Immigrant integration key test for California

That’s the conclusion of Peter Schrag,columnist for the Sacramento Bee in an editorial that covered the publicity and priorities of Governor Schwarzenegger:

California, Schwarzenegger said, was once again the model not just for the nation but the world. He was making deals on global warming with the Brits, the Canadians and, of course, with other states. And with its presidential primary now moved from June or March to early February, California would have lots more power to demand real answers from the candidates, who’ll now come not just for cash but for votes… But even all that’s small potatoes next to California’s role as America’s laboratory of a multiethnic society and economy ever more dependent on the labor and skills of recent immigrants and their children. If those newcomers are successfully educated and integrated into this society, then California’s historic promise as a beacon to the world may continue to be realized. If not, then all the rest won’t make much difference. For a man with Schwarzenegger’s Olympian ambitions, that’s the real test.