Mr. President. according to a recent study by sociologists at Michigan State University. and Princeton University. one of the great contributions of immigrants to America. in addition to their own skills and hard work. is the values they instill in their childrenrespect for hard work. doing well in school. succeeding against the odds. loving their families and their cultures. and an abiding belief that the United States is the best country in the world. Contrary to many of the myths about immigrants. this study concludes that the vast majority of immigrant children learn English. Nine out of 10 speak their native languages at home. but 88 percent preferred English by the time they completed high school. This study is also significant because it does not gloss over the challenges that many immigrant families face along the way. The study reminds us that immigrant children struggle against discrimination and antiimmigrant attitudes and policies. The study found that as a result of attacks on immigrants in public policy in recent years. children of immigrants were less likely to regard themselves as "Americans" and more likely to regard themselves as members of their ethnic groups. This kind of polarization could have profound consequences for our society in the future. and we need to be vigilant against it. Mr.
Identified stereotypes
Immigrants instill values of hard work, education, and family in their children.