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Immigrant Families (immigrant + family)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Humanities and Social Sciences	60%
Psychology	26%
Medical Sciences	13%

Selected Abstracts

Mother,Infant Person- and Object-Directed Interactions in Latino Immigrant Families: A Comparative Approach

INFANCY, Issue 4 2008
Linda R. Cote
Cultural variation in durations, relations, and contingencies of mother,infant person-and object-directed behaviors were examined for 121 nonmigrant Latino mother,infant dyads in South America, Latina immigrants from South America and their infants living in the United States, and European American mother,infant dyads. Nonmigrant Latina mothers and infants engaged in person-directed behaviors longer than Latino immigrant or European American mothers and infants. Mother and infant person-directed behaviors were positively related; mother and infant object-related behaviors were related for some cultural groups but not others. Nearly all mother and infant behaviors were mutually contingent. Mothers were more responsive to infants' behaviors than infants were to mothers. Some cultural differences in responsiveness emerged. Immigrant status has a differentiated role in mother,infant interactions. [source]

The Health Risk Behaviours and Social Connectedness of Adolescents in Immigrant Families: Evidence from Australia

INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 2 2008
Peter Brandon
ABSTRACT Using data from Australia, health behavior outcomes and the social connectedness of adolescents in immigrant families are contrasted with the outcomes of adolescents in non-immigrant families. Findings suggest that first and second generation adolescents are less likely to drink alcohol and lack social support than third generation adolescents, but more likely not to be physically active and not to have membership to a social club or group than third generation adolescents. Second generation adolescents are more likely to smoke than third generation adolescents. Findings suggest that immigrant adolescents appear protected from negative risks, yet at the same time, do not benefit from Australia's cultural traditions for physical activity and social participation. Across generations, however, social participation and physical activity increase. Lastly, as length of time in Australia increases, the protective effect of the immigrant family against some negative risks wanes. Overall, the assimilation process leads adolescents in immigrant families to adopt Australia's prevailing social customs of health and social behaviors. [source]

Parent-Adolescent Language Use and Relationships Among Immigrant Families With East Asian, Filipino, and Latin American Backgrounds

JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 2 2000
Vivian Tseng
This study examined differences in the quality of relationships between immigrant parents and their adolescent children as a function of the languages with which they speak to one another. Over 620 adolescents with East Asian, Filipino, and Latin American backgrounds completed measures on parent-adolescent language use and relationships. Adolescents who spoke in different languages with their parents reported less cohesion and discussion with their mothers and fathers than did their peers who spoke the same language with their parents. Adolescents who mutually communicated in the native language with their parents reported the highest levels of cohesion and discussion. Longitudinal analyses indicated that whereas language use did not predict differential changes in parent-adolescent relationships over a 2-year period, the quality of relationships did predict changes in language use. The associations between language use and relationships generally existed regardless of the families' ethnic and demographic backgrounds, and these associations did not vary across families of different backgrounds. [source]

The Postsecondary Educational Progress of Youth From Immigrant Families

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE, Issue 2 2004
Andrew J. Fuligni
Approximately 650 youth from a variety of ethnic and generational backgrounds participated in a longitudinal study of the postsecondary educational experiences of youth from immigrant families. Youth completed questionnaires and provided official school records in the 12th grade and participated in a phone interview 3 years later. Youth from immigrant families demonstrated the same level of postsecondary educational progress as their peers from American-born families across a broad array of indicators. In addition, youth from immigrant families were more likely to support their families financially, and some were more likely to live with their parents as compared with those from American-born families. Variability among those from immigrant families suggested that youth from families with higher incomes, higher levels of parental education, and East Asian backgrounds were more likely to enroll and persist in postsecondary schooling as compared with their peers. [source]

Identifying Future VFR Travelers Among Immigrant Families in the Bronx, New York

JOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2010
Stefan Hagmann MD
Travelers visiting friends and relatives (VFR) have low rates of pre-travel health encounters. In 2006 in the Bronx, New York, a convenience sample of 129 families originating in malaria-endemic countries and presenting for a routine pediatric outpatient evaluation completed a standardized questionnaire regarding future travel plans to their country of origin. Pro-active screening for intended travel activities can identify future VFR travelers and ascertain potentially high-risk itineraries, thereby enabling education regarding the importance of accessing competent pre-travel medicine services. [source]

