Social Science Quarterly · 2001 · 220 citations · 9 references
EthnicityHuman MigrationEducational OutcomesMulticultural EducationMultilingualismEducational AttainmentEducationCultural FactorEthnic Group RelationRaceLatino/a StudiesLatino CultureSociology Of EducationCultural IntegrationCultural DiversityImmigrant CultureEthnic StudiesEducational DisadvantageLanguage StudiesBilingual StudentsMulticulturalismEducational StatisticsLatino YouthsBilingual EducationSchool Dropout RatesIntercultural EducationCultureSecondary EducationSociologyBiculturalism
This study examines how retaining an immigrant culture affects school dropout rates among Vietnamese, Koreans, Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans. The authors analyze 1990 Census data on language use, household language, and immigrant presence to assess their impact on school dropout. Bilingual students, those in bilingual households, and those in immigrant households are less likely to drop out, indicating that bicultural youths who draw resources from both immigrant and mainstream communities achieve greater educational success.
Objective . This study examines how retaining an immigrant culture affects school dropout rates among Vietnamese, Koreans, Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans. Methods . I use 1990 Census data to analyze how language use, household language, and presence of immigrants in the household affect dropping out of school. Results . Overall, I found that these measures have similar effects on these diverse groups: bilingual students are less likely to drop out than English‐only speakers, students in bilingual households are less likely to drop out than those in English‐dominant or English‐limited households, and students in immigrant households are less likely to drop out than those in nonimmigrant households. Conclusions . These findings suggest that those who enjoy the greatest educational success are not those who have abandoned their ethnic cultures and are most acculturated. Rather, bicultural youths who can draw resources from both the immigrant community and mainstream society are best situated to enjoy educational success.
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