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Academic Achievement of Legal Immigrants’ Children: The Roles of Parents’ Pre‐ and Postmigration Characteristics in Origin‐Group Differences
Author(s) -
Pong Suetling,
Landale Nancy S.
Publication year - 2012
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.1467-8624.2012.01790.x
Subject(s) - immigration , psychology , academic achievement , disadvantage , socioeconomic status , developmental psychology , ethnic group , demography , population , sociology , archaeology , history , political science , anthropology , law
Using data from the New Immigrant Survey, a study based on a nationally representative sample of legal immigrants, the present study extends prior research on the academic outcomes of immigrants’ children by examining the roles of pre‐ and postmigration parental characteristics and the home environment. An analysis of 2,147 children aged 6–12 shows that parents’ premigration education is more strongly associated with children’s academic achievement than any other pre‐ or postmigration attribute. Premigration parental attributes account for the test score disadvantage of Mexican‐origin children of legal immigrants, relative to their non‐Latino counterparts. The findings reveal continuities and discontinuities in parental socioeconomic status and demonstrate that what parents bring to the United States and their experiences after arrival influence children’s academic achievement.