Chapter Two: Immigration, Assimilation, and Politics

Published: May 6, 2021

The idea that immigrants will not acculturate or assimilate into American society has been proven wrong throughout history. Because the United States has continuous migration, it makes assimilation less visible. The data, however, shows that immigrants integrate into society over time.

This lecture was recorded in the fall of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Discussion Questions

1. Why is acculturation important for political participation?
2. What factors keep immigrants out of the electoral process?

Additional Resources

• Read “Winning California’s Latino Vote,” by David Leal. Available here.
• Read “One in Four Latinos Voted for Trump Last Time. They’ll Likely Do So Again,” by Álvaro J. Corral and David Leal. Available here.
• Is America’s Latino vote the “sleeping giant” the media predict it will be every four years? David Leal explains in the Area 45 podcast. Available here.