Immigrant Children Research Articles

‘I need to learn Vietnamese to speak to my grandma’: the place of family relationships in family language policy

ABSTRACT This study focuses on family relationships and their potential to successfully impact family language policy. The interview data with two bilingual Vietnamese immigrant families in Australia were analysed to show examples of successful versus unsuccessful family language policy practices. Using Bourdieu’s (1986) notion of capital, the study explored the reciprocal relationships between family relationships (family social capital) and the children’s language competence (linguistic capital) through the families' accounts of their language use and practices, and the children’s aspirations for their future languageuse. Findings point to the significant role in fostering connectedness among family members, and its importance to home language interaction within immigrant families. The study reinforces the role of the family context as an important environment that influences immigrant children’s positive bilingual development.

Comment soutenir la transmission consciente au sein des familles avec des adolescents enfants de migrants ?

Many studies have highlighted the psychological impact and resulting vulnerability inherent in being second-generation immigrant (SGI) children. Some studies have also demonstrated that the symptoms of SGI adolescents can be the manifestations of traumas that have been unconsciously transmitted from one generation to another. The purpose of the research presented in this article is to investigate the different therapeutic processes and tools used by therapists during transcultural therapy to support conscious intergenerational and transgenerational transmission in their care of SGI adolescents and their participating family members. The monitoring of three patients, SGI adolescents, of different ages and origins, provided data that were analyzed using a clinical and transcultural qualitative method. The analysis of 10 sessions of transcultural psychotherapy with each SGI adolescent patient reveals, first of all, that this therapeutic device is illustrative in the care of SGI children suffering from the symptoms of inter- and transcultural transmissions of trauma. It also highlights various therapeutic levers and approaches to transcultural counseling that can enable families to consciously unveil their family and cultural histories. This research project also proposes a methodology where the inter- and transgenerational transmissions can be adapted to favor the healthy development of SGI adolescents’ identity and that can also be applied in other group or individual therapeutic devices.

PREVALENCE, AWARENESS AND TREATMENT OF RISK FACTORS AMONG DOCUMENTED AND UNDOCUMENTED CHINESE IMMIGRANTS

Objective: Cardio-metabolic diseases are highly prevalent among ethnic minority groups in Europe. However, information on health needs of undocumented immigrants, especially regarding risk factors, are lacking. The aim of this study was to examine prevalence, awareness and treatment of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hypercholesterolemia in a large cohort of undocumented and documented (registered with National Health Service, NHS) Chinese immigrants living in Italy. Design and method: Population-based, cross-sectional study. Chinese first-generation immigrants living in Prato, underwent blood pressure (BP) measurement, blood tests (fasting glucose, FG, and total cholesterol, TC), and anthropometric measurements. Hypertension was diagnosed for BP>140/90 mmHg at two visits, and/or BP-lowering medication use; type 2 diabetes for FG>126 mg/dL at two visits, and/or glucose lowering drugs use; hypercholesterolemia for TC>240 mg/dL and/or statins use. Undocumented and documented migrants were compared via logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, gender, central obesity, and educational level. Results: A large proportion of investigated Chinese immigrants (3435) were undocumented (1766, 51% with 1669, 49% registered with NHS). At logistic regression analysis, prevalence of hypertension was similar between the two groups, while prevalence of diabetes and hypercholesterolemia was higher among undocumented migrants, despite having a younger age and a lower prevalence of central obesity. Registration to NHS was associated with a higher awareness and prevalence of treated subjects for hypertension and diabetes. More precisely, registered migrants were 6 times more treated for type 2 diabetes than undocumented migrants. A small minority of subjects were treated with statins independently from NHS registration. Conclusions: Undocumented migrants seem to represent a large proportion of the Chinese migrant population living in Italy; undocumented migrants had lower levels of awareness and rate of treatment for hypertension and type 2 diabetes than migrants registered in the NHS. Acute treatment for stroke and myocardial infarction is guaranteed to all subjects regardless of NHS registration in Italy as in the majority of European countries. Health policies targeting this hard-to-reach population must be improved.

Family Support, Outness, and Psychological Well-Being in LGBTQ+ Adult Children of Immigrants

Researchers have documented mental health issues of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) populations. Those with multiple minority identities may face greater mental health concerns due to minority stress. Little research has examined the mental health of LGBTQ+ adult children of immigrants. The objective of this study was to determine if family support, as measured by interpersonal and environmental microaggressions and microaffirmations, predicted levels of outness and levels of psychological well-being in LGBTQ+ adult children of immigrants and to assess whether family support was a moderator in the relationship between outness and well-being. 109 participants completed an online survey that included three measures and demographic information. Multiple regression showed that family support did not predict outness in LGBTQ+ adult children of immigrants, but environmental microaffirmations predicted psychological well-being and environmental microaggressions moderated the relationship between outness and psychological well-being. We discuss implications for helping professionals and future directions for research.

