Second-generation Immigrant Youth Research Articles

Development and initial validation of the Immigrant Optimism Questionnaire (IOQ) for immigrant-origin young adults.

Content validity was established using feedback from immigrant-origin young adults and from experts in the field. Then, using survey data from 241 immigrant-origin young adults, we examined reliability, validity, and invariance of our measure among first- and second-generation immigrants. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a single immigrant optimism factor explains significant variation in each of our indicators. Our measure was further invariant across first- and second-generation immigrant youth and demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity. Findings support the use of our measure with immigrant-origin young adults. We offer considerations for future research and highlight implications for prevention efforts.

Does parental origin-country culture affect the gender gap in sport participation? A study of immigrant youth in Italy

ABSTRACT This research delves into the gender disparities observed in sport participation among immigrant groups, aiming to enhance our understanding of the underlying factors contributing to these gaps. Specifically, the study examines the impact of parental origin-country gender inequality and Muslim majority (‘cultural legacy’) and the adaptation to host country norms across immigrant generations (‘cultural dynamics’). Utilizing nationally representative survey data encompassing 28,000 first- and second-generation immigrant youth from 32 distinct origin groups in Italy, we uncover evidence regarding the influence of parental origin-country culture on sport participation. Notably, immigrant youth with parents hailing from more conservative countries exhibit wider gender gaps in sports involvement. Additionally, we observe heightened gender differences in sport participation among youth whose parents were born and raised in Muslim-majority nations. Furthermore, our findings underscore the presence of cultural dynamics, as second-generation immigrant boys and girls display a significantly greater likelihood of engaging in sports compared to their first-generation counterparts. Notably, girls experience the most substantial gains in sport activity across generations. The results suggest that second-generation immigrant youth, particularly those with mixed heritage, assimilate the cultural practices of their host society while diminishing the impact of the parental origin country on sport participation choices.

Suicide and Self-Harm Among Immigrant Youth to Ontario, Canada From Muslim Majority Countries: A Population-Based Study.

To examine the association between Muslim religious affiliation and suicide and self-harm presentations among first- and second-generation immigrant youth. We performed a population-based cohort study involving individuals aged 12 to 24 years, living in Ontario, who immigrated to Canada between 1 January 2003 and 31 May 2017 (first generation) and those born to immigrant mothers (second generation). Health administrative and demographic data were used to analyze suicide and self-harm presentations. Sex-stratified logistic regression models generated odds ratios (OR) for suicide and negative binomial regression models generated rate ratios (aRR) for self-harm presentations, adjusting for refugee status and time since migration. Of 1,070,248 immigrant youth (50.1% female), there were 129,919 (23.8%) females and 129,446 (24.2%) males from Muslim-majority countries. Males from Muslim-majority countries had lower suicide rates (3.8/100,000 person years [PY]) compared to males from Muslim-minority countries (5.9/100,000 PY) (OR: 0.62, 95% CI, 0.42-0.92). Rates of suicide between female Muslim-majority and Muslim-minority groups were not different (Muslim-majority 1.8/100,000 PY; Muslim-minority 2.2/100,000 PY) (OR: 0.82, 95% CI, 0.46-1.47). Males from Muslim-majority countries had lower rates of self-harm presentations than males from Muslim-minority (<10%) countries (Muslim majority: 12.2/10,000 PY, Muslim-minority: 14.1/10,000 PY) (aRR: 0.82, 95% CI, 0.75, 0.90). Among female immigrants, rates of self-harm presentations were not different among Muslim-majority (30.1/10,000 PY) compared to Muslim-minority (<10%) (32.9/10,000 PY) (aRR: 0.93, 95% CI, 0.87-1.00) countries. For females, older age at immigration conferred a lower risk of self-harm presentations. Being a male from a Muslim-majority country may confer protection from suicide and self-harm presentations but the same was not observed for females. Approaches to understanding the observed sex-based differences are warranted.

