Intersecting Inequalities: Research to Reduce Inequality for Immigrant-Origin Children and Youth

This is one of a series of five papers outlining the particular domains and dimensions of inequality where new research may yield a better understanding of responses to this growing issue.Immigration has grown across all post-industrial nations, and inequality has risen at a steep rate on a variety of indicators, including income distribution, child poverty, residential segregation, and numerous academic outcomes.In this report, we see that among the children of immigrants, inequality is manifested against a backdrop of wide disparity in post-migration conditions faced by new immigrants. Indeed, immigrant groups represent some of the most and least advantaged groups in the U.S. in terms of skills, education, and assets. Many immigrant-origin students struggle academically, leaving school without acquiring the tools necessary to function effectively in the highly competitive, knowledge-intensive U.S. economy, in which limited education impedes wages and social mobility

La Psychologie culturelle des immigrants hispaniques aux Etats-Unis : implications pour la recherche en éducation

This paper studies the deep psychological root of Spanish immigrants attitude towards their country of adoption. The disparity of immigration conditions among the hispanic community is shown. The author stresses the differing behaviours of first generation immigrants and of their children : the first generation was ready to accept psychological and affective frustrations to get a new start, because they felt responsible for their families still at home ; their children are ajusted to the WASP aspirations but resent strongly the discrimination still existing against them, which explains partly their school failure.Cet article vise à éclairer trois dimensions de l'expérience des immigrants hispaniques aux États-Unis à travers une approche qui met en lumière les ressorts psychologique profonds de leur attitude dans le pays d'accueil. L'auteur présente tout d'abord les conditions très différentes de l'immigration au sein d'une communauté hispanique assez hétérogène en dépit de caractéristiques communes. Il souligne la différence de comportement entre les immigrants de la première génération et leurs enfants. Les premiers ont à accepter leur nouvelle existence à un coût affectif et psychologique élevé, avec le sentiment très fort d'une dette morale à l'égard des membres de leur famille restés au pays. Les seconds ont mieux assimilé les aspirations de la société dominante, mais ils ressentent plus durement les formes de discrimination persistantes à leur égard, ce qui explique pour une part leur échec à l'école.Suarez-Orozco Marcelo, Suarez-Orozco Carola. La Psychologie culturelle des immigrants hispaniques aux Etats-Unis : implications pour la recherche en éducation. In: Revue française de pédagogie, volume 101, 1992. pp. 27-44

Immigration, Family Life, and Achievement Motivation Among Latino Adolescents, 1992

This study was designed to systematically examine the similarities and differences of experience among four groups of adolescents: Mexicans (born of Mexican parents and residing in Mexico), Mexican immigrants (born of Mexican parents in Mexico and now residing in the United States), second-generation Mexican Americans (born and raised in the United States of Mexican immigrant parents), and White Americans (born and raised in the United States of white, non-Hispanic, U.S.-born parents). Specifically, the study explores how family orientation (i.e., familism and family conflict) and achievement orientation differ among these groups. The participants were 189 adolescents (96 girls and 93 boys) between the ages of 13 and 18 who were attending public middle and high schools. The participants were equally divided among the four groups. Data for the Mexican sample were gathered in 1991 and 1992 in Guanajuato, one of three Mexican states from which a majority of emigrants to the United States originate. Data for the other three groups were gathered in 1992 from public schools in California. The data collection methods consisted of classroom observations, ethnographic interviews, and tests which were conducted in either English, Spanish, or both according to the students' preference and proficiency. The interviews covered demographic, life-history, and migration-related information as well as issues related to their experiences at school and with their families and peers. The interview included a number of psychological tests: Familism Scale (Sabogal et al.,1987), Family Conflict Scale (Beavers, Hampson, and Hulgus, 1985), Sentence Completion Test (De Vos, 1973), Problem Situation Test (De Vos, 1973), and Thematic Apperception Tests (Murray, 1943). The Murray Research Archive holds the completed interview booklets as well as audiotapes of interviews. A follow-up of the study is possible with the collaboration of the contributor. Audio Data Availability Note: This study contains audio data that have been digitized. There are 284 audio files available

Toxic Rain in Class: Classroom Interpersonal Microaggressions

In this article we share exploratory findings from a study that captures microaggressions (MAs) in vivo to shed light on how they occur in classrooms. These brief and commonplace indignities communicate derogatory slights and insults toward individuals of underrepresented status contributing to invalidating and hostile learning experiences. Our aim is to expand the ways in which we research and think about MAs in educational settings. Our data are drawn from structured observations of 60 diverse classrooms on three community college campuses. Our findings provide evidence that classroom MAs occur frequently—in nearly 30% of the observed community college classrooms. Although cultural/racial as well as gendered MAs were observed, the most frequent types of MAs were those that undermined the intelligence and competence of students. MAs were more likely to be delivered on campuses with the highest concentration of minority students and were most frequently delivered by instructors. We conclude by reflecting on the implications of these events for classroom climate and make recommendations for both future research and practice