Immigrant Children and the Transition to Adulthood

Abstract

The children of immigrants represent a large and growing segment of the US population. The children of immigrants are not progressing steadily as a group at the same rate or following a standard pathway to adulthood. Rather, there is wide variation across ethnic groups and immigrant generations, and immigrant children are not necessarily following the patterned sequence of the nonimmigrant majority. Immigrant youth reach developmental milestones such as educational attainment, job attainment, and achieving independence from parents, but they do so at varying rates and with different levels of success. These young people are diverse in terms of their backgrounds and the places where they come of age, and these factors interact in ways that help explain why they are following divergent pathways to adulthood. In particular, legal status—whether of immigrant parents or of immigrant youth themselves—has become a “master status” that conditions their path to adulthood. Future research must continue to identify the ways in which geography, local organizations, immigration reform, and other factors interact to shape opportunities that immigrant youth as they approach adulthood. The implications of the diverging developmental pathways of immigrant youth are significant, not only for immigrants and their families but also for the larger society. Given that they represent a large percentage of children today, these young people will heavily influence tomorrow's workforce—and therefore the economic strength and security of this country.

Transition to adulthood of refugee and immigrant children in Canada

“…As a result, the timing of labour market transition between refugees and children of SW immigrants may not be as stark as other transition indicators. Gonzales and Roth (2015), for instance, note that newcomer children make earlier economic transitions than others as they take on more economic responsibilities to contribute to their households.…”

“…Adulthood transition: normative order and children of newcomers Researchers have recently started to investigate the complexities of integration and adulthood transitions among immigrants vis-à-vis the native-born youth, looking at indicators that reflect their economic independence, such as transitioning from school to the labour market as well as their social independence characterized by forming romantic relationships and starting a family through marriage/common law union and childbearing (Beaujot & Kerr, 2007;Gonzales, 2011;Gonzales & Roth, 2015;Hofferth & Moon, 2016;Impicciatore, 2015;Rumbaut, 2005;Rumbaut & Komaie, 2010;Utomo, Reimond, Utomo, McDonald, & Hull, 2013). However, these studies do not disaggregate across landing categories to distinguish refugee children and youth from other immigrants.…”

Bridging sociology of religion to transition to adulthood: The emerging role of religion in young adults’ lives

“…However, a great deal of research also makes it clear that the transition to adulthood is not uniform across different demographic and socioeconomic groups. Social class, gender, race/ethnicity, and immigrant status shape the pathways to adulthood, making some groups of young people more successful than others in the transition to adulthood (Gonzales and Roth, 2015;Sandefur et al, 2005;Schoon, 2015).…”

“Estaba bien chiquito” (I Was Very Young): The Transition to Adulthood and “Illegality” of the Mexican and Central American 1.25 Generation

“…Approximately 40% of the U.S. foreign-born population arrived in childhood (Rumbaut & Komaie, 2010). These childhood arrivals—composed of naturalized U.S. citizens, authorized immigrants, and undocumented immigrants—traverse “divergent pathways” as they transition to adulthood in the United States (Gonzales & Roth, 2015, p. 1). Among the factors influencing their disparate pathways, immigration status profoundly shapes the developmental outcomes (Yoshikawa et al, 2016) and coming of age experiences of those entering unauthorized (Gonzales, 2016; Gonzales & Roth, 2015).…”

“…“Illegality,” left in quotes to denote that it is sociopolitically created, are the constraints, uncertainty, vulnerability, and deportability produced by exclusionary immigration policies (De Genova, 2002). “Illegality” limits UCAs access to postsecondary education, relegates them to low-wage work, reduces access to social welfare programs, and creates fear and distress as they come of age (Abrego, 2006; Gonzales, 2016; Gonzales & Roth, 2015; Yoshikawa et al, 2016).…”