IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/poprpr/v41y2022i3d10.1007_s11113-021-09687-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mexican-Origin Children's Educational Expectations and Academic Performance: Disparities Across Maternal Legal Status and Children’s Immigrant Generation

Author

Listed:
  • Jeehye Kang

    (Old Dominion University)

  • Ingrid P. Whitaker

    (Old Dominion University)

Abstract

The immigrant generation of children (1st, 2nd, or 3rd +) is an important predictor in children’s academic outcomes in previous assimilation models. However, little is known about how maternal legal status may interact with the effect of children’s generational status. Using a sample of 604 Mexican-origin children (aged 9–17) from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Study, this study examined children’s academic disparities across maternal legal status and children’s immigrant generation. Specifically, we examined 1) any academic score differences by maternal legal status (documented vs. undocumented) for each generation; 2) any academic score differences by children’s immigrant generation among children of undocumented mothers (first vs. second generation); and 3) the extent to which children’s educational expectations explained their academic disparities. Results showed that second-generation children of undocumented mothers had lower reading scores than second-generation children of documented mothers. Unexpectedly, first-generation children of undocumented mothers performed as well as first-generation children of documented mothers; they also performed as well as second-generation children of undocumented mothers. Net of covariates, the low educational expectations of first-generation children of undocumented mothers provided only a limited explanation for their reading disadvantages compared to second-generation children of documented mothers and third-plus generation children. This research provides policy implications for more effectively integrating immigrant-origin youths.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeehye Kang & Ingrid P. Whitaker, 2022. "Mexican-Origin Children's Educational Expectations and Academic Performance: Disparities Across Maternal Legal Status and Children’s Immigrant Generation," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(3), pages 1191-1216, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:41:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s11113-021-09687-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s11113-021-09687-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11113-021-09687-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11113-021-09687-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cecilia Menjívar, 2008. "Educational Hopes, Documented Dreams: Guatemalan and Salvadoran Immigrants' Legality and Educational Prospects," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 620(1), pages 177-193, November.
    2. George J. Borjas, 2017. "The Earnings of Undocumented Immigrants," NBER Working Papers 23236, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Gonzalez, Arturo, 2003. "The education and wages of immigrant children: the impact of age at arrival," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 203-212, April.
    4. Krista Perreira & Lisa Spees, 2015. "Foiled Aspirations: The Influence of Unauthorized Status on the Educational Expectations of Latino Immigrant Youth," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 34(5), pages 641-664, October.
    5. Krista Perreira & Kathleen Harris & Dohoon Lee, 2006. "Making it in America: High school completion by immigrant and native youth," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 43(3), pages 511-536, August.
    6. James D. Bachmeier & Jennifer Van Hook & Frank D. Bean, 2014. "Can We Measure Immigrants' Legal Status? Lessons from Two U.S. Surveys," International Migration Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(2), pages 538-566, June.
    7. Alejandro Portes & Patricia Fernández-Kelly, 2008. "No Margin for Error: Educational and Occupational Achievement among Disadvantaged Children of Immigrants," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 620(1), pages 12-36, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dustmann, Christian & Glitz, Albrecht, 2011. "Migration and Education," Handbook of the Economics of Education, in: Erik Hanushek & Stephen Machin & Ludger Woessmann (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Education, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 0, pages 327-439, Elsevier.
    2. Xintong Liu & Yang Song, 2020. "Comparing the Ethnicity Proxy and Residual Method: Applications to the State-level DREAM Acts and DACA," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 46(1), pages 82-101, January.
    3. Stiefel, Leanna & Schwartz, Amy Ellen & Conger, Dylan, 2010. "Age of entry and the high school performance of immigrant youth," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 303-314, May.
    4. Christal Hamilton & Claire Altman & James Bachmeier & Cody Spence, 2022. "Legal status and health disparities: An examination of health insurance coverage among the foreign-born," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 47(16), pages 453-488.
    5. Diaz-Strong, Daysi X. & Ybarra, Marci A., 2016. "Disparities in high school completion among Latinos: The role of the age-at-arrival and immigration status," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 282-289.
    6. Cynthia Feliciano & Yader R. Lanuza, 2016. "The Immigrant Advantage in Adolescent Educational Expectations," International Migration Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(3), pages 758-792, September.
    7. Frank Anthony Rodriguez & Marika Dawkins, 2017. "Undocumented Latino Youth: Migration Experiences and the Challenges of Integrating into American Society," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 419-438, May.
    8. Cecilia Menjívar, 2008. "Educational Hopes, Documented Dreams: Guatemalan and Salvadoran Immigrants' Legality and Educational Prospects," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 620(1), pages 177-193, November.
    9. Marie C. Hull, 2023. "What divides the first and second generations? Family time of arrival and educational outcomes for immigrant youth," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 89(3), pages 754-787, January.
    10. Björn NILSSON, 2019. "Education and migration: insights for policymakers," Working Paper 23ca9c54-061a-4d60-967c-f, Agence française de développement.
    11. Mariana Sanchez & Eduardo Romano & Christyl Dawson & Hui Huang & Alicia Sneij & Elena Cyrus & Patria Rojas & Miguel Ángel Cano & Judith Brook & Mario De La Rosa, 2016. "Drinking and Driving among Recent Latino Immigrants: The Impact of Neighborhoods and Social Support," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-15, October.
    12. Todd Schoellman, 2013. "Refugees and Early Childhood Human Capital," 2013 Meeting Papers 52, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    13. Arroyo-González, Jose, 2020. "Effect of the migratory status in the income and gender wage gap of Costa Rican immigrants living in the northeast of the United States," Revista de Ciencias Económicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Económicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, vol. 38(1), January.
    14. Stephanie Potochnick, 2014. "The Academic Adaptation of Children of Immigrants in New and Established Settlement States: The Role of Family, Schools, and Neighborhoods," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 33(3), pages 335-364, June.
    15. Christina Diaz & Jennifer Lee, 2023. "Segmented assimilation and mobility among men in the early 20th century," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 48(5), pages 107-152.
    16. Giuntella, Osea & Lonsky, Jakub & Mazzonna, Fabrizio & Stella, Luca, 2021. "Immigration policy and immigrants’ sleep. Evidence from DACA," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 1-12.
    17. Giuntella, Osea & Lonsky, Jakub, 2020. "The effects of DACA on health insurance, access to care, and health outcomes," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    18. Oropesa, R.S. & Landale, Nancy S. & Hillemeier, Marianne M., 2015. "Family legal status and health: Measurement dilemmas in studies of Mexican-origin children," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 57-67.
    19. Kırdar, Murat Güray & Koç, İsmet & Dayıoğlu, Meltem, 2023. "School integration of Syrian refugee children in Turkey," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    20. Ha, Yoonsook & Ybarra, Marci, 2014. "The role of parental immigration status in Latino families' child care selection," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(P3), pages 342-351.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:41:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s11113-021-09687-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.