Ronald Bailey Asks If Hispanics Are Too Stupid to Become Americans
Last week, the conservative Heritage Foundation issued a new study purporting to show that letting illegal immigrants from south of the border become citizens would cost more than $6 trillion dollars in social benefits by 2050. Researchers from all segments of the political spectrum contested that finding. In the midst of the controversy, it turned out that one of the study's authors, Jason Richwine, had argued in his 2009 Harvard dissertation that immigration policy should focus on selecting and admitting individuals with higher IQs. He also suggested that Hispanic immigrants on average might not measure up. Naturally, all hell broke loose, and the brave leadership at Heritage tossed the hapless Richwine overboard by the end of the week. Reason Science Correspondent Ronald Bailey looks into just what Richwine's dissertation did say.