Native-born Parents Research Articles

Cross-Cultural Study of Community Engagement in Second-Generation Immigrants

This research examined the role of cultural similarity in community engagement of second-generation immigrants (SGIs). While previous findings examined the rate of community engagement in SGIs, it is still unclear what may be associated with a higher community engagement in SGIs. Based on previous research on cultural similarities, we proposed that SGIs who are more culturally dissimilar to the host culture would have a higher host orientation and thus have higher community engagement than SGIs who are more culturally similar. Study 1 used data from the World Value Survey (WVS) 2010-2014 (Wave 6) to test whether region (varied in cultural similarity between SGIs’ home culture and the host cultures) was related to the pattern of general community engagement. Hong Kong, which received more culturally similar immigrants, was compared with the United States, which received less culturally similar immigrants. A negative binomial regression analysis (bootstrapped r = 2000) showed a significant Region × SGI Status interaction. Specifically, community engagement was found to be higher in SGIs than children of native-born parents (CNBs) in the U.S. sample, but not in the Hong Kong sample, as predicted. Study 2 extended Study 1 to test the relation between perceived cultural similarity and SGIs’ community engagement in a U.S. sample. A sample of 300 U.S. SGIs was recruited through Qualtrics Panels. Bootstrapped ( r = 2000) results showed that lower perceived cultural similarity predicted higher community engagement in host-national communities. This relation was mediated by SGIs’ acculturation orientations toward the host culture. In addition, SGIs’ acculturation orientations toward the home culture predicted higher community engagement in conational communities.

Does generational status matter in college? Expectations and academic performance among second-generation college students in the US

Using the 2004–2009 wave of the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study, a nationally representative sample of students who enroll in college in 2004, we examine generational differences in the relationship between educational expectations, academic achievement, and college persistence among native-born and immigrant youth in the United States. Using the theory of immigrant optimism, which has primarily focused on high school youth, we examine whether immigrant parents provide children an advantage in completing their college degrees. Our analyses suggest that students who have at least one immigrant parent are (1) more likely to expect to earn advanced degrees and (2) more likely to complete college on time and less likely to withdraw with no degree compared to their counterparts with native-born parents. We also find that the higher expectations held by these students are associated with higher levels of persistence and attainment. We argue that the optimism conferred by having immigrant parents persists through young adulthood.

Double Disadvantage in School? Children of Immigrants and the Relative Age Effect: A Regression Discontinuity Design Based on the Month of Birth

This article uses pupil’s month of birth as a natural experiment to study how immigrant-native inequalities in retention rates are produced. We argue that, compared to native-born parents, immigrant parents face additional disadvantage when dealing with the age disadvantage of their children. We test this hypothesis using a regression discontinuity design with the French sample of the Programme for International Student Assessment. We find that pupils born before the cut-off date for entering primary school are 9 percentage points more likely to repeat a grade in primary school. In line with the double disadvantage hypothesis, the relative age effect is 10 percentage points higher for children with two immigrant parents, while we do not find a difference for children with one immigrant parent. However, the relative age effect is reduced to 4 percentage points when adjusting for the differential effect of parental resources, suggesting that part of the disadvantage is due to compositional differences in socio-economic background and part is immigrant-specific.

School readiness among children of Hispanic immigrants and their peers: The role of parental cognitive stimulation and early care and education

The present study estimated the independent and joint influence of early home and education contexts on three school readiness outcomes for children with Hispanic immigrant parents. These associations were compared to those for children whose parents differed by ethnicity and immigration status − children of non-Hispanic immigrants and children of Hispanic native-born parents − to determine if associations were distinct for children of Hispanic immigrants. Data were drawn from the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–2011 (ECLS-K: 2011) (N ≈ 3480). Outcome measures at kindergarten entry included direct assessments of math and reading skills, as well as teacher reports of approaches to learning (ATL). Results indicated that parental provision of cognitive stimulation and center-based ECE both predicted outcomes among children of Hispanic immigrants and their peers, with some variation in patterns by developmental domain and subgroup. Specifically, participation in center-based care predicted math and reading scores for children of Hispanic immigrant and Hispanic native-born parents, but not children of non-Hispanic immigrants. Furthermore, center-based care participation predicted ATL scores more strongly for children of Hispanic immigrants than their peers. Some trend-level evidence of moderation of early home and education environments emerged, again with patterns varying by outcome and subgroup. Findings highlight the importance of policies that seek to enhance both the home and ECE environments for young children with Hispanic immigrant parents and their peers.

