Italians Then, Mexicans Now: Immigrant Origins and the Second-Generation Progress, 1890-2000

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Focusing on the immigrant experience, this book compares the socio-economic progress of late 19th and early 20th-century European immigrants with that of contemporary Mexican immigrants. Using extensive historical and current data, it highlights the challenges faced by today's unskilled arrivals in a more unequal America, particularly emphasizing high high school dropout rates among the second generation. Despite these obstacles, the author argues that Mexican Americans are making gradual progress and may eventually achieve similar success as earlier immigrant groups, especially with supportive policy interventions.