All geared towards success? Cultural origins of gender gaps in student achievement

Although geographical and temporal variations in gender achievement gaps have received considerable attention, the role of culture in explaining this variation is not well understood. We exploit a large Swedish administrative data set to study gender gaps in education among second-generation immigrant youth with different cultural backgrounds. Guided by hypotheses we derive from the economics literature on gender differences and gender convergence, we explore the predictive power of a set of cultural dimensions including achievement orientation, acceptance of inequality, risk avoidance, and long-term orientation. Using a variety of empirical tests that refine the classical epidemiological approach, we find that the central cultural dimension that matters for gender gaps in student achievement is the extent to which a society emphasizes ambition, competition, and achievement, which is strongly predictive of a relative achievement disadvantage of girls compared with boys. Exploring factors that may explain the results, we find that parents from achievement-oriented cultures choose higher quality schools for their children, and that boys benefit more from exposure to higher quality schools than girls do. Using PISA data to probe external validity, we find qualitatively and quantitatively remarkably similar results in a very different sample of second-generation immigrant youth.

Real Muslim Caves

This paper focuses on the religious identities of second-generation immigrant Muslim youth living in Canada. The intergenerational divide between first and second-generation immigrants is obvious in the recent development of Muslim Canadian youth clubs, which are founded, and run by youths themselves. In many cases Islamic centers are not well suited to address the religious and other needs of second-generation Muslims in Canada. Religious activities in the youth clubs are different from the religious centers of their parents, exposing this divide in the Muslim community as never before. This paper examines how youth clubs offer a protective environment for Muslim youth and argues that a distinct “religious youth subculture” is emerging among second-generation Muslim youth in Canada.

Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders Among Immigrant, Refugee, and Nonimmigrant Children and Youth in British Columbia, Canada

There remains limited understanding of population-level patterns of mental disorder prevalence for first- and second-generation immigrant and refugee children and youth and how such patterns may vary across mental disorders. To examine the diagnostic prevalence of conduct, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and mood/anxiety disorders in immigrant, refugee, and nonimmigrant children and youth in British Columbia, Canada. This retrospective, population-level cohort study examined linked health administrative records of children and youth in British Columbia (birth to age 19 years) spanning 2 decades (1996-2016). Physician billings, hospitalizations, and drug dispensations were linked to immigration records to estimate time-in-British Columbia-adjusted prevalence of mental disorder diagnosis among children and youth from immigrant or refugee backgrounds compared with those from nonimmigrant backgrounds. Analyses were conducted from August 2020 to November 2021. The diagnostic prevalence of conduct, ADHD, and mood/anxiety disorders were the main outcomes. Results were stratified by migration category (immigrant, refugee, nonimmigrant), generation status (first- and second-generation), age, and sex. A total of 470 464 children and youth in British Columbia were included in the study (227 217 [48.3%] female). Nonimmigrant children and youth represented 65.5% of the total study population (307 902 individuals). Among those who migrated, 142 011 (87.8%) were first- or second-generation immigrants, and 19 686 (12.2%) were first- or second-generation refugees. Diagnostic prevalence of mental disorders varied by migration category, generation status, age, and sex. Children and youth from immigrant and refugee backgrounds (both first- and second-generation), compared with nonimmigrant youth, generally had a lower prevalence of conduct disorder (eg, age 6-12 years: first-generation immigrant, 2.72% [95% CI, 2.56%-2.90%] vs nonimmigrant, 7.03% [95% CI, 6.93%-7.13%]), ADHD (eg, age 6-12 years: first-generation immigrant, 4.30% [95% CI, 4.10%-4.51%] vs nonimmigrant, 9.20% [95% CI, 9.08%-9.31%]), and mood/anxiety disorders (eg, age 13-19 years: first-generation immigrant, 11.07% [95% CI, 10.80%-11.36%] vs nonimmigrant, 24.54% [95% CI, 24.34%-24.76%]). Among immigrant children and youth, second-generation children and youth generally showed higher prevalence of conduct, ADHD, and mood/anxiety disorders than first-generation children and youth (eg, ADHD among second-generation immigrants aged 6-12 years, 5.94% [95% CI, 5.75%-6.14%]; among first-generation immigrants aged 6-12 years, 4.30% [95% CI, 4.10%-4.51%]). Second-generation refugee children had the highest diagnostic prevalence estimates for mood/anxiety in the 3-to-5-year age range relative to first- and second-generation immigrant and nonimmigrant children (eg, second-generation refugee, 2.58% [95% CI, 2.27%-2.94%] vs second-generation immigrant, 1.78% [95% CI, 1.67%-1.89%]). Mental disorder diagnoses also varied by age and sex within immigrant, refugee, and nonimmigrant groups. These findings show differences in diagnostic mental disorder prevalence among first- and second-generation immigrant and refugee children and youth relative to nonimmigrant children and youth. Further investigation is required into how cultural differences and barriers in accessing health services may be contributing to these differences.