ADHD medication in offspring of immigrants \u2014 does the income level of the country of parental origin matter?

BackgroundChild psychiatric treatment facilities vary greatly worldwide and are virtually non-existent in many low-income countries. One of the most common psychiatric disorders in childhood is ADHD, with an estimated prevalence of 3–5% in Sweden. Previous studies have shown a similar prevalence of ADHD in minority and majority children in Sweden and the UK. However, clinical studies demonstrated that children from immigrant families living in Sweden received less psychiatric care than those of native-born parents. We tested the hypothesis that the consumption of child psychiatric care in immigrant families would be determined by the availability of such treatment in the parents’ country of origin. Patterns of medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were studied as a proxy for child psychiatric care.MethodsThis was a register study of dispensed stimulant medication during 2013–2014 in Swedish national birth cohorts from 1995–2009. The study population, consisting of nearly 1.4 million children, was divided by national income of the parental country of origin and whether the parents were native Swedes, European immigrants, non-European immigrants or a mixture. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratios of having been dispensed at least one ADHD drug during 2013, with adjustments for gender, family status indicating whether the child is living with both parents, household income and area of residence.ResultsHaving parents born in low-income (OR [95% confidence interval] 0.27 [0.24–0.29]) or middle-income (European: OR 0.23 [0.20–0.26], non-European: OR 0.39 [0.34–0.41]) countries was associated with lower ADHD treatment levels than having parents born in high-income countries (European: OR 0.60 [0.54–0.66], non-European: OR 0.68 [0.59–0.79]), when compared to children of parents born in Sweden. In families with a background in low or middle income countries, there was no significant association between household income and ADHD medication, while in children with Swedish and mixed backgrounds high level of disposable income was associated with lower levels of ADHD medication.ConclusionThe use of child psychiatric care by immigrant families in Sweden was largely associated with the income level of the country of origin.

Differences in Parental Involvement and Perception of Video Games: A Pilot Study on American-Born and Immigrant Parents

As more and more students from diverse families populate 21st century classrooms, the need for more culturally sensitive pedagogical approaches intensifies. Although literature suggests that differences of parenting styles between immigrant and native-born American parents will influence children’s learning, classroom teaching, and policy making, little is known about whether there is any difference in parental involvement in the video game process and parental perceptions of integrating video games into the regular classroom. In this aspect, an online survey was conducted. Consistent with our hypotheses, although the sampled native parents were more likely to hold an overall negative attitude toward violence in games, they were less worried about the integration of video games in the classroom than immigrant parents were. Results also suggested that the sampled immigrant parents were less involved in the game playing process than their counterpart native-born parents were. Additional correlation analyses revealed that if parents held more negative attitudes toward social effects brought on by the violence in video games, they would most likely use stricter mediation techniques toward their children’s video game playing. On the other hand, the more negative the attitude was, the more involved parents were in their children’s gameplay. Implications, limitations and future research opportunities were discussed.

In Thoughts, Words, and Deeds: Are Social Class Differences in Parental Support Similar across Immigrant and Native Families?

ABSTRACTMuch of the literature examining social class differences in parental involvement has drawn on Bourdieu’s theory of cultural reproduction, but the applicability of this model to immigrant families is unclear. Using data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, a nationally representative study of high school students who were sophomores in 2002 (n = 11,430), we examine whether patterns of social class differences, as measured by maternal education, in parental support among immigrant parents are similar to those found among native-born parents. Results from multivariate regression analyses show that social class differences among immigrant parents differ in magnitude and in some cases, direction, compared to those of native-born parents. We argue that these findings suggest a cross-class “immigrant habitus” that shapes parental support both in schools and at home.

