Roots of assimilation

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between children's generational status and their cognitive and social school readiness, paying particular attention to racial/ethnic and national origin differences. This relationship is examined using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998—99 (ECLS-K). Results indicate that, while children of foreign-born mothers tend to have lower levels of school readiness than children of native-born mothers, this disparity is largely due to differences in family context characteristics. After controlling for an array of family background variables, non-Hispanic black, Asian, Mexican, Puerto Rican and other Hispanic children of foreign-born mothers are found to have similar levels of academic school readiness to co-ethnic children of American-born mothers. Analyses also indicate that a substantial portion of the school readiness gaps between minority children of foreign-born mothers and non-Hispanic white children of American-born mothers can be explained by family background differences. The study includes a discussion of the implications for assimilation theory and the study of early educational inequality.