PROMIS Pediatric Psychological Stress Measure: Validity for immigrant Latino youth.

This study assesses the psychometric properties of the four- and eight-item versions of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pediatric Psychological Stress Measure (PPSM) for use with Latino immigrant adolescents. Immigrant Latino youth are exposed to numerous stressors that can have consequences affecting health well into adulthood. However, few studies have assessed the suitability of psychosocial measures for this group. Participants included 286 first- and second-generation immigrant Latino youth in middle school in an urban school district in the United States. Analyses included tests for reliability, validity, item characteristics, and measurement invariance across differing levels of acculturation and gender groups. Both the four- and the eight-item PPSM are internally consistent, have strong construct validity, and strict factorial invariance across differing levels of acculturation. The four-item PPSM demonstrates strict invariance, but the eight-item version shows only configural invariance by gender. The PPSM is a rigorous measure when assessing immigrant Latino youth stress level. The four-item PPSM is brief, simple to administer, and appropriate for use with Latino youth across differing levels of acculturation and gender groups. The four-item PPSM lessens respondent fatigue and may be incorporated into tools practitioners and researchers use to assess perceived stress among immigrant Latino youth.

Anorexia nervosa among first- and second-generation immigrant children and adolescents in Italy: treatment and clinical outcomes.

Cultural and environmental factors have frequently been implicated in the pathogenesis of Eating Disorders (ED). Although ED have been considered as "Western culture-bound syndromes", increasing rates of ED among non-Western groups are being documented. The present study aims to investigate treatment and clinical outcomes among first-generation immigrant children and adolescents (FGI) (patients born abroad) and second-generation immigrant youth (SGI, patients born in Italy) with Anorexia Nervosa (AN). The study retrospectively compares treatment, hospitalizations, traumatic past events, clinical features, and treatment outcome (improvement in percentual body-mass index - %BMI) between FGI and SGI young patients with AN (10-18 years). Correlations were adjusted for age and severity (%BMI) at presentation. Treatments and outcomes were investigated at the baseline (T0), 2 weeks (T1), one month (T2), 3 months (T3), 6 months (T4), and 12 months (T5). Thirty-six patients (50% FGI) were enrolled. At T1 (F(1.26)=6.335, p=0.018), and at T2 (F(1.30)=18.752, p<0.001) FGI presented a significantly higher %BMI improvement than SGI. FGI required significantly less (OR=0.379, p=0.017), and shorter (F(1.32)=5.827, p=0.022) hospitalizations, when compared with SGI. When compared to SGI, FGI with AN required fewer and shorter hospitalizations and had a better early-treatment weight outcome. Larger nationwide studies should investigate the need for and access to treatment of immigrant populations with AN.

Resilience in the Face of Adversity: Family Processes and the Immigrant Paradox in Youth Externalizing Problems.

