Transitioning: Academic and Social Performance of African Immigrant Students in an American High School

Abstract

Student achievement data in schools are often analyzed in terms of ethnic and racial parameters. Such data categorize African immigrant students as African Americans, thus creating an impression of homogeneity within the African American racial group. Given that these immigrant students relocate to the United States with cultural backgrounds that shape their views on educational opportunities, their school experiences render a unique perspective on the dynamics of schooling in the United States. Students enroll in schools where their racial status is an important defining characteristic. Their response to the school system and the racial and social dynamics that accompany this status has definite implications for their academic and social school experiences.

Academic and Social Adjustment of High School Refugee Youth in Newfoundland

“…For example, Mullins (2010) found that English-speaking Caribbean and Africanborn students were more likely to go to college than non-English-speaking peers in their ethnic groups in Toronto. Njue and Retish (2010) same trend in their study of African immigrant students at an American high school. Some Canadian researchers further pointed out that refugee youth with limited literacy skills in their first language and/or English are very disadvantaged and challenged, causing high drop-out rates (Derwing, Decorby, Ichikawa, & Jamieson, 1999;Watt & Roessingh, 1994, 2001) and gang involvement (Ngo, Calhoun, Worthington, Pyrch, & Este, 2017;Rossiter & Rossiter, 2009).…”

“…For example, students from cultures that highly value formal education, especially East and Southeast Asian countries with a Confucian educational heritage, tend to perform well academically (Chow, 2000;Costigan, Su, & Hua, 2010;Garnett, 2010;Mullins, 2010;Toohey & Derwing, 2008;Zhou & Bankston, 1998). The American high school students of African origin in Njue and Retish's (2010) study had a "deep-seated desire to acquire education" (p. 366) because they came from environments where opportunities to obtain education were scarce and going to school was equated with higher social status.…”

Untold Stories: Newark’s Burgeoning West African Population and the In-School Experiences of African Immigrant Youth

“…21, 758) While it would be decades before its full impact would be felt, the legislation helped to usher significant changes to the ethno-racial landscape of the United States. Due to the 1965 legislation, the percentage of immigrants admitted under the family unification provision increased from around 14% in the mid-1960s to 70% by 1980 (Njue & Retish, 2010). As reflected in Table 4.1, in 1970 the US foreign-born population represented less than 5% of the total population, its lowest level in the twentieth century.…”

Achievement and Expectations of Immigrant, Second Generation, and Non-immigrant Black Students in U.S. Higher Education

“…An examination of transcripts (Albertini, 2004) revealed that mean cumulative middle school GPA for immigrant Black middle school students from the Caribbean varied from 1.88 to 1.81 on a four-point scale. Research using standardized test scores as outcome variables (Njue & Retish, 2010) revealed that immigrant Black middle school students from Africa outperformed their non-immigrant Black peers in math skills (29% and 25% pass rate, respectively), but in reading the pattern was reversed (39% and 47% pass rate for immigrant and non-immigrant students, respectively). Taken together, findings demonstrate variability in participation and persistence in higher education despite similar constraints in academic preparation for Black students.…”