Differences between 4 hispanic Groups

Running Head : DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FOUR HISPANIC GROUPS

Differences between four Hispanic Groups

[The Writer 's Name]

[The Name of the Institution] Differences between four Hispanic Groups

Introduction

Despite important differences in historical experiences , Puerto Ricans Cubans and Mexican Americans share a similar socioeconomic status Nathan Glazer and Daniel

. Moynihan were among the first to recognize the parallel "To a degree that cannot fail to startle anyone who encounters the reality for the first time , the overwhelming portion of both groups constitutes a submerged , exploited , and very possibly permanent

proletariat (Marifeli , 1993 ) The marked debility of their position relative to the citywide standard is clearly reflected in several indicators . Patterns of labor force participation , unemployment rates , and median family incomes indicate that the gaps between native minorities and whites have persisted for decades . Nevertheless , there are discernible differences between the two minority groups

Comparative Community Infrastructures : Migration and Settlement

Three features affecting a migrant group 's eventual prospects for social mobility in its new location are (1 ) time of arrival (2 ) the economic conditions surrounding its initial entry , and (3 ) the pace of its incorporation . As noted earlier , U .S . society is often viewed as embodying a "queuing system " in which each of successive groups of migrants establishes a foothold and struggles for social and economic mobility until it attains its particular form of accommodation . Scholars have debated the role played by such factors as the cultural characteristics of the group , discrimination , political activity , and a host of other influences . But it has been generally presumed that in time the descendants of first-generation migrants will find their niche within the larger society (Chavez , 1991

Before the massive Puerto Rican migration that took place following the termination of World War II , a significant immigrants ' community existed , nourished by several decades of migrant labor . From a purely chronological standpoint , one reason may be that the pre-World War II Puerto Rican community--with its active but still embryonic array of community institutions--had in effect been swamped by the mass migration of the late 1940s and 1950s (Edwards , 2001

Other features of the Puerto Rican experience may also have contributed to the relatively slow development of political organizations . One important influence was the New York branch of the Commonwealth Office of the Puerto Rican government . Established in 1948 to assist arriving migrants , it was a subsidiary of the island-based government and recognized by U .S . agencies as an official entity aiding Puerto Ricans in the settlement process . The office assumed responsibility for such functions as monitoring a program of contract farm workers referring arrivals to employment opportunities , housing assistance , and social services and familiarizing Puerto Ricans with the legal and cultural realities of life on the mainland

The effects of racial discrimination on labor force segmentation-and vice versa--are exemplified in the experiences of Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans

Denied access to educational skills and union power , and often victimized by discrimination in hiring , Hispanics were effectively excluded from primary jobs during the period of transition...