Family factors and immigrant students’ academic achievement

Abstract

Purpose– The purpose of the paper is to examine the relationship between family-related factors and academic performance for Asian and Hispanic immigrant students.Design/methodology/approach– The study used data drawn from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study. Data were collected from second-generation immigrant students in forms of surveys. A total of 10th to 12th grade Asian (n=3,022) and Hispanic immigrant students (n=1,664) reported their family income, father’s and mother’ education, parents’ education aspiration for them, their own education aspiration, English proficiency, family cohesion, and parent-child conflict. Their school performance indicated by grade point average demonstrated in school records was also collected. Data were analyzed with analysis of variance and regression techniques.Findings– Family income and parent-child conflict were identified as predictors of immigrant students’ grade point average. When regression analyses were conducted separately for Asian and Hispanic students, different patterns emerged. Family income and parent-child conflict predicted Hispanic immigrant students’ academic performance whereas parent education aspiration and family income predicted Asian immigrant students’ academic performance.Originality/value– The current study was among the first to examine how family emotional factors related to Asian and Hispanic immigrant students’ academic performance. The findings demonstrated some interesting patterns in terms of how different family-related factors contributed to the two immigrant student groups. It added to the existing literature about what distinguished Asian and Hispanic immigrant students’ academic achievement.