Second Generation Asian Americans Better Off than Immigrant Parents

Second generation adult children of immigrants are better off than their parents, in terms of socio-economic well-being, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of census data. The children of first-generation immigrants have higher incomes, higher levels of education and are more often homeowners.

Asian and Hispanic Americans comprise about 7 in 10 of today’s adult immigrants, and about half of today’s adult second generation Americans. The Pew survey found that this group was more likely to speak English than their parents; to have friends and spouses outside their ethnic or racial group; to say their group gets along with others and to think of themselves as the “typical American.”

Furthermore, the study found that second-generation Asian and Hispanic Americans place a higher importance than the general public on quality of life indicators such as hard work and career success. The group is also more likely to identify themselves as liberal than conservative or Republican. Second generation Americans are also more likely to acknowledge their standard of living is higher than that of their parents at the same age.

If current immigration trends and birth rates remain on the same path of growth, virtually all (93% of the growth of the nation’s working-age population between now and 2050 will be accounted for by immigrants and their US-born children. This statistic was derived from a population projection by the Pew Research Center.

Furthermore, the Asian and Hispanic immigrant population (first and second generations combined) could grow from 76 million to more than 160 million, at which point it would comprise a record share of the US population, at 37%.

These forward-moving numbers are positive attributes for those considering immigration as well as raising children in the US. Seven in 10 second generation Asian Americans say that conditions for raising children are better in the US than in their parents’ country of origin. Like their immigrant parents, second-generation Americans rate the US more favorably than their ancestral country in terms of treatment of the poor and the opportunity to get ahead.

According to statistics from the Pew Research Center, the adult children of second-generation immigrants enjoy a higher quality of life than their parents in terms of social and economic welfare. The children of first-generation immigrants have higher incomes, higher levels of education, and the vast majority own property.

Currently, among adult immigrants, 7 out of 10 immigrant families are from Asian and Latin American countries. Half of these families are descendants of immigrants whose parents immigrated, and whose children, as second-generation immigrants, have now settled and grown up. Pew Research shows that compared to their parents, these second-generation immigrants have stronger English communication skills; their friends and spouses are not limited to their original circles, and they have more diverse friendships across races and ethnicities; they have more frequent contact with the outside world and consider themselves “typical Americans.”

Furthermore, the study found that second-generation Asian and Latino Americans place greater emphasis on quality-of-life indicators, such as hard work and career success, than the general population. They tend to view themselves as more liberal than conservative Republicans. Second-generation immigrant Americans are more likely to believe that their quality of life and standard of living were higher than their parents’ when they were younger.

Meanwhile, according to demographic projections from the Pew Research Center, if current immigration trends and birth rates continue to grow, from now until 2050, nearly 93% of the U.S. working population will depend on immigrants and their children born in the United States.

In addition, the Asian and Latino immigrant population (including first and second generations) may grow from 76 million to 160 million. By then, it will account for 37% of the total U.S. population.

These rising numbers are good news for people considering immigrating to the United States and having children there. 70% of second-generation immigrants believe that raising children in the U.S. is a better experience than in their country of origin. Like their parents, second-generation immigrants are also more likely to agree that the U.S. has an advantage in areas such as treatment of the poor and opportunities for development.