Household Food Insecurity and Early Childhood Health and Cognitive Development Among Children of Immigrants

Food insecurity is negatively related to child development and health. In this study, we use Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort data to assess the cognitive and health consequences of household food insecurity for children of immigrants compared with children of native-born parents. Results suggest that children of immigrants from food insecure households fare worse than their native peers from food insecure households in health but not in cognitive skills after child and maternal demographic characteristics are taken into account. The remaining health disparity between children in food insecure immigrant households and children in food insecure nonimmigrant households is explained away by immigrant risk and protective factors. Having parents with strong mental health and living in two-parent families partially offset the negative health consequences associated with food insecurity. However, compared with food insecure nonimmigrant children, low socioeconomic risk may exacerbate the negative ...

Extended kin and children's behavioral functioning: Family structure and parental immigrant status

Using the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey (L.A. FANS), this paper examines the association between the presence of co-resident extended kin and children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors. The paper demonstrates the differential role of extended kin by family structure, as well as across parental immigrant status – specifically, nativity and documentation status. Children in the sample were found to be disadvantaged in extended family households, especially with regard to internalizing behaviors. This disadvantageous association was found mostly among married-parent extended family households, whereas there was no association between the presence of extended kin and behavior problems in children from single-parent families. This pattern emerged more clearly among children of documented immigrants, compared to those with native-born parents and those whose parents were unauthorized immigrants. These findings suggest a need to modify previous theories on extended family living arrangements; they also provide policy implications for immigrant families.

An Immigrant Paradox? Contextual Attainment and Intergenerational Educational Mobility

Numerous studies have revealed a seemingly paradoxical pattern in which, despite cultural differences, unfamiliarity with the educational system, and possible language difficulties, children of immigrants outperform their peers with native-born parents in the U.S. educational system. We problematize the notion of an immigrant paradox in education by broadening our conceptualization of social class background, and introducing the concept of contextual attainment to capture the geographic and historical contexts in which education is completed. Analyzing nationally representative longitudinal survey data combined with international educational data, we show that, for immigrant parents, contextual attainments vary between and within countries of origin and often diverge from post-migration socioeconomic statuses. Parental contextual attainment helps explain why, net of standard family socioeconomic status measures, most groups of immigrants’ children complete more years of schooling than do White Americans with native-born parents. Moreover, considering parental contextual attainment leads to a rethinking of intergenerational educational mobility patterns for adults with immigrant parents. We argue that contextual attainment captures the noneconomic benefits of higher class background that help explain how intergenerational educational inequalities are reproduced.

Preschools as language learning environments for children of immigrants. Differential effects by familial language use across different preschool contexts

Children of immigrants often enter school with lower language skills than children of native-born parents. In this paper, we analyze the impact of the duration of preschool attendance on the language development from age three to six of children of Turkish immigrants and children of native-born parents in Germany. We investigate whether the impact of preschool attendance differs by familial language use while also considering different characteristics of the preschool context (quality and ethnic composition). Using fixed effects models, we find that a longer time spent in preschool is associated with better German language skills for Turkish-origin children with low levels of German language input at home. This result is very stable across different preschool contexts. The results highlight the importance of targeted interventions at an early age.

The risk of delayed school entry in relation to migration background in different institutional settings

In Germany, children of immigrants are faced with delayed school entry about twice as often as children of native-born parents because they are more often diagnosed not being ready for school. We investigate these early educational inequalities, focusing on the interplay of individual competencies and the institutional context in terms of the school enrollment procedure. We compare the conventional procedure, where school enrollment is supposed to be bound on school readiness, with reformed procedures where school enrollment is not supposed to be bound on school readiness. Data of school entry examinations from Hesse, Germany from 2008–2012 are analyzed (N = 50,717). The results show that children of immigrants from all origin groups have a substantially higher risk of obtaining a recommendation for delayed school entry than children of native-born parents. However, these ethnic differences are strongly reduced in the reformed procedures as compared to the conventional school enrollment procedure, indicating that these procedures could be an effective measure to reduce ethnic educational inequalities at school start.

