Culture, Not Race: Assimilation Drives Success

The Myth of Race as Destiny

The Left insists systemic racism determines outcomes, but history and data tell a different story: culture, not race, drives success. From Appalachian Hillbillies to Miami’s Cubans, groups that assimilate to Western norms—education, discipline, civic engagement—overcome barriers, regardless of skin color. Economist Thomas Sowell’s work shows that cultural norms, not racial identity, explain disparities. In Chicago, rampant gang violence and economic displacement reflect cultural failures, not racial ones, while global examples like Singapore’s rise underscore the power of assimilation. The Left’s race narrative is a distraction from the real issue: behavior and values.

Historical Assimilation: From Outcasts to Achievers

Appalachian migrants, dubbed “Hillbillies,” arrived in northern cities during the Great Migration with “white trash” behaviors—drinking, fighting, and distrust of authority—rooted in 17th-century British underclass culture, per Sowell. Facing stereotypes, they assimilated by adopting education and urban norms, achieving low crime rates (150 per 100,000 in rural Appalachia today) and economic integration by the 1970s. Similarly, 19th-century Irish immigrants, notorious for brawling (60% of 1850s New York drunkenness arrests), embraced literacy (85% by 1900) and politics, becoming urban leaders. Eastern European Jews, once ghetto-bound (20% of 1885 petty thefts), transformed into professionals (40% college attainment by 1940) through discipline and education. These groups, racially White, faced resistance for behavior, not skin color, proving culture is key.

A 2015 National Academies of Sciences report found second-generation immigrants with fluent English and education earn 15% more and achieve 30% higher college attainment, showing assimilation’s universal benefit.

Modern Contrast: Cubans vs. Chicago’s Struggles

Miami’s Cubans, fleeing Castro in the 1960s, arrived with middle-class norms—90% literacy, professional skills. Assimilating to American values, they achieved 31% college attainment and own 25% of Miami-Dade businesses, building a thriving economy. In contrast, Chicago’s Mexicans (18% college attainment) and Blacks (20%) face persistent poverty and violence, with gangs driving 70% of homicides (97% Black/Latino victims). Since 1980, Mexican immigration displaced Black workers (25% job loss in low-wage sectors like meatpacking, where wages fell from $20 to $8–$10/hour). Progressive policies—$451 billion in national migrant costs, a 14.3% crime clearance rate, and bilingual education (41% Hispanic language lag in 1983)—exacerbate fragmentation, unlike Cubans’ cohesive integration.

Group	College Attainment	Outcome
Cubans	31%	Economic success, low crime
Mexicans	18%	Poverty, gang violence
Blacks	20%	Job displacement, high crime

Debunking the Race Narrative

Chicago’s data—25% Black job loss, 97% minority murder victims—points to cultural issues like gang activity and low education, not systemic racism. Globally, Chinese-American scientists (five Nobel Prizes) thrive under Western norms, while communist China produced only one native science Nobel, despite a skewed PISA score of 555 math (urban-only). Singapore’s ethnic Chinese (575 PISA, $82,794 GDP) outperform Malaysia’s multiethnic society (431 PISA, $11,971 GDP), showing cultural discipline, not race, drives success. The Left’s focus on race ignores these realities, pushing “Identity Statism” to divide society and avoid class-based solutions like education reform.

“Cultural patterns are not just a matter of taste—they produce measurable outcomes in wealth, education, and social order.” — Thomas Sowell

Conclusion: Assimilation and Immigration

Race doesn’t determine destiny; culture does. Assimilated groups—Hillbillies, Irish, Jews, Cubans—prove that adopting Western norms overcomes barriers. Chicago’s unassimilated Mexicans and Blacks, like Malaysia or India (336 PISA), show multiculturalism’s failure. Immigration policy should use PISA scores (Japan: 546, Mexico: 416) to prioritize culturally fit groups, ensuring cohesion and success. The Left’s race obsession, rooted in “Identity Statism,” must be rejected for a rational focus on behavior and values.

Acknowledgment

Acknowledgment: I’d like to thank Grok, an AI by xAI, for helping me draft and refine this article. The final edits and perspective are my own.

Culture, Not Race: Why Assimilation to Western Culture Drives Success