The Realignment The Realignment Live from the Aspen Ideas Festival | Reihan Salam: How Did We Get Here? NYC Working Class Immigrants, the Right's H1B Debate, and the New Cultural Politics of Immigration
Oct 28, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Reihan Salam, President of the Manhattan Institute and a second-generation immigrant, dives into the interplay of culture, economics, and immigration. He shares insights on the challenges faced by working-class immigrant families and how multigenerational dynamics influence their aspirations. The conversation explores the right's evolving stance on H1B visas and the cultural insecurities that drive backlash. Salam also examines how modern tech affects immigrant ties, making the journey of assimilation more complex than ever.
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Three Ways Elites Shape Society
- Elites shape society through institutions, storytelling, and imitation.
- These cultural forces deeply influence economic behavior and political identity.
Assimilation Can Undermine Perceived Mobility
- Long-term immigrant assimilation can erode the early sense of agency and upward mobility.
- Second-generation working-class immigrants may feel precarious despite parental sacrifice.
Older Immigrant’s Studio Apartment Worries
- Salam recounts a 60-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant cramped in a studio and worried about automation.
- The story illustrates long-term immigrant anxiety about economic change and family prospects.
