The Educational, Psychological, and Social Impact of Discrimination on the Immigrant Child

The Educational, Psychological, and Social Impact of Discrimination on the Immigrant Child

Prepared for a workshop on the impact of discrimination on immigrant children, held at MPI on November 20, 2014, Educational, Psychological, and Social Impact of Discrimination on the Immigrant Child surveys the landscape of available research on this topic.  

The author defines discrimination as "harmful actions toward others because of their ethnicity, nationality, language ability and accent, or immigration status."  According to research, the majority of immigrant children have experienced some form of discrimination, coming from their peers, from school personnel, or through structural arrangements, such as inferior educational approaches or poorly resourced schools in immigrant neighborhoods. Such discrimination produces a host of negative outcomes for children, including  "lower self-esteem and life satisfaction; a greater likelihood of hopelessness, depression, and depressive symptoms; greater anxiety; and more delinquency and aggression."  Discrimination also takes a toll on the academic performance of children, leading to lower self-perception, reduced motivation, lower grades and test scores, and higher drop-out rates. The author, however, points out that there are a number of important "protective factors" that can help to mitigate the impact of discrimination, including a "strong, positive ethnic identity;" efforts by parents to prepare children to deal with discrimination ("ethnic socialization"); and the development of coping and social support skills.  The report concludes with recommendations for school personnel as to how they can reduce or eliminate the pernicious consequences of discrimination.  (Abstract courtesy Nicholas Montalto, PhD.)

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Get more information at Migration Policy Institute (MPI).