First-generation Immigrant Children Research Articles

The Rediscovery of Heritage and Community Language Education in the United States

Language and cultural preservation efforts among different communities of language speakers in the United States have received increasing attention as interest in linguistic rights and globalization continues to deepen. In addition to mounting evidence of the cognitive, psychological, and academic benefits of heritage language/ community language (HL/CL) maintenance for linguistic-minority children (see Lee & Suarez, 2009, for a summary of the research), scholars have advocated for the recognition, support, and utilization of the potentially rich pool of HLs/CLs as a resource for filling linguistic and cultural voids in professional and political sectors of our society (Brecht & Ingold, 1998; Peyton, Ranard, & McGinnis, 2001; Wiley, 2005b, 2007). Yet the maintenance of HLs/CLs even among children of first-generation immigrants has been difficult, and it has been nearly unattainable beyond the third generation (Fishman, 2001; Rumbaut, 2009; Veltman, 1983). Counter to popular beliefs that HLs/CLs can be easily maintained in the home if parents speak to their children in the HL/CL, studies have shown that home language use alone is an insufficient condition for producing highly proficient users of the language, particularly those who can function in professional domains. Some form of explicit instruction is needed (Fillmore, 1991, 2000; Lao & Lee, 2009; Lee, 2002; Wright, 2004). Throughout U.S. history, the most significant efforts for HL/CL instruction outside the home have occurred in community-based HL/CL schools (Fishman, 2001;

Enfants et adolescents venus d’ailleurs: la violence vécue dans leur société d’accueil et les effets sur leur santé, une recension des écrits

OBJECTIVE: This integrative literature review aims to present a comprehensive portrayal of social violence experienced by first-generation immigrant children and adolescents, and its effects on their health and well-being.METHOD: A French and English languages literature search was conducted in eight databases, without restrictions on dates of publication. Thirty studies were selected. Results were summarized according to three aspects: 1) types of violence experienced by young immigrants; 2) conditions under which this violence occurs; 3) effects of such violence on the health and well-being of young immigrants.SYNTHESIS: Immigrant children and adolescents can experience various forms of physical, verbal, and relational violence. This violence seems to be mostly instigated by their peers and it has mainly been studied in terms of discrimination. Victimization may vary depending on factors such as ethnic composition of schools or time of residence in the host society. Violence may have many effects on mental health of immigrant youth: it is associated with both increased psychopathological symptoms and poorer mental health. Finally, the experience of violence is related to a more negative attitude of young immigrants toward their host society and a more positive attitude toward their own cultural community.CONCLUSION: In addition to its having numerous adverse effects on their mental and social health and well-being, violence may prove to be a key factor in the experience of marginalization of immigrant youth. We propose certain research avenues to explore.

The Role of Premigration Status in the Acculturation of Chinese–Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans

Drawing from fifty in‐depth interviews, this research examines the role of existing parental language knowledge on the ethnic identity negotiation of two ethnically distinct children of immigrant groups—Vietnamese and Chinese–Vietnamese—whose families have emigrated from Vietnam to the Southern California region of the United States. While previous research focused primarily on the influence of premigration status on first‐generation immigrants, this article considers how a central aspect of premigration status (intranational ethnicity) applies specifically to the children of first generation immigrants. By taking the premigration approach of comparing the experiences of different ancestral‐origin groups from a single nation (the intranational ethnicity perspective), this analysis suggests that a family's premigration ethnic status shapes the 1.5 and second‐generation's ethnic self‐identification choices through the mediation of parental language knowledge. Specifically, for the children of immigrants with twice‐minority status (Chinese–Vietnamese Americans), parental language knowledge serves as an easy ethnic identity default during these children's early self‐identification process.

Differences in problem behaviour among ethnic minority and majority preschoolers in the Netherlands and the role of family functioning and parenting factors as mediators: the Generation R Study

BackgroundStudies have shown that, compared to native counterparts, preschoolers from ethnic minorities are at an increased risk of problem behaviour. Socio-economic factors only partly explain this increased risk. This study aimed to further unravel the differences in problem behaviour among ethnic minority and native preschoolers by examining the mediating role of family functioning and parenting factors.MethodsWe included 4,282 preschoolers participating in the Generation R Study, an ethnically-diverse cohort study with inclusion in early pregnancy. At child age 3 years, parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/1,5-5); information on demographics, socio-economic status and measures of family functioning (maternal psychopathology; general family functioning) and parenting (parenting stress; harsh parenting) were retrieved from questionnaires. CBCL Total Problems scores in each ethnic subgroup were compared with scores in the Dutch reference population. Mediation was evaluated using multivariate regression models.ResultsAfter adjustment for confounders, preschoolers from ethnic minorities were more likely to present problem behaviour than the Dutch subgroup (e.g. CBCL Total Problems Turkish subgroup (OR 7.0 (95% CI 4.9; 10.1)). When considering generational status, children of first generation immigrants were worse off than the second generation (P<0.01). Adjustment for socio-economic factors mediated the association between the ethnic minority status and child problem behaviour (e.g. attenuation in OR by 54.4% (P<0.05) from OR 5.1 (95% CI 2.8; 9.4) to OR 2.9 (95% CI 1.5; 5.6) in Cape Verdean subgroup). However, associations remained significant in most ethnic subgroups. A final adjustment for family functioning and parenting factors further attenuated the association (e.g. attenuation in OR by 55.5% (P<0.05) from OR 2.2 (95% CI 1.3; 4.4) to OR 1.5 (95% CI 1.0; 2.4) in European other subgroup).ConclusionsThis study showed that preschoolers from ethnic minorities and particularly children of first generation immigrants are at an increased risk of problem behaviour compared to children born to a Dutch mother. Although socio-economic factors were found to partly explain the association between the ethnic minority status and child problem behaviour, a similar part was explained by family functioning and parenting factors. Considering these findings, it is important for health care workers to also be attentive to symptoms of parental psychopathology (e.g. depression), poor family functioning, high levels of parenting stress or harsh parenting in first and second generation immigrants with young children.