Information on Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccine in the Copenhagen School Health Records Register.

The Copenhagen School Health Record Register (CSHRR) includes health information from school examinations and is now updated with information on measles, mumps and rubella vaccines for the cohorts born from 1977 to 1994. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive description and validation the newly digitised vaccine information in the CSHRR. We describe the data collection and the newly digitalised information in the CSHRR. We investigate the extent to which the full CSHRR population is representative of Copenhagen and the entire Danish population. Furthermore, we explore how the registry information on vaccination uptake based on reimbursement data matches the vaccine information obtained from CSHRR for the period during which both data are available. The CSHRR population matches closely the complete population of all schoolchildren in Copenhagen, and information on vaccine uptake in CSHRR matches with vaccine registry data for later cohorts. However, a sizable proportion of the immigrant children in the CSHRR have missing information on vaccination. Removing children who have had no additional immunisations enhances data quality. The CSHRR covers a large share of the Danish population and includes detailed vaccine information. By linking the data to other registry data, the updated CSHRR is valuable resource for future research.

Children of South Asian-Origin Parents in the Diaspora: Dance, Resilience, and Prosociality

ABSTRACT Diaspora children of South Asian-origin immigrant parents experience issues of acculturation, identity concerns and general wellbeing that influence their psychosocial development. Within the domain of culturally-attuned interventions for immigrant children, art forms are gaining prominence. This article reports a study on the impact of customized dance lessons for children (aged 10–13-years) of South Asian-origin parents in the diaspora on resilience and prosocial behaviors, compared to a waitlist control group. The dance lessons were effective and female children, participants whose primary caregivers had postgraduate or professional degrees, who were familiar with at least one language other than English, who attended 21–40 (>50%) dance lessons, and who completed 21–40 (>50%) dance homework lessons, gained more on resilience and prosociality outcomes. The need for promotive and preventive psychosocial interventions for immigrant children, and particularly those from low- and middle-income or crisis-prone geographies to high-income destination lands, is highlighted.

Immigrant background, incarceration history and recidivism among adults assessed for illicit substance use severity: Findings from a Swedish registry study

BackgroundIn Sweden, as in other countries, individuals with immigrant backgrounds are disproportionately represented within the incarcerated population. This study examined the association between immigrant background and future incarceration for individuals assessed for illicit substance use severity, while considering their prior incarceration history. MethodsUsing data from Swedish Addiction Severity Index (ASI) assessments linked to register data from Statistics Sweden, we employed Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial (ZINB) regression models to analyse differences in incarceration histories within five years before and after ASI assessments based on immigrant backgrounds. Additionally, Cox proportional-hazard models were used to assess the likelihood of post-assessment incarceration among these groups. ResultsImmigrant background was positively associated with pre- and post-assessment incarceration. First- and second-generation immigrants from the Global South had longer periods of incarceration in the five years before assessments compared to native Swedes. Post-assessment, first-generation immigrants showed longer periods of incarceration. Survival analyses supported these findings, indicating a higher risk of prolonged post-assessment incarceration among all immigrant groups, particularly first-generation immigrants from the Global South. ConclusionAmong individuals assessed for illicit drug use within Swedish municipalities, those with immigrant backgrounds faced higher incarceration risks, even after controlling for substance use severity and prior incarceration. Tailored interventions and support systems are vital to prevent re-entry into the criminal justice system. Timely actions can break re-offending cycles, redirecting paths away from reoffending and towards legal reintegration, thereby reducing incarceration and recidivism rates.

Native americans in the stories of Sherman Alexie

In the XX century of American Literature the themes, new characters, new directions and genres could be observed in the novels, stories and poems. In their scholarly articles literary critics analyzed the multicultural dimension in the literature of this period as the country had raised a new generation of immigrants, who were writing about their national identities in American society. Thus XX century American literature could be considered as multicultural literature that depicted the life of new generation of people who belong to various cultures but who grew up and were educated in modern American society. In its turn this multiculturalism caused the development of different nations studies that examined this aspect of literature. Examples are Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese and Mexican literary studies. Similarly, there is also Native American literature that studies creative works written by a new generation of Native American Indians. Representatives of Native American Literature raised several issues that young generation of native Americans are facing in American society. This paper deals with the stories of the Native American writer Sherman Alexie, whose works depict life, interests and problems of modern native Americans.

