A new study released by the Pew Research Center reveals that second-generation Americans, children born to immigrant parents, fare better than their parents in socioeconomic terms. According to the study, which was released on Thursday, adult U.S.-born children of immigrants have higher incomes, are more likely to have college degrees and be homeowners, and are less likely to live in poverty.
Second-generation Americans make nearly the same average amount in income ($58,100) as the general population does ($58,200). This represents a nearly $12,500 increase than their parents make on average ($45,800). The study revealed that second-generation Americans also reach almost the same percentage of home ownership as the general U.S. population, 64 percent to 65 percent.
The study found that 36 percent of second-generation Americans are college graduates, as opposed to only 29 percent of immigrants. Overall, the U.S. general population boasts 31 percent college graduates.
The Pew Research Center took a look at Hispanics as well as Asian American groups and found that their second generations are more likely to consider themselves "typical Americans." According to the study's findings, 61 percent of Hispanic and Asian American second-generation view themselves as a "typical American," as opposed to 33 percent Hispanic immigrants and 30 percent Asian immigrants.
The study also revealed that those ethnic groups "place more importance than does the general public on hard work and career success." According to the study's findings, "About three-quarters of second-generation Hispanics (78 percent) and Asian Americans (72 percent) say that most people can get ahead if they're willing to world hard." However, the study found that only 58 percent of the entire U.S. population feels the same way.
The two ethnic groups are also more likely to say that their group gets along well with other major racial and ethnic groups in America, the study revealed. In fact, about one-in-six (15 percent) of married second-generation adults have a spouse of a different race or ethnicity.
An overwhelming majority of both first-generation (immigrants) and second-generation Americans (Hispanics and Asian Americans) identify with the Democratic Party rather than the Republican Party. The study found that among second-generation Americans, 71 percent of Hispanics and 52 percent of Asian Americans identified more with the Democratic Party.
This statistic was especially evident during the November 2012 election between President Barack Obama and the Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.