The Immigrant Paradox in Children and Adolescents: Is Becoming American a Developmental Risk?

Many academic and public policies promote rapid immigrant assimilation. Yet, researchers have recently identified an emerging pattern, known as the "immigrant paradox," in which assimilated children of immigrants experience diminishing developmental outcomes and educational achievements. This volume examines these controversial findings by asking how and why highly acculturated youth may fare worse academically and developmentally than their less assimilated peers, and under what circumstances this pattern is disrupted. This timely compilation of original research is aimed at understanding how acculturation affects immigrant child and adolescent development. Chapters explore the question "Is Becoming American a Developmental Risk?" through a variety of lenses — psychological, sociological, educational, and economic. Contributors compare differential health, behavioral, and educational outcomes for foreign- and native-born children of immigrants across generations. While economic and social disparities continue to present challenges impeding child and adolescent development, particularly for U.S.-born children of immigrants, findings in this book point to numerous benefits of biculturalism and bilingualism to preserve immigrants' strengths.