Event
Education & Inequality: Phoebe Ho, Ph.D. Student, University of Pennsylvania and Grace Kao, Professor of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania
Workshop
"'American' at Home, 'Immigrant' at School: The Acculturation and Social Integration of Mixed-Nativity Families"
Though mixed-nativity families – those with one immigrant parent and one U.S.-born parent – are numerically significant, little research has sought to understand these families in the broader context of immigrant assimilation. Studies have shown that the academic outcomes of the 2.5 generation – the children of mixed-nativity parents – differ from both their second and third generation peers but have neglected factors that may shape such outcomes, such as home life and school ties. Using nationally representative data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), we address empirical and theoretical gaps by comparing the home parenting behaviors and social integration outside the home of mixed-nativity families to those of two-immigrant and native families. Among mixed-nativity families, we further distinguish between those with immigrant mothers and those with immigrant fathers. Findings from our study suggest that the assimilation process of families with immigrant parents varies depending on the domain examined and the gender of the immigrant parent. In the home domain, families in which only one parent is an immigrant generally look no different from native families in their parenting behaviors. However, we find that two-immigrant parents and immigrant mothers have fewer social ties and less social capital than native parents. These findings have implications for how researchers measure and conceptualize immigrant assimilation.