Demographics is Destiny

   The male WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) is a minority in America, and always has been. Even so, most of the political and business power for many years was concentrated in the hands of these few. But that's changing.
   Until relatively recently, every member of the United States Supreme Court was a white, male Protestant. Today, there are none.
   In 1960, some 75 percent of foreign-born Americans came from Europe, according to Census Bureau data, with 9 percent coming from Latin America and 5 percent from Asia. In the 2010 Census, the numbers had changed sharply. Only 12 percent came from Europe, compared to 53 percent from Latin America and 28 percent from Asia.
   In terms of the total population, in 1960 some 9.7 million Americans, or 5.4 percent of the total, were born in other countries. Fifty years later, 40 million Americans were foreign-born, or 12.9 percent of the total population, according to Census data.
   In the 1960 Census, 1.3 million Americans said they were born in Italy -- the leading contributor of foreign-born resident -- with Germany in second place, sending 1 million. The 2010 Census showed Mexico as leading, with 11.7 million residents reporting they were born there. China was second, reported by 2.2 million residents, and India was third, with 1.8 million. No European country made the top ten list in the most recent Census, a reverse from 50 years earlier, when no Asian nation was listed in the top ten. Only Mexico was recorded on both lists: In first place in 2010, up from seventh place 50 years ago, when 600,00 reported Mexico as their birthplace.

   Prejudice against the foreign-born has long been commonplace in American history. In the mid-19th Century, the biggest target comprised Irish Catholics, and that continued well into the20th Century. One of the most flagrant examples was found among employers, who used well-understood abbreviations in their advertising: "Help Wanted: NINA" (No Irish Need Apply).  Later newcomer groups such as Jews and Italians suffered similar discrimination.
   Today, the target of newcomer dislike comprises primarily Hispanics, Asians and those from the Indian Subcontinent.

   Will this continue? Perhaps. But consider this: The U.S. and Europe are still wallowing in economic recession, while China's economy grew by 7.5 percent this year,  and that of Vietnam has grown by at least 5 percent each year for the past five years, and that pace is expected to continue into next year.

   There must be something in America that still attracts newcomers, despite the widespread, continuing discrimination and economic recession.