Education and Immigration

Immigration & Society

by Grace Kao, Elizabeth Vaquera, Kimberly Goyette

Education is a crucially important social institution, closely correlated with wealth, occupational prestige, psychological well-being, and health outcomes. Moreover, for children of immigrants – who account for almost one in four school-aged children in the U.S. – it is the primary means through which they become incorporated into American society.  This insightful new book explores the educational outcomes of post-1965 immigrants and their children. Tracing the historical context and key contemporary scholarship on immigration, the authors examine issues such as structural versus cultural theories of education stratification, the overlap of immigrant status with race and ethnicity, and the role of language in educational outcomes. Throughout, the authors pay attention to the great diversity among some arrive with PhDs to work as research professors, while others arrive with a primary school education and no English skills to work as migrant laborers. As immigrants come from an ever-increasing array of races, ethnicities, and national origins, immigrant assimilation is more complex than ever before, and education is central to their adaptation to American society. Shedding light on often misunderstood topics, this book will be invaluable for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate-level courses in sociology of education, immigration, and race and ethnicity.

Genres: Education

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Tiffany Lepa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very accessible and laid out an excellent portrait of the history of immigration in America, current issues, and how education (among other factors) plays into each immigrant's experience. Would recommend for educators and all of America. :)

[Mills College Library]

371.82691 K1692 2013