Growing Up American: The Challenge Confronting Immigrant Children and Children of Immigrants

TLDR

Immigrant children and their descendants now comprise the fastest‑growing, most diverse segment of U.S. children, yet research on their socioeconomic circumstances has historically lagged behind studies of adult immigrants. This article synthesizes studies of immigrant children’s experiences and adaptation to construct a general framework that enhances understanding of the new second generation. The authors chart evolving reception contexts, critique traditional adaptation theories, propose alternative frameworks, and review recent empirical findings to inform sociological theory.

Abstract

Since the 1980s, immigrant children and children of immigrant parentage have become the fastest growing and the most extraordinarily diverse segment of America's child population. Until the recent past, however, scholarly attention has focused on adult immigrants to the neglect of their offspring, creating a profound gap between the strategic importance of the new second generation and the knowledge about its socioeconomic circumstances. The purpose of this article is to pull together existing studies that bear directly or indirectly on children's immigrant experiences and adaptational outcomes and to place these studies into a general framework that can facilitate a better understanding of the new second generation. The article first describes the changing trends in the contexts of the reception the new second generation has encountered. The article then discusses the ways in which conventional theoretical perspectives about immigrant adaptation are being challenged and alternative frameworks are being developed. Thirdly, it examines empirical findings from recent research and evaluates their contribution to the sociology of immigration. Finally, it highlights the main conclusions from prior research and their theoretical and practical implications for future studies.