Parents and infants in changing cultural context: Immigration, trauma, and risk

INFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 3 2003
Marie Rose Moro
"Entre les bibliothèques et les bébés en détresse, il y a un grand fossé" (S. Fraiberg). "Between library and at-risk infants themselves lies a great gulf" (Fraiberg, 1999, p. 416). Whether they are African or Asian, children of immigrant families live in at-risk situations where they may be exposed to serious trauma. Immigrant families often live in extreme conditions. Although research describes these conditions, the field of intervention remains weak. How many times have I heard that work among these families does not address treatment, but only basic needs, noting that the families are preoccupied with survival,where to find food, where to sleep, where to bury their dead. Yet, the psychological care of immigrant children and families has much to teach us. In this article I will describe work that attempts to bridge the gulf that Fraiberg referred to by sharing what I have learned regarding immigrant families with infants. ©2003 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health. [source]

Immigrant Parents' Concerns Regarding Their Children's Education in the United States

FAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES RESEARCH JOURNAL, Issue 4 2009
Olena Nesteruk
A growing body of research suggests that as immigrant families assimilate into U.S. culture, their children's academic achievements and aspirations decline. This article explores possible reasons for this finding from the perspective of immigrant parents from Eastern European countries whose children attend U.S. schools. In-depth, qualitative interviews are conducted with 50 married mothers and fathers who hold professional-status employment. The data are analyzed using open and axial coding approach and three central, recurring themes emerge: (a) Parental Influences: "Education is a must,. The sky is the limit"; (b) The Educational System: "Parental guidance and resources are required"; and (c) Sociocultural Influences: "Everything here is about making money,. But what about our children'" Supporting, illustrative narratives are presented in connection with each theme to explain the perspectives of these immigrant parents on their children's schooling in the United States, and to add other tentative factors for further research into the decline of the children's academic achievement and aspirations with longer residence in the United States. Implications for family and consumer scientists are presented. [source]

How Adolescent Children of African Jamaican Immigrants Living in Canada Perceive and Negotiate their Roles within a Matrifocal Family

FAMILY PROCESS, Issue 3 2009
GEOFFREY S. NAVARA PH.D.
This research project examined the adolescent/young adult-parent relationships of African Jamaican immigrants currently living in Canada. Specifically, we focused on the transmission of cultural values and beliefs within these relationships and how the adolescents navigated and negotiated potential changes in these values because of their acculturative experiences. An examination of various mundane family/cultural practices provided insight into perceived transmission attempts by parents and the adolescent/young adult interpretation of these attempts. Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted with adolescent/young adult members of African Jamaican immigrant families living in Canada. Using Grounded Theory methodology (Glaser & Strauss, 1967), several themes emerged during the analysis of the interviews,the most significant being the issue of matrifocality within the African Jamaican family. Issues of respect and adolescent agency are also discussed as they related to the manner in which the adolescent/young adult attempted to negotiate various roles within the family. RESUMEN En este proyecto de investigación se analizaron las relaciones entre adolescentes o jóvenes adultos y sus padres en familias de inmigrantes afro-jamaiquinos que actualmente viven en Canadá. Específicamente, nos centramos en la transmisión de valores y creencias culturales dentro de estas relaciones y en cómo los adolescentes atravesaron y negociaron posibles cambios en estos valores como consecuencia de sus experiencias aculturativas. Un análisis de diversas prácticas culturales o familiares rutinarias permitió la comprensión de los intentos de transmisión percibida que hicieron los padres y la interpretación que tuvieron los adolescentes o jóvenes adultos de estos intentos. Se realizaron veinte entrevistas minuciosas a adolescentes o jóvenes adultos miembros de familias inmigrantes afro-jamaiquinas que viven en Canadá. Mediante la aplicación del método de muestreo teórico (Glaser & Strauss, 1967), surgieron varios temas durante el análisis de las entrevistas (el más importante fue el tema de la matrifocalidad dentro de la familia afro-jamaiquina). También se habla de los temas de respeto y capacidad de acción de los adolescentes, ya que se relacionaron con la manera en la que los adolescentes o jóvenes intentaron negociar distintos roles dentro de la familia. Palabras clave: aculturación familiar, relación entre padres e hijos, socialización [source]

