By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Board

Or; "Your great grandfather was as slow, actually slower to learn English, and "become American" than many immigrants today.

An assertion often heard in immigration conversations; some people are understandably so far removed their own immigrant ancestors they confuse their own family history; believing their ancestors arrived speaking perfect English, ready to completely separate from the customs and culture of their native lands.

A new study by the Manhattan Institute puts some sense to it all. Best; it breaks down differences by ethnic group. For instance, the study shows that Mexican migrants assimilate culturally faster than many other groups. But their higher percentage within the illegal population and low education levels, undercut their assimilation rates in areas like home ownership, U.S. citizenship and is linked to high rates of incarceration and teen pregnancy.

Higher educated immigrants, those given the ability to legally arrive as either refugees or highly-skilled workers, score higher in assimilation_hardly rocket science, but the kind of nuances often missed in these conversations.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/12/AR2008051202575.html?wpisrc=newsletter