Why the children of immigrants are successful, according to a new book
Children of immigrants are more likely to succeed because they are more likely to move to American cities that are hotbeds of economic vitality, according to author Leah Boustan.
Southeast Michigan is home to people from all over the world — Asians, Arabs, Europeans and Latinos from a spectrum of countries live and work in Detroit and its suburbs. According to one perspective, that isn’t uncommon of the American experience.
A new book called “Streets of Gold: America’s Untold Story of Immigrant Success” discusses why immigration is good for immigrants and native-born Americans alike. It explains why children of immigrants from around the world consistently succeed in climbing the economic ladder, as well as how it expands our economy.
“Where there’s a lot of immigrant success is in the second generation, the children of immigrants.” — Leah Boustan, co-author of the book, “Streets of Gold”
Listen: Why the children of immigrants find success in America.
Guest
Leah Boustan is a professor of economics at Princeton University and the co-director of the Development of the American Economy Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Her latest book is, “Streets of Gold: America’s Untold Story of Immigrant Success.”
Boustan says that even the children of immigrants raised in poor households in America rise up the economic ladder quickly.
“Where there’s a lot of immigrant success is in the second generation, the children of immigrants,” says Boustan.
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