Grading America’s Immigrants and Settlers as Stewards: Accountability, Assimilation, and Allegiance
In the About page of this blog, I make it clear: America is a nation of immigrants and settlers. We built this country through gratitude, not grievance. Today we grade the major groups—founding settlers and every significant immigrant ethnicity and region—on how they’ve performed as stewards of the nation.
We use the three pillars straight from the site, no victim lens, no endless excuses, no Marxist claptrap about “oppression” that ignores outcomes. Facts only. Patterns matter for policy. Data drawn from Pew Research (English proficiency, education, demographics) and detailed Census analyses via the Center for Immigration Studies (welfare use by origin and region—2024-2026 updates).
The Pillars, defined bluntly:
- Accountability: Pulling your own weight—low welfare/food stamps/Medicaid use, high employment, net fiscal contribution. Not living on the American taxpayer.
- Assimilation: Learning English and blending into the Judeo-Christian, Western culture that shaped this country. No permanent enclaves or parallel societies.
- Allegiance: Honoring the American flag first, showing real patriotism, military service, loyalty to the Constitution over the old country. No foreign flags at rallies, no divided loyalties.
We rank from best stewards to worst. Every major group and ethnicity is covered through these categories (listing 150+ ancestries would be pointless; patterns are clear).
Sources (Current as of March 2026):
- Welfare data: Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) report “Non-Citizen Use of Welfare by Region and Country of Birth” (March 18, 2026, using CPS ASEC data averaged 2023-2025). Focuses on non-citizen households (primarily lawful permanent residents and illegal immigrants). Percentages reflect use of traditional welfare programs or low income qualifying for EITC/ACTC. Full report: https://cis.org/Report/NonCitizen-Use-Welfare-Region-and-Country-Birth
- English proficiency: Pew Research Center analysis (updated August 21, 2025, based on recent ACS data) for immigrants ages 5+. Proficient = speak only English at home or speak English “very well.” Full details: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/08/21/key-findings-about-us-immigrants
- Allegiance notes: Pattern-based from observed behaviors (e.g., military service historical data, flag displays at events), not quantified in these sources but consistent with long-term trends.
Best Stewards
1. Founding European Settlers & Their Descendants (British/Anglo, German, Dutch, Scandinavian, etc.) Gold standard. They settled the land, wrote the Constitution, built the institutions, and created the culture. Near-zero welfare dependency historically and today. Full assimilation by definition. Ultimate allegiance—they are America’s founding stock. They set the bar. Excellent across all three pillars.
2. South Asian Immigrants (especially Indian) Modern superstars. Lowest welfare usage (~16% of households per Census breakdowns). Highest median household incomes (~$157k+), top education and entrepreneurship rates. Strong English proficiency (70%+). Families intact, low crime, economic dynamos. Allegiance solid—they came for the American Dream and deliver. Outstanding stewards.
3. East Asian Immigrants (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese) Same tier. Low welfare (~30-38%), sky-high achievement in school and business, rapid English adoption. Strong work ethic, family values aligned with the West. Minimal grievance culture. Allegiance focused on success here, not back home. Model stewards.
4. Filipino Immigrants Standouts. High English proficiency from day one (colonial history + Catholic culture). Top rates of military service among immigrants. Hard-working, family-oriented, entrepreneurial. Assimilate fast, low welfare compared to other groups. Strong patriotic allegiance. Excellent modern example.
5. Select Sub-Saharan African Immigrants (Nigerians, Ghanaians, Kenyans—skilled waves) Often highly educated, entrepreneurial standouts. Strong English in many cases, high labor participation. Lower welfare than refugee cohorts. Assimilate when they choose the path of gratitude. Good contribution when selective.
6. Later European Immigrants (Irish, Italian, Polish, Jewish, etc.) & Early Cuban Waves Took a generation or two historically, but fully assimilated into the Judeo-Christian mainstream. Built neighborhoods, businesses, fought in wars. Cubans fled communism, created economic miracles in Florida, low welfare relative to other Hispanics, fierce American patriotism. Solid stewards overall.
Middle to Lower Stewards
7. Mexican Immigrants (largest single group) Largest wave, mixed-to-poor report card. High welfare usage (Western Hemisphere averages 67%+ household participation). First-generation English proficiency lags (around 50-60% for Mexicans per Pew proxies). Persistent Spanish enclaves slow full blending. Frequent Mexican flag displays at protests signal allegiance isn’t always America-first. Second generation improves somewhat, but overall fiscal drain and cultural drag in high-volume areas. Not stewards at the level America needs.
8. Central American Immigrants (Salvadoran, Guatemalan, Honduran, etc.) Worse on the metrics. Highest welfare rates in many studies (67-77%). Lowest English proficiency (~31% for Central America per Pew Research). Slower assimilation, larger remittances sent home, similar flag issues. Mass low-skilled inflow burdens schools, hospitals, and taxpayers. Weak stewards.
9. African American Descendants of Enslaved People (long-term “settlers” in the American story) Centuries here, native English speakers, notable military service history. But current patterns show persistently high welfare dependency, family breakdown, and cultural issues that strain national resources. Grievance-focused movements often undermine unity and patriotism. Serious accountability and cultural assimilation challenges remain. Not pulling their weight at the level required for strong stewardship.
10. Other Caribbean (Haitian, Dominican) and Broader African Refugee Groups High welfare, slower English and cultural blending in many communities. Variable allegiance.
Worst Stewards
11. Certain Middle Eastern, North African, and Muslim-Origin Groups (especially Somali, Afghan, Yemeni, Pakistani, Bangladeshi) Bottom of the barrel on current data. Extremely high welfare (Somalis in Minnesota often 70-80%+ household use; similar for Afghans/Yemenis). Very slow English assimilation in enclaves, resistance to Judeo-Christian norms, demands for separate rules (Sharia accommodations, polygamy, honor issues reported). Allegiance problems clear: foreign flags, sympathy for anti-American causes, higher terrorism risks. In large numbers, incompatible with American stewardship. Fail the pillars hard.
12. Native Americans (American Indians – original indigenous “settlers”) Pre-Columbian stewards of the land for millennia. In the modern republic: highest poverty and welfare dependency on reservations, limited economic integration, tribal sovereignty often trumps national unity. English is native but cultural separation persists. Mixed allegiance at best. Not strong stewards in today’s fiscal and cultural reality.
The Bottom Line
America succeeds when her people—settlers and immigrants—act as grateful stewards. The founding Europeans and high-quality groups from India, East Asia, the Philippines, and select others prove it every day. They assimilate, contribute, and pledge allegiance without apology.
Mass low-skilled, non-assimilating, high-welfare immigration from Mexico, Central America, and incompatible cultural regions does the opposite: burdens taxpayers, erodes cohesion, and weakens the nation. Grievance culture makes it worse.
True gratitude isn’t optional. It’s time for blunt honesty: secure the border, end the free ride, demand full assimilation and allegiance, and select only immigrants who will strengthen the pillars—not collapse them. Prioritize the best stewards. That’s how America stays exceptional.
What do you think, readers? Agree with the grades? Drop your thoughts below. Gratitude first—always.
— The Grateful Immigrant from St. Paul, Minnesota
March 21, 2026
LIVE GRATEFUL 🇺🇸 (It starts in The Spine NOT on your Knees)
Grateful Immigrant 