.

Most people don't realize that the immigrants who came around 1960-1965 were almost all white, almost all had direct European heritage, and most of them were well educated.

That group, literally, was the professional class that ran Cuba under Batista - the doctors, lawyers, engineers, business managers, and business owners of Cuba.

They arrived in Dade County flat broke, and within 20 years, they owned Dade County.

The second wave of Cuban immigrants, which began around 1979, was completely different.

More than half were Caribbean Blacks, many had criminal records, and most of them had very limited skills and education.

If the “NJ” in your screen name stands for “New Jersey,” then you know that huge numbers of Cubans from the second migration moved to the New York City metro area.

I've never seen voting data on Cubans broken down by date of immigration.

But I do know that the Congressional District where most Cubans live in New Jersey votes more than 75% for a Democrat Congressman.