A nationally representative Pew Research Center survey of U.S. Latinos finds broad belief that living standards have improved across generations, but significant differences by immigrant status. Foreign-born Latinos were more likely than U.S.-born Latinos to say their standard of living is better than their parents’ and that their children’s prospects will improve; by contrast, U.S.-born Latinos were more likely to say the american dream has become harder to achieve.
- Pew’s Oct. 6–16, 2025 National Survey of Latinos found immigrant Latinos are more likely than U.S.-born Latinos to say their living standard is better than their parents’ and that their children will fare better.
- U.S.-born Latinos are more likely than immigrant Latinos to say the American dream has become harder to achieve than it was for their parents.
- Other evidence in the packet highlights that tougher immigration enforcement has not produced wage or employment gains for U.S.-born workers and that Latino political views on immigration are diverse and historically rooted.
Key findings from the Pew survey
The analysis uses Pew’s National Survey of Latinos, a bilingual poll conducted Oct. 6–16, 2025, that included 4,923 Latino adults from a weighted, nationally representative sample of 8,046 U.S. adults. Pew defines immigrant (foreign born) respondents as those born outside the 50 states, D.C. or Puerto Rico; U.S.-born respondents include those born in the 50 states, D.C. or Puerto Rico.
- Comparing their standard of living with their parents’: 70% of immigrant Latinos say their standard of living is better than their parents’ at the same age, while about half (49%) of U.S.-born Latinos say the same.
- Outlook for the next generation: 63% of immigrant Latinos expect their children’s standard of living to be better than their own, compared with 48% of U.S.-born Latinos.
- Perceptions of upward mobility over time: Among U.S.-born Latinos, 53% of second-generation adults (U.S.-born with at least one immigrant parent) say their living standard is better than their parents’, versus 46% among third-or-higher generation U.S.-born Latinos.
- Has the American dream become harder to achieve? U.S.-born Latinos are likelier to say yes: 48% of U.S.-born Latinos say the American dream is harder to achieve now than it was for their parents, while 35% of immigrant Latinos say the same.
How Pew measured the American dream and intergenerational progress
Pew asked respondents whether they have achieved the American dream, are on their way, believe it’s out of reach or say it does not exist. For some comparisons Pew groups respondents who say they have achieved it, are on their way, or think it’s out of reach as “believe the American dream exists,” excluding those who say it does not exist. The survey was conducted in English and Spanish and used address-based recruitment for near-universal selection probability.
Where this fits in broader U.S. debates about immigration and economic outcomes
The Pew findings add nuance to ongoing policy debates about immigration, labor markets and economic opportunity. Other recent analyses referenced in the evidence packet highlight different pieces of that picture.
- Research on enforcement and local economies: A study summarized by The Conversation examined data from October 2023 through November 2025 and found that aggressive ICE enforcement in places with sudden increases in arrests reduced employment among immigrants and did not produce employment or wage gains for U.S.-born workers; in some sectors such as construction, reduced immigrant labor also led to less work for occupations commonly held by U.S.-born workers, contracting demand rather than raising wages.
- Economic narratives among immigrant success stories: Reporting in Forbes notes that many high-profile immigrant entrepreneurs and innovators emphasize the U.S. as a place of opportunity, and argues immigrants have been important drivers of patents, company formation and economic growth. Those narratives illustrate why many immigrants express optimism about upward mobility.
Competing perspectives inside Latino communities
The Pew data coexist with evidence that Latino political attitudes about immigration and belonging are not uniform. An opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times traces a long history of Latino support for restrictionist policies and notes that Latinos occupy a complex political space in which concerns about status, labor competition and security have sometimes produced support for enforcement or nativist policies. Individual experiences also shape views: the packet includes a Fox News interview with a legal immigrant who says that having followed the formal immigration process informs his support for stricter enforcement and skepticism of practices such as birth tourism.
Implications and unresolved questions
The Pew survey suggests immigrant Latinos’ greater optimism about generational improvement may reflect both selection effects (people who migrate tend to be hopeful about opportunity) and experiences of economic gains relative to their parents. The survey does not establish why U.S.-born Latinos are more likely to say the American dream has become harder to achieve; Pew’s reporting shows the difference but does not attribute a single cause.
Open questions that remain for policymakers, researchers and communities include:
- To what extent do material changes in wages, employment and wealth explain the gap between immigrant and U.S.-born Latinos’ outlooks, versus cultural or expectation differences tied to migration?
- How do changes in immigration enforcement, labor demand and regional economies alter perceptions of mobility among Latinos across generations?
- What policy responses would most effectively expand economic opportunity for U.S.-born Latinos who feel the American dream is slipping away?
Timeline of relevant items in the evidence packet
- Oct. 6–16, 2025: Pew Research Center conducted the National Survey of Latinos that forms the basis of the analysis.
- May 29, 2026: The Conversation published an analysis of ICE enforcement effects on employment and local economies covering Oct. 2023–Nov. 2025.
- June 9, 2026: Forbes ran a feature on immigrant billionaires and entrepreneurs discussing immigration’s role in U.S. economic dynamism.
- July 4 and July 30, 2026: Media pieces in Fox News and the Los Angeles Times presented contrasting personal and historical perspectives on Latino views toward immigration and enforcement.
What Pew itself concluded
Pew’s report states that Latinos broadly see living standards improving across generations and that immigrant Latinos are more upbeat than U.S.-born Latinos across multiple measures of intergenerational economic progress, while U.S.-born Latinos are more likely to say the American dream has become harder to achieve than it was for their parents. Pew also reports that many Latinos define the American dream in economic terms such as financial stability, opportunity and homeownership.
“Latinos in the United States broadly view living standards as improving across generations — both when looking back at their parents and looking ahead for their children,” Pew reported.
Where Pew’s data leave room for further study is in explaining the underlying causes for these generational differences; policymakers and researchers will need additional evidence to determine whether economic policy, labor market shifts or cultural expectations are driving the divergent outlooks among immigrant and U.S.-born Latinos.
