Specifically the immigrant second generation the children of at least one immigrant parent born in the united states or someone who arrived before the age of 12 made up one out of every four americans under 18 and one out of every six of those between the ages of 18 to 32 by all projections the united states in 2050 will be much more racially ethnically culturally and religiously diverse therefore the story told by inheriting the city in many ways foreshadows important . Inheriting the city the children of immigrants come of age the united states is an immigrant nation nowhere is the truth of this statement more evident than in its major cities immigrants and their children comprise nearly three fifths of new york citys population and even more of miami and los angeles. Inheriting the city shows the children of immigrants can often take advantage of policies and programs that were designed for native born minorities in the wake of the civil rights era indeed the ability to choose elements from both immigrant and native born cultures has produced the authors argue a second generation advantage that catalyzes both upward mobility and an evolution of . Inheriting the city shows the children of immigrants can often take advantage of policies and programs that were designed for native born minorities in the wake of the civil rights era