Poster #21 - Immigrant Advantage and Paradox in Middle School Academic Outcomes: Region/Country of Origin Effects

• In Event: Poster Session 19

Abstract

25% of children in the United States are from Hispanic families, many of which have migrated to the United States recently in search of a better life (Jensen & Bachmeier, 2015). "Immigrant advantage” has been found by researchers, whereby enhanced outcomes in the areas of academics and health are found for immigrant children compared to U.S.-born children (Eltareb et al., 2016). "Immigrant paradox” has also been found in which longer-term assimilation and later generation youth in the U.S. perform worse than first-generation children (Marks et al., 2014). Unfortunately, in the research, immigrant children are often grouped together and important differences in outcomes as a function of country of origin are lost, and the only comparison made is between immigrant children and (typically White) US-born children.
The current study examined immigrant children and academic outcomes based on country/region of origin and generation (1st and 2nd gen) using data from a large, cohort-sequential longitudinal study following ethnically diverse, low-income preschool children throughout their public-school trajectory. A subsample of (n = 2,655) immigrant children of Latinx origin with parent and child birth country information comprised the current sample. This sample includes 2,358 1st-generation immigrant children (child born outside US) and 305 2nd-generation children (child born in US, parent born elsewhere). In terms of country of origin, 1,329 were from Cuba, 348 from Central America (Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador), 595 from South America (Argentina, Colomb,ia and Venezuela), and 383 from Non-Cuban Caribbean islands (Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic). Administrative school record data on the children were collected in 3rd, 5th, and 8th grade, including GPA, reading and math scores, days absent, suspension and retention. ANCOVAs and chi-squares were run including covariates (race [Latino/Black], poverty status [lunch yes/no], English proficiency, and disability status [Y/N]), and post hoc comparisons were run with the main IVs of interest being generation [1,2] and country of origin.
Figure 1 shows main effects for country/region of origin on 3rd grade GPA, reading, and math scores. Cubans and South Americans performed equally high when compared to Central Americans and Non-Cuban Caribbeans who performed worse (also true for 5th and 8th grade). Mean are included in Table 1, which includes generational differences. Immigrant paradox was observed in that 1st generation students outperformed 2nd generation students on all outcomes. Interactions between generation and country/region of origin showed that generational differences were the same across the regions expect for 3rd grade GPA and for 8th grade days absent. 3rd grade GPAs for 1st-gen students were generally higher than 2nd -gen students for all region/country-of-origin groups, however, this was not true for Cuban descendants where 2nd generation students did worse than 1st-gen students (Table 1). Grade 8 days absent showed that 2nd-gen students missed more days than 1st-gen students in all countries of origins, but the smallest effect observed was for Cuban immigrants. We evidence that notable country/region of origin difference exist amongst Latinx immigrant children, that immigrant paradox is present, and that it is important to examine immigrant paradox across immigrants from different countries.

Authors

• Ulda Gibelli Maldonado-Arias, George Mason University
  Presenting Author

• Adam Winsler, George Mason University