Dental Caries and Preventive Dental Visits Among Children in the U.S.: The Impact of Race/Ethnicity and Immigration

Introduction: National data on dental caries and dental service use among immigrant children in US is limited. It is not known whether race/ethnicity would interact with immigration status to increase these disparities. Using a national representative sample, we assessed the interaction effects of immigrant generation status and race/ethnicity on dental caries and dental visits among children in the US. Methods: Data were from the 2020 and 2021 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). All data were self-reported by parents/guardians. The two outcomes were (1) dental caries (yes/no) in the past 12 months, and (2) preventive dental visits (yes/no) in the past 12 months. Racial/ethnic groups included non-Hispanic White, Black, Hispanics, and Asian Americans. The analytical sample included 66,167children ages 2-17 years, including 1,243 first generation, 11,017 second generation immigrant children, and 53,907 non-immigrant children. We ran separate multiple logistic regression models for the two outcome variables. All analyses accounted for the survey design of NSCH. Results: First generation immigrant children were more likely to have dental caries than non-immigrant children (AOR=1.44). The interaction of race/ethnicity and immigrant generation status was significant (P =0.04) in the preventive dental visits model, indicating increased challenges in getting dental visits among minority immigrant children in comparison with non-Hispanic White immigrant children, especially among first generation immigrant children of Asian Americans (AOR=0.41) and non-Hispanic Black (AOR=0.37) immigrant children. Conclusions: We found that first generation immigrant children were less likely to see a dentist and more likely to have dental caries than non-immigrants. Moreover, first generation immigrant children from minority racial/ethnic groups were the least likely to seek dental services. To further reduce disparities in oral health and dental use among children in the U.S., culturally sensitive health promotion is warranted to improve oral health literacy and reduce barriers to dental care for immigrants, especially immigrant children of the minority groups.

Explaining the attainment of the second-generation: When does parental relative education matter?

How can we understand unexplained variation in the educational outcomes of the children of immigrants? A growing literature posits that standard educational transmission models fail to explain national origin differences in attainment because they ignore immigrant selectivity – the degree to which immigrants differ from non-migrants in their sending countries. The immigrant selectivity hypothesis is usually tested using indicators of parents’ relative or “contextual” educational attainment, measuring their rank in the educational attainment distribution of their country of origin. However, using this proxy, current support for the hypothesis is mixed. We outline three conditions for the use of educational selectivity as a proxy for relative social positioning among the children of immigrants. We test our conditions using an adult and a youth sample from a large household panel survey in the UK. We supplement our analyses by exploring relative education data from prior research on Italy, France and the United States. Triangulating these varied sources, we illustrate cases when our three conditions do and do not hold, providing evidence from the UK and other contexts. We provide guidelines on the use of relative education as a measure of relative social standing in cross-national research as well as an assessment of the immigrant selectivity hypothesis in explaining second-generation educational outcomes.

A generational perspective on owner-occupation rates among migrants and their (grand)children in the Netherlands

Classical assimilation theories hold that immigrant groups will slowly integrate economically over time over multiple generations, which implies that the (grand)children of immigrants will improve their housing market position compared to their (grand)parents and transition from rental housing to owner-occupation. This study uses unique data on the children and grandchildren of immigrants and native Dutch (‘third generation’) in 2018 to assess whether and how the descendants of large immigrant groups from the postwar era have attained ownership. The generational perspective is two-fold. First, we are interested in how individuals from various generations compare within and between origin groups (generational comparison). Second, the study also assesses the role of parental wealth and tenure in intergenerational transfers, i.e., ethnic and generational differences in the effects of these parental background variables. Our estimates from logistic regression models show that Surinamese-Dutch and Turkish-Dutch see higher predicted owner-occupation rates over generations, with some Turkish-Dutch groups having higher rates than native-Dutch. The parental background variables partly predict owner-occupation rates and explain group differences, which indicates the importance of generational transfers.