BackgroundDespite increased exposure to social adversity, immigrant youth have fewer externalizing problems compared to non-immigrants. Explanations for this apparent advantage remain unclear. This study examined the extent to which socio-economic characteristics and family processes account for group differences in externalizing problems between immigrant and non-immigrant youth.MethodsData come from a population-based cross-sectional study of 1,449 youth and their primary caregiver in Hamilton, Ontario. Computer-assisted structured interviews were administered separately to primary caregivers and youth, which included assessments of externalizing problems and measures of family obligation, parental monitoring, value of education and socio-economic characteristics.ResultsFirst- and second-generation immigrant youth had lower levels of externalizing problems compared to non-immigrants. The magnitude of group differences was larger for parent (d = 0.37–0.55) versus youth reports of externalizing behaviours (d = 0.15–0.29). Family socio-economic and process characteristics partially accounted for group differences, which remained significant in the parent-reported model but rendered non-significant in the youth-reported model.ConclusionResults suggesting the potential protective effects of positive family processes for immigrant youth could be extended to non-immigrant youth to inform the development of parenting and family skills interventions. Promoting familial sources of resilience is a potential avenue for reversing downward trends in mental health seen across successive generations of immigrant youth, while also reducing risk of behavioural difficulties among non-immigrant youth.

Discrimination and PTSD among Latinx immigrant youth: The moderating effects of gender.

Discrimination is a minority-related stressor that contributes to mental health disparities between Latinx youth and their racial/ethnic peers. Discrimination activates the body's stress response system, resulting in a higher allostatic load that can cause mental health problems such as PTSD. We explored 1) the relation between perceived discrimination and PTSD symptoms among Latinx immigrant youth, and 2) how gender moderates this relation. We conducted surveys with 306 Latinx first- and second-generation immigrant youth during the 2018-19 school year in Harris County, Texas and Rhode Island. We found that youth who perceived more discrimination were more likely to report PTSD symptoms. Female participants reported higher levels of PTSD symptoms than males, including higher levels of avoidance and reexperiencing symptoms. Perceived discrimination was associated with increased PTSD symptoms, including hypervigilance and avoidance symptoms, for female participants but not males. These interactions did not differ by location. These results further provide support for research into discrimination as a potentially traumatic experience linked to PTSD and underscore the importance of including discrimination in assessments of trauma and adverse childhood outcomes among Latinx immigrant youth. Results further suggest the importance of an intersectional approach to understanding how discrimination relates to PTSD among Latinx immigrant youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Trends in alcohol intoxication among native and immigrant youth in Sweden, 1999-2017: A comparison across family structure and parental employment status.

Developing a better understanding of drinking patterns across immigrant generations and how these change over time is important for the development of effective alcohol polices. This study investigates the direction and rate of change in youth alcohol intoxication over time, based on immigrant status, and by family structure and parental employment status. The study is based on eight nationally representative school surveys conducted by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention between 1999 and 2017, with a combined sample of 50,657 adolescents. Group by time interactions were examined to compare rates of change of alcohol intoxication over time across immigrant generations. The results show a decreasing trend in alcohol intoxication among both first and second generation immigrant youth, and also among immigrant youth across different family structures and parental employment statuses. The results also show that the decrease in alcohol intoxication over time is greater for youths born abroad and for youths with two immigrant parents than for native Swedes, and that the decrease over time is greater for youths from intact families than for native Swedish youths from non-intact families and youths with one immigrant parent. Native and first- and second-generation immigrant youth may differ substantially from one another in many ways, and may therefore manifest different patterns of drinking behaviours. From a policy and prevention perspective, the data in this study imply that native youths and youths with one immigrant parent should be a central target group for alcohol prevention policy in Sweden.

The school-to-work transitions of second-generation immigrant youth.

