Second generation immigrants are an interesting group of individuals who have tremendous opportunities in front of them. In, The New Second Generation: Segmented Assimilation and Its Variants by Alejandro Portes and Min Zhou, the authors detail the second generation as a new group, that has many chances and opportunities that their parents, and immigrants of the past did not have.
The poem that opens the passage is a good indication that the second generation of immigrants is a group who are going to attempt to rise to the top, and not be complacent with lower class. As the poem describes, “like Pepsi/ a new generation/ of Haitian determination-/ I’m the Herbie that you’re looking for.” Children of immigrants, or children who moved her when they were little, are ambitious and are not satisfied with being marginalized. As the article claims, the second generation are not satisfied with menial jobs like their parents had. The second generation are asserting themselves as every bit American as someone who can no longer trace their roots back to another country.
In addition, the second generation today appears to be educating themselves to be equal to their non immigrant counterparts. The average amount of schooling for someone with native born parents is 12.0 years. The average amount of schooling for a person with Immigrant parents is 11.5 years. The difference does not appear to be significant. Also, the average high drop out rate for people with immigrant born is slightly less than the rate at which children of native born parents drop out of school.
With an eye at the top, this group of people seem as if they are ready to move upward along the economic ladder. I believe this is purely do to their determination. As the poem says, “new generation/ of Haitian determination…” This new immigrant is a source to be reckoned with!