A Research on The Social Integration of Migrant Children: The Case of Mamak

Throughout history, there have been many social, cultural and economic changes due to migration movements in countries exposed to immigration. Because, by residing temporarily or permanently in the countries they migrate, immigrants both transform themselves and the society they live in. Türkiye has historically been a transit country for immigrants. However, in recent years, there has been a serious migration movement towards Türkiye due to the political, economic and social problems experienced in the surrounding countries. While some of the immigrants in Türkiye immigrated to Western countries, most of them continue to stay in Türkiye. For this reason, it is important for immigrants who are expected to live in Türkiye for a long time to adapt to Turkish society. In this context, in this study, the factors affecting the adjustment level of 90 Iraqi secondary school students between the ages of 9-15 residing in Mamak district of Ankara were investigated. In this study, which was based on Iraqi students, 8 Syrian, 1 Qatari and 1 Uyghur students from the same age group and schools were added, and the sample reached 100 people. In this direction, a questionnaire study was applied to these 100 students to have information about their perception about their adaptation processes. The data obtained were analyzed and interpreted by using the SPSS statistical analysis program. As a result of the analyzes; it has been observed that factors such as having a Turkish or near mother tongue, parental education level, country of origin, income level, number of siblings and length of stay in Türkiye have significant effects on the integration level of immigrant children. In line with the research findings, recommendations for policy and strategic goals were made to decision makers, NGOs and researchers in the field of migration so that the integration processes of migrant children can progress more effectively.

Language choice and code-switching in bilingual children’s interaction under multilingual contexts: evidence from Mandarin-English bilingual preschoolers

ABSTRACT Language choice and code-switching are commonplaces for peer interaction among bilingual children from various language backgrounds in Hong Kong. However, few studies concern these linguistic practices of immigrant children proficient in Mandarin and English. This study adopted a qualitative research approach to investigate three Mandarin-English preschoolers’ language choice and code-switching by analyzing their conversations in interaction with a Cantonese–English bilingual peer under the framework of translanguaging. The findings reveal that these Mandarin-English preschoolers’ priority language for interaction is English, indicating that choosing a shared language is an essential communicative strategy for integrating with their Cantonese–English peers. The factors for those language choices include social environment, interlocutor’s ability, and sense of identity and belonging. Both inter-sentential and intra-sentential code-switching are adopted in verbal interaction. However, intra-sentential code-switching occurs more frequently and with greater diversity in Mandarin-based sentences, where nouns are the most easily switched component, followed by verbs and adjectives. This study enriches the study of bilingual children in Hong Kong, extends the application of translanguaging to peer interaction outside the classroom in multilingual contexts, and provides pedagogic implications.

Inclusive Education through the Lens of Diversity: A Case Study in an Arts School with a Focus on Chinese Students

The purpose of this research is to determine the influence of a collaborative art project between a museum and a public school on the process of inclusion and involvement of Chinese children and their families. This qualitative study is based on 9 months of observation of Art-Based Project (ABP) activities in the school and the museum, as well as interviews with parents, museum technicians, and instructors. The findings imply that the assimilation paradigm causes family separation among immigrants, which may be one reason for the high dropout rate in this population. As a result, the first technique for including immigrant children is to assist their parents. The Tandem Project, which employs the arts education model developed by the school and the museum: ABP, and the Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) included in this art project have a positive impact on Chinese children's language ability, participation in school activities, furthermore, children's inclusion and family involvement has been improved.

An Analysis of the Identity Structures Built Up by the Characters in Zadie Smith's Novel White Teeth

This paper has been prepared in order to analyze the construction of an identity of both Bangladeshi migrants (Samad Iqbal) as well as English men (Archies Jones) who emigrated from other countries. Those are close friends. Lived in the multicultural city of London in Britain. In the novel White Teeth, the author explores the problems resulting from immigrants from various countries living in Britain, especially those who have left behind physical artifacts (cultural properties) and intangible attributes relating to their ethnic group inherited from the past of the immigrants, who lived in Britain from the first generation to the second generation. The novel of the Smiths is interconnected with their past and also deals with their dissatisfaction with their lives in a society in which they live today. According to Smith, his work is sensitively concerned with the second generation immigrants and their beliefs, which are transmitted from ultra-modern societies via their bringing up, living standards, values, taboos, thinking processes, and the likes. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the way in which the construction of identity of different characters in the novel White Teeth is explored through the lenses of different theories of social scholars, such as Colonial theory, hybridity theory, and post-modern era theories of identity in the social system. This paper also explores how characters existing in the novel construct identity of themselves and how different cultural interact on their identity formation in White Teeth

Vision Loss in Children from Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Households: Evidence from the National Survey of Children's Health 2018-2020.

The aim of this study was to determine whether immigrant generation is associated with caregiver-reported vision loss in children adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Nationally representative data from the National Survey of Children's Health (2018-2020) was used. The primary exposure was immigrant generation defined as: first (child and all reported parents were born outside the United States); second (child was born in the United States and at least one parent was born outside the United States); third or higher (all parents in the household were born in the United States). The main outcome was caregiver-reported vision loss in child. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals were computed based on immigration generation. The study sample included 84,860 US children aged 3-17 years. First generation children had higher adjusted odds of caregiver-reported vision loss (aOR 2.30; 95% CI 1.21, 4.35) than third or higher generation children after adjusting for demographic characteristics and social determinants of health. For Hispanic families, first generation (aOR 2.99; 95% CI 1.34, 6.66), and second-generation children (aOR 1.70; 95% CI 1.06, 2.74) had a higher adjusted odds of vision loss compared with third or higher generation children. Even when adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, first generation children had greater odds of vision loss, especially in Hispanic households, than third generation children. Immigration generation should be treated as an independent risk factor for vision loss for children and is a social determinant of eye health.

