Poster #175 - Por los Niños: Latino Caregivers’ Reflections on Immigration and Parenting

• In Event: 1-061 - Poster Session 02
  In Poster Session: PS 02 Section - Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Integrative Statement

Latino children are among the fastest growing groups of children in the U.S., and almost half of U.S.-born Latinos are children of immigrants (Patten, 2016). Latino immigrant parents face unique and different challenges than those faced by non-immigrant families, most notably the negotiation of two cultures – the culture of origin and the culture of the new home. This negotiation is experienced both at an individual and a family level, yet there is limited research exploring how immigrant caregivers of very young children experience this cultural negotiation in the context of parenting decisions and practices. Our current understanding of parenting in this context is limited by both the extent and scope of available research, much of which has historically focused on parental influences on children’s outcomes. In the last two decades, however, a growing body of literature has emerged which seeks to expand and deepen our collective understanding of the experience of immigration in the family context. The current study sought to contribute to this growing body of research by exploring the lived experiences of Latino immigrant primary caregivers’ of preschool-aged children.

Data for this study were drawn from a larger measurement study on Latino family engagement conducted in partnership with 14 Head Start centers that served a high proportion of Latino children and families. A total of 74 primary caregivers who self-identified as immigrants from a Latin America country participated in nine focus groups held at their children’s Head Start center. Focus groups were conducted in Spanish and followed a semi-structured protocol designed to elicit aspirations, attitudes, and practices regarding the ways that parents and other family members are involved in the development and learning of preschool children. Caregivers were also asked to talk about their own educational experiences, the challenges they faced as they support their children’s learning at home and at school, as well as similarities and differences between their educational experiences and that of their children. Focus groups were audio- and video-recorded and have been transcribed verbatim and verified.
Qualitative analyses relied on a variable-concept-indicator coding model (i.e., LaRossa, 2005) and grounded-theory approach. A total of 18 concepts emerged (see Table 1). Within- and across-concepts analyses yielded a model of immigrant parenting that consisted of three main overarching higher-order variables or focal themes (See Figure 1): (1) the immigration context, (2) the individual-level negotiations and (3) the parent-level negotiations experienced by the caregivers. Across the three focal themes, parents juxtaposed negative and positive experiences. Thus, caregivers discussed immigration as fueled by both despair and hope that resulted in individual and family struggles, but also led to the emergence of individual and communal strengths. Likewise, successful parenting involved holding and balancing two sets of competing child needs, languages, and cultural systems. Results are discussed in terms of the resilience of Latino primary caregivers in the unique cultural context of immigration, and highlight the ongoing balancing act they are engaged in as they attempt to negotiate two cultures not only as individuals, but also as parents.

Authors

• Gigliana Melzi, New York University
  Presenting Author

• Julia Wisnia, Tufts University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Christine M McWayne, Tufts University
  Non-Presenting Author