There is a ladder for poor first generation immigrants: starting a small business. Look around you. Who owns many of the restaurants, convenience stores, dry cleaners, landscaping services, etc.?

That's a really good point, although those jobs still don't pay great from a $/hr perspective.

I think first generation immigrants cut across the conscientiousness/income relationship that's being presented in this thread. It's a self-selecting group.

>It's a self-selecting group.

That only proves the rule. If your environment is awful but you have the right mindset/personality then you can still be successful.