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Unpacking Immigration in Youths' Academic and Occupational Pathways
Author(s) -
Tseng Vivian
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00946.x
Subject(s) - immigration , psychology , mediation , unpacking , developmental psychology , educational attainment , social psychology , sociology , archaeology , social science , linguistics , philosophy , economics , history , economic growth
This study sought to unpack how immigration is associated with youths' educational choices during the transition to college and adulthood. Surveys and school records were collected on 789 youth (ages 18–25) with Asian Pacific, Latino, African/Afro‐Caribbean, and European backgrounds. The results indicated generational differences in educational choices, such that children of immigrants chose courses of study with higher math and science content than that of their peers with U.S.‐born parents. Mediation analyses indicated that children of immigrants reported higher social and economic aspirations than did their peers, and their economic aspirations accounted for part of the generational difference in educational choices. Generational differences in educational choices were also mediated by verbal achievement test scores and perceived English skills.