The children of immigrants obtain high levels of post-secondary attainment in Canada, but their ability to translate these educational credentials into good jobs varies among ethno-racial groups. To understand the social processes behind these unequal outcomes, we conducted in-depth interviews with 27 second-generation immigrant youth living in the province of Ontario. Motivated by the desire for intergenerational upward mobility and trusting in the widespread misrecognition of Canada as an education-based meritocracy, these young people pursued higher education as a means to gain entry into white-collar occupations. Despite their ambitions, the second-generation youth in this study did not have access to the 'career relevant' capital needed to mobilize their educational credentials in the white-collar labour market. And although they engaged in various forms of meta-work to help them acquire 'career-relevant' capital, the challenges they faced were not only the result of differential access to capital, but they also had to do with the way their capital was recognized in the labour market. The findings presented here emphasize the importance of considering how the intersection of multiple overlapping processes of social differentiation (i.e., immigrant status, class position, and ethno-racial background) shape second-generation youth's access to and recognition of 'career-relevant' capital in their school-to-work transitions.

Focused, Exploratory, or Vigilant: Reproduction, Mobility, and the Self-Narratives of Second-Generation Immigrant Youth

Focused, Exploratory, or Vigilant: Reproduction, Mobility, and the Self-Narratives of Second-Generation Immigrant Youth

Family cohesion and school belongingness: Protective factors for immigrant youth against bias-based bullying.

This study explores the protective effects of family cohesion and school belongingness against the negative consequences of bullying. 481 immigrant and nonimmigrant US middle-school students (Mage = 13.28(0.87), 49% female; 36% ethnic minority) self-reported their experiences being bullied, school belongingness, family cohesion, and socioemotional well-being measured as externalizing, internalizing, and prosocial behaviors. First- or second-generation immigrant youth (n = 72) came from 30 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. Family cohesion served as a protective factor for both immigrant and nonimmigrant youth, but for different outcomes of bullying experiences. For immigrant youth who experienced more bullying, having a more cohesive family was associated with decreased levels of internalizing problems. Additionally, stronger school belongingness and especially family cohesion related to more prosocial behaviors among more frequently bullied immigrant youth. Nonimmigrant youth who experienced bullying, however, reported fewer externalizing problems when they had stronger family cohesion and especially school belongingness. The findings highlight the importance of considering the interacting systems in which immigrant youth are embedded and suggest that family cohesion as a protective factor may work differently for immigrant than for nonimmigrant youth experiencing bias-based bullying.

Rethinking Institutional Habitus in Education: A Relational Approach for Studying Its Sources and Impacts

Institutional habitus is a useful concept for analysing how schools adopt certain dispositions and influence students’ educational trajectories. The literature, however, reduces its source to collective social class mediated by an institution and only employs it to explain the reproduction of inequalities. Instead, I offer a relational framework that ties the concepts of institutional habitus, field and capital, and investigate how a secondary school improves the educational engagement of working-class, second-generation Turkish immigrant youth in Germany. The findings reveal that the school’s institutional habitus combines the communal values of the immigrant community and the middle-class academic practices; the former narrows the gap between home and school, and the latter modifies the classed feelings of students. The relational framework discloses that schools’ educational status in the educational field constitutes the source of institutional habitus, and that the institutional habitus can also explain the reduction of inequalities by schools.

‘Makin’ it’ in the Heartland: Exploring perceptions of success among second-generation immigrant youth in St. Louis

IntroductionDebates in the literature on youth transitions and on immigrant adaptation acknowledge that recent societal shifts have altered the conditions for young people growing up today. As a result, traditional notions of success may limit our understanding of the mechanisms that lead to differential transitional and adaptation pathways among today's children of immigrants. This study explores the definitions of success among a sample of Bosnian-origin youth in St. Louis. MethodThe analysis is based on the first wave of in-depth qualitative interviews with 58 Bosnian second-generation youth (age 15–23) in St. Louis. Interviews lasted 45–90 min, were conducted in English, transcribed and coded following an inductive analytic logic. ResultsOverall the respondents complemented traditional notions of success, such as material stability and family formation with more subjective indicators such as self-fulfillment and happiness. ConclusionsThe findings highlight the importance for future waves of data collection to trace how definitions of success evolve and how they shape particular trajectories of the youth in our study. On a more general level, these findings urge researchers to incorporate definitions of success that are not primarily based on social and economic status mobility in an effort to generate a more nuanced understanding of the adaptations and transitions to adulthood of today's children of immigrants.