Not a Monolith: Understanding of Racism and Racialization among Korean, Pacific Islander, South Asian, and Vietnamese Women.

The people within the Asian and Pacific Islander racial/ethnic category used in the United States are often misrepresented as a monolithic group when, in reality, the group includes people from over 48 different countries with diverse cultures, languages, and customs. Asian and Pacific Islander people experience racism and racialization in nuanced ways that are influenced by immigrant generations, histories of colonization, and origin countries' relationship with the US. This study examines the racialized experiences of Asian and Pacific Islander women in the United States. Focus groups were held with 21 Korean, Pacific Islander, South Asian, and Vietnamese women in the United States to explore their experiences of racism and racialization. Data were analyzed using an iterative coding and theme-generation process. Findings indicate that among these groups, there is a heightened awareness of racism both toward their own racial/ethnic group as well as toward other minoritized populations, a recognition of the importance of solidarity among people of color to combat racism and the difficulties in sustaining solidarity, and nuanced ways in which different Asian and Pacific Islander people navigate their own racialization.

Health Disparities Among Children in Immigrant Households: New York City 2009 and 2017.

We tested the hypothesis that children in New York City (NYC) with an immigrant parent were more likely to lack health insurance and report poorer parent-rated health compared to those of US-born parents in this serial, cross-sectional study using existing data from 2009 to 2017 among children age < 12 years in two NYC health surveys. Main outcomes were parent-reported responses for (1) child insurance coverage and (2) child general health status. In multivariable logistic regression models, we estimated likelihood of outcomes for children of immigrants compared to those of US-born parents, adjusting for child, parent, and household characteristics. We included 2,637 children in 2009 and 7,042 in 2017 in NYC. In 2017, children of immigrant parents were more likely to experience uninsurance than children of US-born parents [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.36 (95% CI: 1.05-5.31)]. Compared to children of US-born parents, children with an immigrant parent were more likely to have a gap in insurance coverage in both 2009 (AOR 1.88; 95% CI: 1.08-3.27) and 2017 (AOR 1.60; 95% CI: 1.06-2.41). Although more children of immigrants had poor/fair health than those of US-born parents in both years, differences were not statistically significant after adjusting for covariates. Our findings among a sample of children eligible for health insurance suggest policies intended to expand child health care access did not equitably reach children of immigrants despite their eligibility for health insurance. Tailored interventions for children of immigrants are needed to mitigate disparities in health insurance coverage.

Differential effects of gender and ethnicity on children’s receptive language scores after a Canadian two-generation preschool program: follow-up to adolescence

ABSTRACT Preschool programs for socially vulnerable children are believed to affect school readiness and language development but infrequently include follow-up to adolescence; observational measurement of receptive vocabulary is rare. The purpose of this longitudinal cohort study (55 children and 41 parents) was to report the trajectory of receptive vocabulary development for socially vulnerable children of diverse ethnicities (Indigenous, other Canadian-born, and Immigrant) who participated in a two-generation preschool program. English receptive vocabulary scores were measured at 5-time points: (a) program intake, (b) program exit, (c) age 7 years, (d) age 10 years, and (e) adolescence, using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test – Third Edition (PPVT-III). For all children, PPVT-III scores increased the most between program intake and exit and positive changes were sustained until adolescence. When the sample was examined by gender, PPVT-III scores were higher for boys than girls at all time points. When the sample was examined by ethnicity, other Canadian-born children scored higher than Indigenous and Immigrant children at all time points. Immigrant children scored lowest until age 7 years, and at age 10 years and adolescence scored higher than Indigenous children. Using mixed-effects modeling, PPVT-III scores increased when English was the primary language spoken at home at intake. PPVT-III scores increased slightly as caregiver age and caregiver Adverse Childhood Experiences score increased. PPVT-III scores were lower for Immigrant girls and Indigenous boys than other sub-groups of children. Differential effects of the two-generation preschool program by gender and ethnicity suggest tailoring programming to increase equitability of receptive vocabulary development for immigrant girls and Indigenous boys. Children with intergenerational adversity may require additional support.

Review of Drawing Deportation: Art and Resistance Among Immigrant Children

Review of Drawing Deportation: Art and Resistance Among Immigrant Children