Why do you guys always assume someone is trying to "remain separate". No one complained when there was a little Italy in every major city. No one complains when Russians or Poles had a separate district in cities. If anything, they were less quick to assimilate than immigrants are today! Come on now.
I do not hold double standards - of all European immigrant groups, the Italians did a terrible job at assimilation and still have work to do. I'm certain that Hispanics, Asians, etc. will assimilate just fine in time, but I don't think Democratic politicians help the process.
Part of the problem is the concentration of ethnic groups into their own communities. The Germans, Irish, Scandinavians, etc. assimilated because they dispersed across the country and intermarried with Americans. Italians stayed on the East Coast and lived in the same communities. You have this situation all over the American Southwest today, and also in places like Edison, NJ.
