Summarizing Borjas, the author argues that immigrants who arrived during the 1924–1965 'pause' assimilated economically much faster than cohorts from high‑immigration eras. Large inflows create ethnic enclaves and coordination frictions, and add wage/congestion pressures that slow convergence. Treating scale as a first‑order variable undercuts open‑borders models that ignore these dynamics.
— It reframes immigration policy around the size and pacing of inflows as levers to maximize assimilation and minimize social costs.
Tyler Cowen
2025.09.21
55% relevant
Cowen argues nearby countries should be penalized because gravity makes their inflows large anyway and they may assimilate more slowly; this complements the existing point that assimilation depends on inflow structure/scale rather than simple totals.
Lorenzo Warby
2025.06.15
100% relevant
Cites Borjas Chapters 5–7: 'the‑scale‑of‑migration‑matters effect,' century‑long assimilation timelines, and wage/coordination costs during high‑immigration periods.
Lorenzo Warby
2025.06.08
62% relevant
The article praises Borjas and attacks 'open-borders' economics, reinforcing the Borjas-style claim that migration isn’t frictionless and that scale/structure (networks, selection) matter more than simple models treating workers as interchangeable.
Inquisitive Bird
2025.05.09
80% relevant
By showing that second‑generation PISA/TIMSS/PIRLS performance aligns with parents’ origin‑country averages and improves little between generations, the piece supports the broader claim that assimilation is slow/non‑automatic and contingent on structural factors like inflow composition and selection.
Fortissax
2025.05.02
40% relevant
The piece ties the Second Klan’s political clout to the 1924 Immigration Act aimed at preserving a Northwestern European majority, implicitly linking perceived demographic scale/pace of inflows to assimilation and nationalist mobilization.