Offers in-depth analysis of the new second generation of Americans, spawned by accelerated immigration in recent years. Both social scientists and professionals in the social services get a wealth of information, starting with 12 real-life stories of immigrant families from Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Trinidad, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. They also get information about: (1) the immigrant population in the United States, based on U.S. Census data; (2) the socioeconomic adaptation of immigrant families, with emphasis on the determinants of immigrant economic achievement and family structure; (3) the characteristics, situations, and perceptions of immigrant families, with an emphasis on experiences raising their children in the U.S.; (4) the determinants and consequences of linguistic acculturation; (5) the evolution of different types of ethnic self-identities and how they are shaped by such factors as discrimination; (6) the subjective world of second-generation youth, including parent-child conflict and cohesion; and (7) factors influencing children’s academic performance and chances of educational success. Public policymakers are urged to support efforts to ensure the long-term adaptive prospects of immigrants and the communities in which they have settled and to educate mainstream Americans about the potential positive contributions of the immigrant second generation.