Canadian immigrant youth and co-ethnic friendship group change

ABSTRACT Cross-ethnic friendships are at the heart of the immigration experience. We examine the incidence and change of co-ethnic friendship groups among 1.5 and second-generation immigrant youth in Canada using the nationally representative Ethnic Diversity Survey. We find that visible minority immigrant youth friendships are more co-ethic than those of non-visible minority immigrant youth. We also find visible minority individuals’ friendship groups become more co-ethnic over time. In addition, we find differences in the pattern and direction of change across different visible minority immigrant youth groups. We interpret these findings in light of theories of assimilation and segmented assimilation.

Immigration status and bullying victimization: Associations across national and school contexts

This study examined whether the association between immigration and bullying victimization differed across immigrant generation, age and national and school context. Data were used from the 2013–14 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study among nationally-representative samples of young people in 26 countries/regions. Multilevel logistic regression analyses showed that first- and second-generation immigrants were more likely to report bullying victimization than non-immigrants. However, differences according to immigration status were more pronounced for first- than second-generation immigrants. For both immigrants and non-immigrants, bullying victimization was less prevalent at older ages. Strikingly, all immigration effects were similar across countries, and only differences in bullying victimization between second-generation immigrant and non-immigrant youth varied across schools. This variation was not related to school-level classmate or teacher support. Findings point to the vulnerability of immigrant youth for bullying victimization throughout Europe.

Parent-Youth Relationships, Racial Discrimination, and Delinquency among Second-Generation Ethiopian Israeli Adolescents: Translational Implications

Second-generation immigrant youth in general, and Ethiopian Israeli youth in particular, are at risk for poverty and exposure to discrimination, circumstances that increase their vulnerability to delinquent behavior. Studies of immigrant youth indicate that family influences exert powerful influences on delinquent behavior and have been the focus of many efficacious prevention programs. Little is known, however, regarding family relationships and delinquency among Ethiopian Israelis, a vulnerable group for whom limited family-centered prevention programs exist. We thus investigated parent-youth relationship factors associated with delinquency and their potential to moderate the link between racial discrimination and delinquency. The study sample included 110 Ethiopian Israeli adolescents who completed measures of discrimination, relationship quality, and limit setting with their mothers and fathers, and delinquency. Direct effect analyses indicated that having a disengaged relationship with one’s father, a lack of limit setting by one’s mother and, to a limited extent, having an engaged relationship with one’s mother were particularly salient family factors predicting delinquency. Interaction analyses revealed that disengaged mother-youth relationships, engaged mother-youth relationships, and a lack of limit setting by mothers and fathers moderated the influence of racial discrimination on delinquency. The present study provides evidence for the importance of parent-youth engagement characteristics and parental limit setting in the relationships between Ethiopian Israeli youth and their mothers and fathers.

Disadvantaged, but morally superior: ethnic boundary making strategies of second-generation male Turkish immigrant youth in Germany

ABSTRACTIn this study of minority groups, destigmatization strategies are revealed when it comes to ethnic stratification, socio-economic segregation and the possible courses of second-generation immigrants’ adaptation. Although Germany – with its restrictive citizenship policies, exclusionary public discourses and socio-economic segregation – is characterized by robust ethnic boundaries, the destigmatization strategies of its minorities have been ignored so far. Using a case study of Turkish second-generation immigrant youth in Germany, this article aims to fill this gap in the literature. My findings illustrate that this group of youth mainly assert the moral inferiority of the dominant group through normative inversion, while a few of them appropriate equalizing strategies such as universalizing and contingent detachment. I argue that the reason for different destigmatization strategies can be explained by different degrees of exposure to ethnic boundaries, due to biographical scripts and individual resources. My findings empirically substantiate Lamont’s and Wimmer’s theoretical arguments within the understudied German context.