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Kingson Lin

Professor Kao

Soci-103

9/15/15

Review #1

In class, one topic tat was !ro"gt "p was selection of iigrants$ %ere were two &in's of

selection entione', positive an' negative$ Positive selection of iigrants refers to an iigrant wo

enters te co"ntr( wo is relativel( well e'"cate', wealt(, or possesses oter favora!le )"alities tat can

!e appro*iate' "sing S+S socio-econoic stat"s.$ egative selection is sipl( te opposite of

positive$ Selection of iigration is a ver( controversial iss"e in erican societ( even to'a( as

evi'ence' in !ot te political an' social scene$ ile, in teor( it a&es sense as a co"ntr( to want onl(

positivel( selecte' iigrants wo wo"l' contri!"te to te growt an' 'evelop of te co"ntr(, to tr( to

!ar entire gro"ps of iigrants tat are 'eee' as negativel( selecte' for is not onl( "n-erican !"t

also a "ge logical fallac( tat nee's to !e correcte'$

2irst, a gro"ps classification as !eing negativel( selecte' is not alwa(s !ase' in realit( as often

ties it 'oes not atter wat te n"!ers or facts sa(, if te pop"lation alrea'( as preconceive' notions

an' pre4"'ices towar's te gro"p$ Prie e*aples of tis were tat Iris an' inese iigrants in te

19tcent"r( tat were consi'ere' la6(, crie-prone an' even less "an.$ 7owever, tese two iigrant

gro"ps "n'enia!l( elpe' to !"il' tis co"ntr(s ver( infrastr"ct"re as te( contri!"te' "c of te

gr"eling la!or to !"il'ing te transcontinental railroa'.$ 8ver tie, te Iris event"all( acieve'

assiilation to te point were to'a(, not a secon' to"gt is given to an Iris person tat wo"l'

'isting"is i fro !eing wite$ lto"g, te inese ave still not (et assiilate', te( 'i' se'

teir negative connotations an' to'a( are consi'ere' !e a ver( positivel( selecte' for inorit($

%erefore, e*trapolating fro te e*aple of te Iris an' inese, iigrant gro"ps first

to"gt of as !eing negativel( selecte' an' "n'esira!le can, in realit(, t"rn o"t to !e igl( f"nctional an'

contri!"ting e!er of societ($ :espite tat, to'a( siilar anti-iigrant sentients are felt a!o"t

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7ispanic gro"ps, partic"lar tose fro ;e*ico$ s a res"lt, tere is a oveent to liit te infl"* of

tese gro"ps into te an' tat

tose tat te( 'o sen' are !ringing 'r"gs an' crie wit te$ ile te statistical evi'ence on

e'"cation attainent an' incoe a( s"pport te clai tat ;e*icans are negativel( selecte' for, it still

'oes 4"stif(ing !"il'ing a giant wall on te !oar'er or 'eporting ;e*ican iigrants.$

%e lac& of s"ccess of ;e*ican iigrants in general, a( not !e '"e to gro"p inerentl( !eing

negativel( selecte', !"t rater co"l' !e a !(pro'"ct of social an' instit"tional pre4"'ice an'

'iscriination$ 2or e*aple, te 7"ffington post cite' a st"'( tat sowe' tat wit two i'entical

res"es, te onl( 'ifference !eing te nae on te res"e ?osep vs ?ose, ?osep is ore li&el( to !e

ire' !( eplo(ers tan ?ose1$ %is eans tat ?ose, as a ;e*ican, co"l' !e e)"all( as )"alifie' as

?osep, pres"a!l( wite, !"t ave lower S+S !eca"se eplo(ers favor ?osep ore$ noter e*aple

of tis is also present in te e'"cational s(ste$ %eacers ten' to ave lower e*pectations in ters of

e'"cational attainent for 7ispanic st"'ents tan wite or sian st"'ents$ s a res"lt, teacers a( give

less attention to tese st"'ents wic co"l' infl"ence teir event"al e'"cational attainent3$ In fact, it is

not "ncoon for an e*cellent 7ispanic st"'ent to !e 'isco"rage' fro appl(ing to reac "niversities !(

teir co"nselors !eca"se te( !elieve tat te st"'ent wo"l' not ave a cance3$ %erefore, it co"l' !e

arg"a!le tat 7ispanic iigrants are not necessaril( negativel( selecte' for !"t rater tat societ( as

negativel( selecte' te$

ile negative an' positive selection a( !e a "sef"l tool to see ow "c one partic"lar gro"p

contri!"tes to societ(, it so"l' not !e "se' as an in'icator of wat gro"ps so"l' !e allowe' into te

co"ntr($ People often forget tat an( of te first iigrants tat arrive' were consi'ere' negativel(

selecte' an' over tie tat as cange'$ 7owever, tat co"l' never ave appene' if te( were not

grante' entrance in te first place$

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References

1 ;attews, $ ttp@//www$"ffingtonpost$co/.01/09/0./4ose-4oe-4o!-

'iscriinationAnA5B53CC0$tl accesse' Sep 1B, .015$

. Kao, D$E Fa)"era, +$E Do(ette, K$Education And ImmigrationE Polit(@ a!ri'ge,