"One out of five Americans, more than 55 million people, are first- or second-generation immigrants. This study, the most comprehensive to date, probes the lives of the new immigrant second generation, exploring its immense potential to transform American society for better or worse. Whether this new generation reinvigorates the nation or deepens its social problems depends on the social and economic trajectories of this still young population. In Legacies, Alejandro Portes and Ruben G. Rumbaut - two of the leading figures in the field - provide a close look at this rising second generation, including patterns of acculturation, family and school life, language, identity, experiences of discrimination, self-esteem, ambition, and achievement. "--BOOK JACKET.