1.   The concept of being “white’ is a general one that is often used to encompass many, mostly European, immigrant groups.  But when the groups first arrived in new York they were rarely considered to be white because they were marked as foreigners as most immigrants are.  It is only through a gradual and subtle process that each group of European immigrants, including German, Irish, Italian, French, British, etc.  become labeled as such.  What is this process?  Does it vary from group to group or is their a consistent process of going from “italian” to “white”  or “german” to “white”.

2.  A complex problem involving highly educated immigrants is their struggle to find high paying and prestigious jobs in America.  Many immigrants, especially those in Foner’s “second wave”, are particularly well educated and in some cases even wealthy.  But many immigrants are forced to forfeit their careers in medicine, government, and law simply because their degrees are not honored in America.  Is there a conceivable solution to this problem that would allow immigrants to more easily integrate into the “white collar” workforce, or will immigrants be forever subject to re-climbing the socio-economic ladder?

-Victor Rerick