The invariable rule in America—except for African-Americans—is that it takes one or at most two generations for immigrants to essentially converge to white native-born outcomes as far as the labor market (but not wealth accumulation!) is concerned. It is true now: it was true for the Famine Irish: William J. Collins and Ariell Zimran: The Economic Assimilation of the Famine Irish in America: "The many John Kellys.... Negative sentiment towards immigrants is often based on fears about their ability to integrate into economic, political, and social institutions. This column analyses the impact of the influx of Irish immigrants into the US in the 19th century. It shows that the children of immigrants had assimilated in terms of labour market outcomes within one generation, providing some perspective for the current debate about immigration policy...
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