In a recent Science Talent Search, 33 out of 40 finalists were children of immigrants. This is not unusual. The success of children of immigrants is becoming more and more apparent.

Leonard Sax, a family physician, recently authored an article published by the institute for Family Studies. In this article, Sax notes that this same trend can be seen in the recent Scripps Spelling Bee and other high-profile competitions. The children of immigrants are quickly rising to the top.

“This is a big deal,” Sax writes, “because it’s a recent development. Traditionally, children of immigrants were more likely to struggle,.” Sax explains how, during his own doctorate training he was taught that “immigrant status was a predictor of bad outcomes for children.” But, this is no longer true.

Sax believes there are three characteristics of immigrant families…