Immigrants and Western Values

Here is a letter I sent to The WSJ. See Assimilation of the ‘Other’ and Immigration: There may be many in “non-Western” countries who want to come here because they already believe in our values.

"Amy Wax “argued that the U.S. should reduce immigration from non-Western countries because those migrants aren’t likely to assimilate as smoothly into American society as Western immigrants do” (“Where Amy Wax and Her Critics Agree,” op-ed by Mark Bauerlein, July 29).

Given that Asian-Americans have by far the highest median household income, it seems that they are assimilating very well. That takes hard work and a strong commitment to education, values all Americans should honor. Beyond that, how is the federal government going to decide which countries are Western enough? And shouldn’t we judge people as individuals? There may be many in “non-Western” countries who want to come here because they already believe in our values. Should they be penalized because of where they were born? Doing so wouldn’t seem consistent with Western values. Don’t forget that many immigrants send remittances back home. Seems like a great way to spread our values, letting families overseas know that we have a rich and vibrant culture. That might even lead them to emulate us."