Who's Ahead

Some doubts have arisen about the American dream that immigrants can fairly rapidly rise to affluence. A new study confirms that at least in the longer perspective of the nation's 199 years, the dream worked for some immigrant groups -- and better than most people probably realized. It concludes that Jews and Catholic "ethnics" are doing better than Protestants whose forebears immigrated to the U.S. much earlier.

The study was compiled by Chicago's National Opinion Research Center under Father Andrew M. Greeley, a priest who is a prominent sociologist. His researchers took a "composite sample" of 18,000 households, put together from twelve national surveys of ethnic and religious groups. (Nonwhites and Spanish-speaking Americans were not included because they have already been extensively studied.)

Jews led the list, with average house hold incomes of $13,340 (in 1974 dollars). Not far behind in second and third place were Irish Catholics ($12,426) and Italian Catholics ($11,748). German Catholics followed with $11,632 and Polish Catholics with $11,298. In sixth place were Episcopalians, with $11,032; Methodists earned $10,103, and Baptists ranked lowest with $8,693.

One explanation: education. Jews had 14 years' schooling and Catholics 12.5 years, ahead of the national average of 11.1 years for all whites. "Overthrust" is what Father Greeley calls phenomenon, wondering whether striving groups do well "because of the sheer raw power of their elemental drive for respectability and success."

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