Immigrants' relative rate of wage growth in the late 19th century

Cross sections of workers' wages and occupational status from the late 19th century suggest that the immigrants of the time, the "old immigrants" from northwestern Europe, experienced slower growth in wages and status than native-born Americans. This is the opposite of the pattern observed for most immigrant groups in the 20th century postwar period, and casts doubt on the models that have been used to explain the postwar pattern.