The idea behind this book is an interesting one. Mr. Barone suggests that, although some fear the recent influx of immigrants to the United States, there's really nothing to worry about if we learn the lessons of history. Three of the largest immigrant populations from the early part of the 20th century, he points out, have "woven themselves" into mainstream American life with great success. Now, three large "new" populations can do the same, based on their similarities to those who came before. The black population ("immigrant" in the sense that it moved from the rural South, practically a foreign country, to the industrial North) can weave itself into mainstream American life as the Irish did, the Latino population as the Italians did, and the Asian population as the Jews did. Sounds pretty good, and Barone has plenty of statistical and historical evidence to support himself. Then he goes and ruins it with a political bias he claims he doesn't have.
I can easily believe that the groups he mentions have as much in common as he says. Long before he wrote this book, we Jews knew perfectly well that the Asians were very much like us, and I'm told the Asians knew it too, so the notion that the blacks and Irish, or the Latinos and Italians, share the same parallels seems quite natural. Mr. Barone makes good use of statistics to point up these parallels, showing that intermarriage rates climb over the generations, school dropout rates tend to fall, and a number of other factors similarly indicate that immigrant groups gradually join the American melting pot. On the other hand, he points up the vast contributions that immigrants make to American culture and progress, even when they are subject to bigotry and inconvenience; I was not aware, for instance, that a lot of what we now consider to be old-style American ways are actually Irish.
The point of all this, according to Mr. Barone, is that American policy of the early 1900's gave immigrant groups the incentive and means to work their way up the social ladder by teaching English to those who did not know it, forcing immigrant groups to follow the law when their native folkways did not require it, and things of that nature. If we believe that assertion, it follows (says Mr. Barone) that the current emphasis on respect for native culture only keeps immigrant groups separate. So away with bilingual education and affirmative action, and the sooner the better.
Sounds familiar, this argument. It's classic Republican conservative doctrine. Which doesn't mean it's wrong, of course. In a book like this, though, I'd prefer an author who didn't simply assume it was right.
That is, "The New Americans" begins with the assumption that bilingual education, affirmative action, and overcautiousness regarding racism are ineffective, without bothering to provide any evidence that that assumption is true. The book also begins with the assumption that what worked in the 1920's will automatically work in this decade, similarly without providing any evidence. We've come a long way in that 80 years, conquering a good portion of the racism that plagued this country and realizing that our government doesn't always know what's best, but Mr. Barone seems to want to import the old doctrine of "Americanization" without any further inquiry. A little naive, if nothing else.
What's more, Mr. Barone has an unpleasant habit of attributing the worst of motives to those he disagrees with. In his discussion of the Latino immigration numbers, for instance, he notes the huge upsurge in Latino citizenship in about 1995 due to President Clinton's amnesty for illegal aliens, and dutifully reports that Clinton implemented the amnesty so that all those new Latino citizens could vote for him in the next election. It doesn't seem to occur to him that Clinton might have been motivated by an impulse to do the right thing, or even by a combination of motives.
Most annoying to me personally, I might as well admit, is his explanation of Jewish voting habits. Jews are frequently business owners and professionals, and if they voted strictly according to their own self-interest might be expected to support tax cuts and libertarian policies. Why do they remain overwhelmingly liberal? Not because their consciences call them to do so, says Mr. Barone. It's because they remember down the generations the injustices of Imperial Russia, whence many of their ancestors came, and vote Democratic because they are "still voting against the Tsar." See the implication? No one in his right mind would be a liberal; those Jews retain "dysfunctional habits of mind" or they'd go Republican. Bunch of neurotics.
And this is not Mr. Barone's attitude just toward the Jews. Everyone comes in for that sort of analysis. He uses his own political opinions as a sort of litmus test, and demonizes those who fail. Conservatives have pure motives, liberals impure, and never the twain shall meet. At least not if Michael Barone has anything to say about it.
Finally, for all his declarations of historical perspective, Mr. Barone doesn't bother to make any suggestions as to exactly how the black, Latino and Asian populations might be mainstreamed, based on the lessons learned from history or on anything else. His introduction seems to promise some fresh, or at any rate good, ideas about immigrant policy, but when it's all said and done he's content to grind up his anecdotes and statistics into conservative hamburger and let it go at that. He pretends to provide a work of popular political advocacy that turns out to be nothing more than a Republican political pamphlet. He even starts off his discussion with a jab at Al Gore. And if you think that's a coincidence, you haven't been reading the news from Washington lately.
"The New Americans" is an interesting read with a number of intriguing notions about culture and politics. In its certainty that America can absorb and provide for everyone who makes a home here, it's reassuring, even heartwarming. Maybe someday some political leader will take these ideas and design a new "Americanization" program that works in a just and fair manner for all. On the evidence of this book, that leader will not be Michael Barone.
Benshlomo says, The really dangerous propagandists are the reasonable ones.
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