Assimilation and emerging health disparities among new generations of U.S. children

This article shows that the prevalence of four common child health conditions increases across generations (from first-generation immigrant children to second-generation U.S.-born children of immigrants to third-and-higher-generation children) within e

Comparing vocabulary development in Spanish- and Chinese-speaking ELLs: the effects of metalinguistic and sociocultural factors

This study evaluated the impact of two metalinguistic factors, English derivational awareness and English–Spanish cognate awareness, and the impact of two sociocultural factors, maternal education and children’s length of residence in Canada, on English Language Learners (ELLs)’ vocabulary knowledge. The participants of the study were 89 Spanish-speaking ELLs, 77 Chinese-speaking ELLs, and a comparison group of 78 monolingual English-speaking children in Grades 4 and 7. The sample included both first-generation (born outside of Canada) and second generation (born in Canada) immigrant children. The study yielded several important findings. First, it confirmed the strong link between derivational awareness and vocabulary knowledge observed in the previous research, and extended this relationship to two groups of ELLs from different first language backgrounds. Second, this study unveiled differences in vocabulary learning between Spanish-speaking and Chinese-speaking ELLs. While Spanish-speaking children were able to utilize the cognate strategy to learn English words, this strategy was not available for Chinese-speaking ELLs. With respect to the sociocultural factors, length of residence in Canada was significantly related to ELLs’ vocabulary development. Interestingly, length of residence in Canada only influenced the development of noncognate vocabulary, but not cognate vocabulary, in Spanish-speaking ELLs, which provides additional evidence for these children’s use of the cognate strategy. Finally, maternal education was not related to English vocabulary development. The theoretical and educational implications of these findings were discussed.

El rol de los saberes previos, la mediación y el intercambio en la lectura de un álbum

This paper describes a reading project conducted with two groups of children in their first year of secondary education (ESO) at a state-run school in Sant Joan Despí: one group of six Catalan children and another of six first-generation immigrant children from different parts of the world. Both groups carried out a shared reading of the picture book "Emigrantes" ("The Arrival") by Australian illustrator Shaun Tan, together with discussion sessions, interviews and activities to select illustrations and produce texts. Using data collection tools, this study analyses the different features that the children pointed out when reading the images: mainly the use of light, colour, movement and perspective, and the materiality of the book and its production process. Analysis of the elements recognised by the children, of the functions they ascribe to each of these, and of the widening and changes in perspective generated in interaction situations, leads us to reflect on the importance of the previous knowledge that readers bring into play when approaching a picture book, and on the importance of mediation and exchange in the reading of complex picture books.

The early developmental competencies and school readiness of low-income, immigrant children: Influences of generation, race/ethnicity, and national origins

Abstract Though much valuable research has been conducted on the academic achievement of school-age immigrant youth, less is known about the early developmental competencies of immigrant children during the preschool years. This study describes the school readiness of 2194 low-income children receiving subsidies to attend child care with emphasis on how nativity status (generation), race/ethnicity, and national origins might be related to children's preparedness for kindergarten. The Learning Accomplishment Profile–Diagnostic (LAP-D) was used to measure cognitive and language skills, while teacher-report on the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) measured socio-emotional protective factors and behavior concerns. Results demonstrate that variation does exist in school readiness according to nativity-based factors. First- and second-generation immigrants lagged behind children in non-immigrant families in cognitive and language skills but excelled by comparison in socio-emotional skills and behavior. In many cases, first-generation immigrant children showed more advanced development than second-generation immigrant children, providing some evidence in the early years for an immigrant advantage. The present study raises awareness regarding some of the strengths immigrant children demonstrate from a very young age—strengths that can be built upon to encourage their later success and academic achievement.

