Michael Barone's 'The New Americans' argues that contemporary immigrant groups will assimilate successfully into American life just as earlier waves did, drawing specific parallels between current and historical immigration. Barone, a veteran political analyst, pairs today's major immigrant groups with their historical counterparts: Latinos with Italians, Asians with Jews, and Blacks (in their great internal migration) with Irish. He traces similarities in cultural values, economic trajectories, and patterns of political incorporation, arguing that the factors that enabled earlier groups to become American are operating for current ones as well. The book challenges both restrictionist fears that current immigrants are fundamentally different and multiculturalist celebrations that treat assimilation as cultural imperialism. Barone's historical analysis is detailed and often illuminating, showing how groups once considered unassimilable became indistinguishably American within a few generations. His policy prescriptions emphasize avoiding interventions that impede natural assimilation processes, from bilingual education to ethnic preference programs. While readers may dispute specific comparisons or policy conclusions, Barone's comparative framework offers useful perspective on debates too often conducted without historical awareness. Those seeking to understand immigration within American historical patterns will find a knowledgeable and provocative guide.