Resourcing: An approach used by foreign-born parents struggling on in childhood cancer care.

To gain knowledge about foreign-born parents' experiences of dealing with their child's illness and treatment in the context of pediatric cancer care. Data from 11 individual interviews with foreign-born parents were analyzed using qualitative inductive constant comparative analysis. To struggle on in childhood cancer care, foreign-born parents engaged in resourcing using various strategies including: information-monitoring, staying strong, support-seeking and concern-focusing. Parents experienced obstacles to information-monitoring and support-seeking related to their foreign background. The results provide a framework for understanding how foreign-born parents try to deal with childhood cancer care and can be used by health care staff to support their resourcing. Even though preconditions might differ, the strategies presented might also be used by native-born parents however further studied are needed.

How do they do it? The immigrant paradox in the transition to adulthood

How do children of immigrants consistently outperform children of native-born U.S. parents, in spite of lower familial resources? Using the Transition to Adulthood Study of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, children of immigrant and native-born parents completing high school in 2005–13 are followed as they move into the young adult years. Children of immigrants are more likely to enroll in college, be employed or in school, and less likely to have a criminal record as young adults or to have a child than children of nonimmigrants. This is not a result of immigrant parentage but due primarily to greater parental educational expectations; immigrants enjoy a differential return to parental expectations for boys' college enrollment as well. Reading skills and activity patterns in the secondary school years also contribute to better outcomes. Children of immigrants are better able to translate their reading comprehension skills to college or employment later on.

The Impact of Immigrant Classmates on Educational Outcomes

Despite a growing empirical literature on the relationship between immigrant concentration in schools and student achievement, few studies address longer-run outcomes. Using Norwegian registry data, this study addresses the causal impact of immigrant classmates on educational attainment in young adulthood, as well as academic track enrollment and educational achievement in school, within six entire student cohorts in their final tenth grade of compulsory education (310,742 students, 751 schools). Controlling for school fixed effects, native peer characteristics, and observed characteristics of students and their families, we find that students in cohorts with more immigrant peers within the same school have slightly higher propensities to complete upper-secondary education by their early twenties. The effects are about three times stronger among students from immigrant families compared to students with native-born parents, and are also robust to adjustment for average grade achievement. Moreover, these peer effects seem to mainly reflect the presence of immigrant classmates from high-achieving origin regions, while we do not find corresponding negative effects of exposure to immigrant classmates from low-achieving origin regions. In conclusion, these results indicate a modest positive influence of exposure to immigrant classmates on, primarily, immigrant students’ educational attainment several years later.

Disparities in Quality of Healthcare of Children from Immigrant Families in the US.

The objective of this study was to examine disparities in quality of pediatric primary care among children from immigrant families in the US. Drawing from a nationally representative sample of 83,528 children ages 0-17 years from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, weighted logistic regression was used to assess the effect of immigrant family type on five indicators of quality of healthcare across children's racial/ethnic groups. Analyses controlled for indicators of child's access to care, family socio-economic characteristics, and primary language spoken in the household. Unadjusted estimates revealed a pattern of decreasing disparities from immigrant children to second-generation children, native-born children of immigrant parents, and to third-generation children, native-born children of native-born parents. Controlling for confounders showed that the positive effect of generational status on the quality of healthcare of children from immigrant families varied across indicators and among racial/ethnic groups. Not even third-generation Hispanic and Black children reached parity with third-generation White children on reported amount of time that providers devoted to their care and on providers' sensitivity to their family's values and customs. In contrast, disparities in reports of providers listening carefully to caregivers disappeared after adjusting for confounders, and only families headed by immigrant parents reported receiving less specific health-related information than the families of native-born White children. Our study suggests that it is important to develop interventions that help healthcare professionals to learn how different types of immigrant families perceive the interactions with the healthcare system and how to deliver care that increases the satisfaction of children from different racial/ethnic groups.