Disparities in Obesity and Overweight Prevalence Among US Immigrant Children and Adolescents by Generational Status

We examined the prevalence and socio-behavioral correlates of obesity and overweight among 46,707 immigrant and US-born children and adolescents aged 10-17 years. The 2003 National Survey of Children's Health was used to estimate obesity and overweight prevalence among children in 12 immigrant groups, stratified by race/ethnicity and generational status. Logistic regression was used to examine immigrant differentials in the prevalence and odds of obesity and overweight. Obesity and overweight prevalence varied from a low of 6 and 18% for second-generation Asian immigrants to a high of 24 and 42% for native-born black children (US-born black children with US-born parents), respectively. After adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, perceived neighborhood safety, television viewing, computer use, and physical activity, first-generation immigrant children, overall, had 26% lower odds of obesity than native-born children. Obesity and overweight prevalence was lower for immigrant black and white children than their native-born counterparts, while obesity and overweight prevalence among Hispanic children did not vary significantly by generational status. Compared with native-born white children, the adjusted odds of obesity were 64% higher for native-born blacks, 55% higher for second-generation Hispanic immigrants, and 63% lower for first-generation Asian immigrants. Adjusted immigrant differentials in overweight risks were also marked. Socioeconomic, demographic, and behavioral factors accounted for 61 and 35% of ethnic-immigrant disparities in obesity and overweight prevalence, respectively. Immigrant patterns in childhood obesity and overweight vary substantially by ethnicity and generational status. To reduce disparities, obesity prevention programs must target at-risk children of both immigrant and US-born parents.

Is Immigrant Status Relevant in School Violence Research? An Analysis With Latino Students

The role of race and ethnicity is consistently found to be linked to the likelihood of students experiencing school violence-related outcomes; however, the findings are not always consistent. The variation of likelihood, as well as the type, of student-related school violence outcome among the Latino student population may be attributed to immigrant status. Drawing from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, this research investigates if the role of immigrant status and English proficiency are pertinent for 1457 nationally representative public school Latino students' experiences with school violence-related outcomes. Third-generation immigrant students were more likely than first- and second-generation students to be victimized while at school, as well as receive a formal disciplinary school sanction. On the other hand, first-generation immigrant children were less likely to be a victim of crime while at school and receive a formal disciplinary sanction in comparison to second- and third-generation immigrants. However, first-generation immigrant students were the most likely to feel unsafe at school. Additionally, nonnative English-speaking students were more likely to report being a victim of school violence in comparison to native English speakers. This study indicates that immigrant status-related variables should be included in school violence research. Furthering the investigation of school and local community characteristics of immigration and assimilation and their impact upon children's lives and their exposure to violence is essential for a growing immigrant population.

The effects of age at arrival and enclave schools on the academic performance of immigrant children

This paper analyzes the relationship between age at arrival and immigrant-receiving high schools (i.e., enclave schools) on the academic performance of first- and second-generation immigrant children using data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS). The CILS survey was conducted in two major immigrant-receiving cities in the US—San Diego and Miami. Results show that the test score gap between first- and second-generation immigrant children decreases the longer first-generation immigrant children reside in the US. In addition, results indicate that students who attend enclave schools do not perform any differently on their reading and math tests and that the assimilation profiles of immigrant children in enclave schools do not differ from those who attend non-enclave schools.

Westernization of the nutritional pattern of Chinese children living in France

This paper reports an analysis of dietary habits of children (aged 0-5 years) born to Chinese immigrant parents living in France. The nutritional investigation was made by face-to-face interviews with the mothers. Data were exploited using the general table of food composition. Chinese newborns are practically never breastfed (10%, compared with 55% of French babies). After 12 months of age, they consume a traditional diet but eat few dairy products (only once per day) and fresh fruits (33% never). They consume many soft drinks (85%). Daily calcium and vitamin C intakes are lower than the recommended intakes for preschool children. Dietary habits of the children of first-generation Chinese immigrants are still traditional in terms of the late introduction of new food and the composition of meals, but we observed Westernization of dietary habits such as reduced breastfeeding and high consumption of soft drinks.

The definition and prevalence of autism: A review

Sixteen studies of the prevalence of autism in childhood, using epidemiological methods in defined populations in Europe, the USA and Japan, in English or with English summaries, were found in the published literature. Age specific rates varied from 3.3 to 16.0 per 10,000. Eight studies gave rates for a sub-group of 'typical' autism varying from 1.2 to 8.4. Reasons for variations were sought by examining geographic and demographic details of the populations screened, methods for initial screening and final examination of possibly autistic children, demographic and clinical details of children identified as autistic, and criteria used for diagnosis. There was evidence, independent of diagnostic criteria, of a higher prevalence among children of first generation immigrants to Europe from 'exotic' countries. Apart from this, all differences could be due to variations in diagnostic practice and increasing awareness of the manifestations of autistic conditions throughout the range of intelligence, from severely retarded to average and above. However, it remains possible, though not proven, that rates do vary over place and/or time. The problems of defining a sub-group with 'typical' autism among the wide spectrum of children with the triad of impairments of social interaction, communication and imagination are discussed and the value of such a sub-grouping questioned.

Immigrants of Mediterranean origin

SUMMARY The main focus of this article is on the children of first generation immigrants, mainly from Cyprus and to a lesser extent Italy. The article follows the process of immigration, and describes some general social background characteristics of the groups discussed here. Finally it describes the main problems faced by the children in their relationships within the family, with systems that surround them, such as education, leisure and employment, and with the wider community.