EDUCATIONAL-PROGRESS OF CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANTS - THE ROLES OF CLASS, ETHNICITY, AND SCHOOL CONTEXT

Recent immigration to the United States has spawned a rapidly growing second generation, most of whom are of school age. This article report s the findings of a study of 5,266 second-generation high school stude nts in Florida and California, who were children of Cuban and Vietname se immigrants (representative of relatively advantaged groups) and of Haitian and Mexican immigrants (representative of relatively disadvant aged groups). The study found that parents' socioeconomic status ISES) , length of U.S. residence, and hours spent on homework significantly affected the students' academic performance, but did not eliminate the effects of ethnic community. Attendance at higher-SES schools increas ed the average academic performance and the positive effect of parents ' SES, whereas attendance at inner-city schools flattened the negative effect of ethnic disadvantage. However, school context had no appreci able effect on children from advantaged ethnic backgrounds.