The Economics of Assimilation

Americans seem increasingly worried about immigration. A 2006 Pew Research Center poll suggested that 44 percent of Americans believe that immigrants today are unwilling to assimilate â€" you know, learn English and pretend to like baseball more than soccer.

That fear â€" or rather the reverse of it â€" was illustrated today at a Mexican food chain eatery near BNET Central Command. When the server brought my order he asked "Dos tamales senor?" When I looked up, he immediately reverted to English saying, "Excuse me! Sorry! Two tamales, sir." There was an odd look in his eyes, as if he was afraid he'd accidentally spat on me or something.

Writing in today's San Francisco Chronicle, UC San Diego sociologist, Tomas R. Jimenez, says that an immigrant's rate of assimilation goes hand in hand with his or her economic opportunity and progress. Where there's economic incentive, immigrants are quick to learn the language and embrace local customs. "Assimilation," says Jimenez, "is a multi-generational process that unfolds as individuals pursue their economic aspirations."

Assimilation can't be politically or culturally mandated, only encouraged through economic incentives. Business has always played and will likely always play a key role in assimilating immigrants, one more important even than government. And business reaps many benefits, not the least of which is in gaining access to the world's top talent.

Perhaps the Mexican restaurant had mandated an English-only policy, at least as far as customers were concerned. More likely, however, by reverting to English my server was angling for a bigger tip to supplement his $8.00 per hour minimum wage. Talk about an incentive.