Child temperament in three U.S. cultural groups,

INFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 5 2009
Marc H. Bornstein
Temperament among children (N = 111 20-month-olds) from three cultural backgrounds in the United States (Latin American, Japanese American, and European American) was investigated. In accord with a biobehavioral universalist perspective on the expression of early temperament, few significant group differences in child temperament were found, regardless of cultural background; however, factors associated with maternal reports of child temperament differed by cultural group. The findings provide insight into the nature of child temperament generally and temperament of children in immigrant families specifically as well as parenting in immigrant families. [source]

Parents and infants in changing cultural context: Immigration, trauma, and risk

The Health Risk Behaviours and Social Connectedness of Adolescents in Immigrant Families: Evidence from Australia

Observed parenting practices of first-generation Latino families

JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2006
Melanie Domenech Rodríguez
This study used an established behavioral observation methodology to examine the parenting practices of first-generation Latino parents of children 4 to 9 years of age. The study had three central aims, to examine: (1) the feasibility of using a behavioral observation methodology with Spanish-speaking immigrant families, (2) the utility of the Parent Peer Process Code (PPPC; Forgatch, Knutson, & Mayne, 1992) for coding parentñchild interactions, and (3) the relationship between observed parenting practices, as coded with the PPPC, and child outcomes. Families consisted of 48 fathers, 49 mothers, and 50 children. Families participated in cooperative, problem-solving, and skillsbuilding tasks. The authors coded in five broad categories: problem solving, skills building, positive involvement, effective discipline, and monitoring. Findings show that the behavioral observation methodology is feasible to use with Spanish-speaking immigrant families, that the PPPC is useful in understanding parentñchild interactions, and that the coded parentñchild interactions predict differential child outcomes. This information can help inform the development or adaptation of culturally sensitive parenting interventions to this underserved population. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

Developing cultural competence in working with Korean immigrant families

JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2006
Irene J. Kim
The authors provide an in-depth examination of the historical background, cultural values, family roles, and community contexts of Korean Americans as an aid to both researchers and clinicians in developing cultural competence with this particular group. First, the concept of cultural competence is defined. A brief history of Korean immigration patterns to the United States and demographic information about Korean Americans are reviewed. Second, Korean cultural values, family structure, and family roles are examined as they impact relationships in research and clinical contexts. Three indigenous concepts (cf. L. Kim, 1992) that may be useful in developing cultural competence include haan (suppressed anger), jeong (strong feeling of kinship), and noon-chi (ability to evaluate social situations through implicit cues). Clinical case examples and accounts from a community-based research perspective illustrate these cultural values. Third, important community resources in the Korean American context are highlighted. Links between cultural competence and "ecological pragmatism" (Kelly, Azelton, Burzette, & Mock, 1994) are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

Use of Computer Technology to Enhance Immigrant Families' Adaptation

JOURNAL OF NURSING SCHOLARSHIP, Issue 1 2006
Jenny Hsin-Chun Tsai
Purpose: To summarize how computer technology influenced immigrant families' adaptation to life in the United States. Design: Critical ethnography. Methods: Data were collected from 1998 to 2000 from 13 parents and 16 children from nine Taiwanese immigrant families using semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire. Narrative analysis was used with interview data. Findings: Participants faced the demands of language proficiency, economic survival, loss of social networks, and social disconnection during resettlement. Computer technology provided participants with new occupational opportunities and strategies to overcome the barriers and stress created by resettlement. Internet and E-mail access greatly facilitated these participant families' adaptation. Conclusions: Study findings warrant further exploration to assess how new computer technology promotes immigrant families' adaptation and alleviates stress associated with resettlement, including information about their health and health care. [source]

The Postsecondary Educational Progress of Youth From Immigrant Families

Access to institutional resources as a measure of social exclusion: Relations with family process and cognitive development in the context of immigration

NEW DIRECTIONS FOR CHILD & ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT, Issue 121 2008
Hirokazu Yoshikawa
Few studies have examined how experiences associated with being an undocumented immigrant parent affects children's development. In this article, the authors apply social exclusion theory to examine how access to institutional resources that require identification may matter for parents and children in immigrant families. As hypothesized, groups with higher proportions of undocumented parents in New York City (e.g., Mexicans compared to Dominicans) reported lower levels of access to checking accounts, savings accounts, credit, and drivers' licenses. Lack of access to such resources, in turn, was associated with higher economic hardship and psychological distress among parents, and lower levels of cognitive ability in their 24-month-old children. [source]

