Gendered expectations and gendered experiences: Immigrant students' adaptation in schools

Abstract

This chapter draws on longitudinal data to examine the role of gender in immigrant students' educational adaptation. Analyses show that over time girls receive higher grades and express higher future expectations than do boys. Compared with boys, immigrant girls are more likely to be protected from risk factors, such as harsh school environments, by a supported network of teachers, friends, and parents, and to benefit from the shield of ethnicity more than their male counterparts in their pursuit of education.

Strategic Transformation: Cultural and Gender Identity Negotiation in First-Generation Vietnamese Youth

“…Over time, Qin-Hillard found that boys, whose academic performance continued to slide, were more likely than girls to adopt a hyphenated identity, such as Chinese-American or Dominican-American. In addition to maintaining their ethnic identification, girls also tend to have stronger social networks that help them become more successful at school, such as supportive teachers, parental supervision, and female friends who are serious about school (Qin-Hillard, 2003). Immigrant boys, on the other hand, tend to have fewer social networks that would benefit them in school.…”

“…At home, parents are less strict with boys and allow them greater personal freedom outside of the home. This personal freedom increases their chances of encountering negative forces on the street (Qin-Hillard, 2003), which decreases their chances of achieving in school. Meanwhile, parents tend to have closer supervision over their daughters' social and personal activities and restrict their chances of having a social life outside of the home.…”

“…While many immigrant families and communities embrace traditional values regarding gender roles and expectations, which tend to restrict women's personal choices and movements, studies consistently show that young immigrant women have been excelling in school (Lopez, 2002;Portes & Rumbaut, 1996Qin-Hillard, 2003;Rodriguez, 2003;C. Suarez-Orozco & SuarezOrozco, 2001;Waters, 1996;Zhou & Bankston, 2001).…”

“…Numerous studies show that double standards exist between male and female children (Espiritu, 2001;Kibria, 1993;Louie, 2004;Qin-Hillard, 2003;Strategic Transformation Sarroub, 2005;Valenzuela, 1999b;Waters, 1996;Zhou & Bankston, 1998. While immigrant males are afforded more opportunities and freedom to explore life outside of the home, girls' social activities are usually under careful scrutiny because they are perceived as "keepers of culture" (Billson, 1995).…”

“…Several scholars have highlighted the role that the maintenance of cultural and ethnic identities plays in the academic success of students (Gonzalez, Moll, & Amanti, C., 2005;Qin-Hillard, 2003;Valenzuela, 1999b) or the roles that schools play in forcing the assimilation and racialization of students (Lee, 2005;Olsen, 1997). Still, other scholars have argued that linguistic and cultural assimilation facilitates the academic success of immigrant students (Huntington, 2004;Porter, 1990).…”