The Impact of Immigrant Classmates on Educational Outcomes in Egalitarian Norway

Despite a growing empirical literature on the relationship between immigrant concentration in schools and student achievement, few studies address longer-run outcomes. Using Norwegian registry data, this study addresses the causal impact of immigrant classmates on educational attainment in young adulthood, as well as academic track enrollment and educational achievement in school, within six entire student cohorts in their final 10th grade of compulsory education (310,742 students, 751 schools). Controlling for school fixed effects, native peer characteristics and observed characteristics of students and their families, we find that students in cohorts with more immigrant peers within the same school have slightly higher propensities to complete upper secondary education by their early twenties. The effects are about three times stronger among students from immigrant families compared to students with native-born parents, and are also robust to adjustment for average grade achievement. Moreover, these peer effects seem to primarily reflect the presence of immigrant classmates from high-achieving origin regions, while we do not find corresponding negative effects of exposure to immigrant classmates from low-achieving origin regions. In conclusion, these results indicate a modest positive influence of exposure to immigrant classmates on, primarily, immigrant students’ educational attainment several years later.

Asthma in US Mexican-Origin Children in Early Childhood: Differences in Risk and Protective Factors by Parental Nativity

ObjectiveOver 900,000 Mexican-origin children in the United States have asthma, but little is known about the extent to which development of this condition reflects early childhood exposure to social and environmental risks. The objectives of this research are to demonstrate the roles of risk and protective factors in the prevalence and severity of asthma in this population and provide comparisons with other racial/ethnic groups. MethodsNationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (n = 6900), with county-level ozone data appended to this file were analyzed using descriptive and multivariate regression methods. ResultsThe odds of asthma diagnosis by 60 months are approximately 50% higher among Mexican-origin children than for non-Hispanic whites (P < .05) in multivariate analyses. Compared to those with foreign-born parents, Mexican-origin children with native-born parents have a lower likelihood of being breast-fed and greater chances of having risks including a family history of asthma, having respiratory illnesses and allergies, living with a smoker, and attending center-based child care. Mexican-origin children live in counties with over 3 times more elevated ozone days annually than non-Hispanic whites. ConclusionsMexican-origin children experience a constellation of risk and protective factors, but those with US-born parents have elevated asthma risks compared to those with foreign-born parents. Asthma incidence and severity will likely increase as this population becomes increasingly integrated into US society.

Mixed Parents, Mixed Results

In this article, we have used panel data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Survey ( N = 3,337) to test several mechanisms (English proficiency, friends with native parents, parental socioeconomic status [SES], educational attitudes, bilingualism, and family stability) by which mixed parents (one native, one foreign-born) affect their children’s educational attainment differently from immigrant parents (both foreign-born), using a multiple mediator model. We found that children from mixed parents benefited from higher parental human capital and a higher English proficiency and were set back by lower educational attitudes and less stable family situation. However, bilingualism offered no significant advantages or disadvantages for children of mixed parents. Having more friends from native-born parents had a surprising negative effect. The total indirect effect was slightly negative and a substantial negative direct effect of growing up with mixed parents on educational attainment remains. Some of the effects depend on the sex of the native partner. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Neighborhood Structure, Immigrant Status, and Youth Violence

Research indicates that children of immigrants are less likely to engage in violence than children of native-born parents, even when they live in high-risk neighborhoods, suggesting that foreign-born parents employ strategies that buffer children from delinquency. Parental supervision is important for adolescent well-being, and some scholars suggest it is especially important for adolescents residing in disadvantaged communities. Others argue supervision is more critical for youth residing in advantaged contexts, where parental involvement is normative. To date, evidence on the interplay between supervision and neighborhood characteristics is mixed, suggesting a more complex relationship. This study considers whether immigrant status further conditions the interplay between supervision and neighborhood characteristics, using data from a sample of adolescents residing in Chicago neighborhoods. Findings indicate that less supervised, first-generation adolescents are more likely to perpetrate violence in low-risk neighborhoods, while less supervised, second- and third-generation adolescents are more likely to perpetrate violence in high-risk settings.