Children in immigrant families account for nearly one-in-four children in the U.S. They are the fastest growing population of children, and they are leading the nation's racial and ethnic transformation. As a consequence, baby-boomers will depend heavily for economic support during retirement on race-ethnic minorities, many of whom grew up in immigrant families. Because the current circumstances and future prospects of children in immigrant families are important not only to these children themselves, but to all Americans, this report uses data from Census 2000 to portray the lives of children with immigrant parents and highlights policy and program initiatives that will foster the future success of these children. This report begins by discussing the diverse origins and destinations of children in immigrant families. It then highlights substantial evidence that children in immigrant families have deep roots in the U.S. reflected in their own citizenship, as well as their parents' citizenship and length of residence in this country, their own and their parents' English fluency, and their family commitment to homeownership. Based on a new alternative to the official poverty measure, the report continues by discussing economic challenges confronted by many immigrant families. It also portrays additional immigrant strengths and challenges associated with family composition, parental education and employment, and access for children of immigrants to early education and the later years of schooling. Looking toward fostering a successful future for these children, the report identifies promising policy and programmatic initiatives for language and literacy training, and for assuring access to education, health, and other essential services, and it identifies immigrant-related questions that should be asked in all research studies involving children and families. [Additional funding for this paper was provided by the Center for Social and Demographic Analysis at the University at Albany. Commentaries from Ruby Takanishi, Tim Smeeding, Frosso Motti-Stefanidi and Marta Tienda are included. Commentaries are individually referenced.]
Authors
Hernandez, Donald J., Denton, Nancy A., Macartney, Suzanne E.
Related Organizations
- Authorizing Institution
- Society for Research in Child Development
- Peer Reviewed
- F
- Publication Type
- ['Collected Works - Serial', 'Reports - Evaluative']
- Published in
- United States of America
- Sponsor
- ['William and Flora Hewlett Foundation', 'Foundation for Child Development', 'Annie E. Casey Foundation', 'National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH)']
Table of Contents
- A Publication of the Society for Research in Child Development Article begins on page 3 1
- Donald J. Hernandez Nancy A. Denton Suzanne E. Macartney Department of Sociology Center for Social and Demographic Analysis University at Albany State University of New York 1
- Abstract 1
- Children in immigrant families account for nearly one-in-four children in the U.S. They are the fastest grow- 1
- Census 2000 to portray the lives of children with immigrant parents and highlights policy and program initiatives 1
- This report begins by discussing the diverse origins and destinations of children in immigrant families. It 1
- Volume XXII Number III 2008 1
- Editor 2
- Lonnie Sherrod Ph.D. sherrodsrcd.org 2
- Associate Editor 2
- Jeanne Brooks-Gunn Ph.D. brooks-gunncolumbia.edu 2
- Director of SRCD Offi ce for Policy and Communications 2
- Mary Ann McCabe Ph.D. mmccabesrcd.org 2
- Managing Editor 2
- Amy D. Glaspie 2
- Children in Immigrant Families Looking to Americas Future 3
- Children in immigrant families are highly concen- trated in a few states but also spread widely across many states. 4
- Nearly one-in-four children in immigrant fami- lies 24 has a parent born in the U.S. 4
- Seventy-nine percent of children in immigrant families were born in the U.S. 5
- At least 68 of chil- dren in immigrant families in each of the U.S. states and the District of Colum- bia are fl uent in English. 6
- More than one-in-three children in immigrant families is baseline basic budget poor. 8
- Children in immigrant families are more likely than children in native families to live with two parents 84 vs. 76. 9
- Despite the strong work ethic of parents many children live with fathers who cannot fi nd full-time year-round work. 10
- Children in Immigrant Families All Our Children 12
- Ruby Takanishi Foundation for Child Development 12
- Access to the Income Safety Net for Children of Immigrants 13
- Tim Smeeding Russell Sage Foundation and Syracuse University 13
- The Role of Immigrant Children for the Economic Development and the Social Cohesion of Our Societies A European Perspective 14
- Frosso Motti-Stefanidi University of Athens Greece 14
- Additional resources should be devoted to ensuring that children in immigrant families have access to high quality early education. 15
- Fragile Futures Immigrant Children and Children of Immigrants 16
- Marta Tienda Princeton University 16
- References 20
- About the Authors 23
- Social Policy Report Report Report Report 24
- Electronic access to the is available at the s website httpwww.srcd.orgspr.html 24
- Social Policy Report Report 24
