Learning a New Land: Immigrant Students in American Society

by Carola Suárez-Orozco, Marcelo M. Suárez-Orozco, Irina Todorova

Overview

One child in five in America is the child of immigrants, and their numbers increase each year. Very few will return to the country they barely remember. Who are they, and what America do they know?

Based on an extraordinary interdisciplinary study that followed 400 newly arrived children from the Caribbean, China, Central America, and Mexico for five years, this book provides a compelling account of the lives, dreams, and frustrations of these youngest immigrants. Richly told portraits of high and low achievers are packed with unexpected ironies. When they arrive, most children are full of optimism and a respect for education. But poor neighborhoods and dull—often dangerous—schools can corrode hopes. The vast majority learn English—but it is the English of video games and the neighborhood, not that of standardized tests.

For some of these children, those heading off to college, America promises to be a land of dreams. These lucky ones have often benefited from caring mentors, supportive teachers, or savvy parents. For others, the first five years are marked by disappointments, frustrations, and disenchantment. How can we explain their varied academic journeys?

The children of immigrants, here to stay, are the future—and how they adapt will determine the nature of America in the twenty-first century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780674045804
Publisher:	Harvard University Press
Publication date:	09/01/2010
Pages:	440
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Carola Suárez-Orozco is Professor of Human Development and Psychology and Co-Director of the Institute for Immigrant Children, Youth, and Families at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Marcelo M. Suárez-Orozco is Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, Distinguished Professor of Education, and Co-Director of the Institute for Immigrant Children, Youth, and Families at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Irina Todorova is an international health psychology consultant in Boston.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Long View on Immigrant Students

1. Academic Engagement and Performance

2. Networks of Relationships

3. Less-Than-Optimal Schools

4. The Challenge of Learning English

5. Portraits of Declining Achievers

6. Portraits of Low Achievers

7. Portraits of Improvers

8. Portraits of High Achievers

Conclusion: Immigration Policy Dilemmas

Notes

References

Acknowledgments

Index

Tables and Figures

What People are Saying About This

Gary Orfield

In the fierce national debate about immigration, too many ignore the millions of children trying to find their way in a society that wants their parents' work, does not want to give them rights, but expects them to meet intense academic demands in a language they don't command, in communities from which their families may be expelled. The Suárez-Orozcos' remarkable study of immigrant students on both coasts challenges us to think about the consequences and to help these children realize their potential.

— Gary Orfield, Co-Director, Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles, University of California, Los Angeles

Kathleen McCartney

This is a compelling report on a groundbreaking study of immigrant adaptation to America. The authors offer a comprehensive overview of the possibilities and challenges immigrant children face in public schools, and make a strong case for practical strategies and new policies to enable them to become successful students and citizens. This is a must-read for teachers, policymakers, and educators who are invested in the future of our nation's increasingly multicultural schools.
— Kathleen McCartney, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Editorial Reviews

This is a compelling report on a groundbreaking study of immigrant adaptation to America. The authors offer a comprehensive overview of the possibilities and challenges immigrant children face in public schools, and make a strong case for practical strategies and new policies to enable them to become successful students and citizens. This is a must-read for teachers, policymakers, and educators who are invested in the future of our nation's increasingly multicultural schools.

Kathleen McCartney

[Learning a New Land] examines how the children of immigrants are doing in American schools. It's a discouraging picture, and should be a wake-up call to anyone who cares about education.

San Francisco Chronicle - Josh Green

This book offers the results of a five-year study that followed 400 children from China, Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico, all newly arrived in the United States. These kids' struggles are so poignant. The statistics are amazing, too: One of every five children in America is the child of an immigrant, and one in five immigrant children has only one native English-speaking friend.

Cookie - Nell Casey

In the fierce national debate about immigration, too many ignore the millions of children trying to find their way in a society that wants their parents' work, does not want to give them rights, but expects them to meet intense academic demands in a language they don't command, in communities from which their families may be expelled. The Suárez-Orozcos' remarkable study of immigrant students on both coasts challenges us to think about the consequences and to help these children realize their potential.

Gary Orfield

This book offers the results of a five-year study that followed 400 children from China, Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico, all newly arrived in the United States. These kids' struggles are so poignant. The statistics are amazing, too: One of every five children in America is the child of an immigrant, and one in five immigrant children has only one native English-speaking friend.
— Nell Casey

Cookie

[Learning a New Land] examines how the children of immigrants are doing in American schools. It's a discouraging picture, and should be a wake-up call to anyone who cares about education.
— Josh Green

San Francisco Chronicle