Extended schooling, adolescence, and the renegotiation of responsibility among Italian immigrant families in New Haven, Connecticut, 1910,1940

NEW DIRECTIONS FOR CHILD & ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT, Issue 94 2001
Stephen Lassonde
Young people's ideas about their obligations to parents are linked to the popularization of high school as an institutional space for adolescence. This chapter examines the growing acceptance of the concept of adolescence among Italian immigrants historically as a salient example of a broader cultural change. [source]

Interstate migration, spatial assimilation, and the incorporation of US immigrants

POPULATION, SPACE AND PLACE (PREVIOUSLY:-INT JOURNAL OF POPULATION GEOGRAPHY), Issue 1 2009
Matthew Hall
Abstract The recent trend of immigrant geographical diffusion in the United States has increased the relevance of a detailed understanding of the consequences of secondary migration for immigrant families, and a consideration of what is to be learned about immigrant incorporation from their patterns of domestic migration. In this paper, a regional variant of the spatial assimilation model is tested using longitudinal data on immigrant economic well-being. The results of this research indicate that, like their native counterparts, immigrants benefit, both in terms of employment and earnings, from making interstate moves. Consistent with the spatial assimilation model, immigrants migrating to states with smaller relative foreign-born populations see additional gains, with higher-skilled and better-acculturated immigrants enjoying the greatest returns. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Understanding and treating African immigrant families: new questions and strategies,

PSYCHOTHERAPY AND POLITICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2009
Augustine Nwoye
Abstract In her very important article published in Family Process, Falicov (2007) recognized the need for expanding the dominant Western notions of the family, community and culture and to adopt new theory and treatment considerations for working with transnational immigrants. Unfortunately, her discussion, despite its originality and significance, was largely limited to addressing the problems and challenges faced by well-established immigrants, who present with symptoms precipitated by relational stresses and difficult choices. This article draws attention to another category of immigrants , the Green-Carded African Immigrants in Europe and North America, whose special concerns and problems were left unaccounted for in Falicov's contribution. It aims to broaden and extend the current Western frameworks for understanding and treating the psychological needs and challenges of transnational immigrants. In this regard, it is argued that in addition to such currently existing Western models for working with established immigrants in Europe and North America (Falicov, 2003, 2007), successful work with Green-Carded African immigrants must begin by taking into account their journey motif; their narratives of hope and significance and failed constructions, and the cosmopolitan perspective of these immigrants. The article clarifies these issues, introducing new concepts and strategies for working with African immigrant families in Europe and North America. Copyright © 2009 John Wiely & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Passing for English Fluent: Latino Immigrant Children Masking Language Proficiency

ANTHROPOLOGY & EDUCATION QUARTERLY, Issue 1 2009
Lilia D. Monzó
This article describes passing for English fluent among Latino immigrant children. A two-year ethnography of eight Latino immigrant families was conducted in which fifth-grade children were followed in home, school, and community contexts. This article presents passing as a consequence of U.S. race relations. Their reasons for presenting themselves as English fluent suggest a sophisticated awareness of the power and status of English in this country and a clear link between language and identity.,[bilingualism, English language learners, Latino students, identity] [source]

Transnationalism as a Motif in Family Stories

FAMILY PROCESS, Issue 4 2005
Elizabeth Stone Ph.D.
Family stories have long been recognized as a vehicle for assessing components of a family's emotional and social life, including the degree to which an immigrant family has been willing to assimilate. Transnationalism, defined as living in one or more cultures and maintaining connections to both, is now increasingly common. A qualitative study of family stories in the family of those who appear completely "American" suggests that an affiliation with one's home country is nevertheless detectable in the stories via motifs such as (1) positively connotated home remedies, (2) continuing denigration of home country "enemies," (3) extensive knowledge of the home country history and politics, (4) praise of endogamy and negative assessment of exogamy, (5) superiority of home country to America, and (6) beauty of home country. Furthermore, an awareness of which model,assimilationist or transnational,governs a family's experience may help clarify a clinician's understanding of a family's strengths, vulnerabilities, and mode of framing their cultural experiences. [source]