U.S. Immigrant Children

(June 2010) There are more than 16 million children in immigrant families in the United States, and they are one of the most rapidly growing segments of the U.S. population. Most are U.S. citizens who were born in the United States to foreign-born parents. They face complex cultural and social challenges, navigating between their parents’ backgrounds and traditions, and their local communities. They also face unique challenges in terms of health and education and they are at the heart of several key U.S. social and policy issues.

In this interview, Jennifer Van Hook, professor of sociology and demography at Pennsylvania State University and Jennifer Glick, associate professor of sociology at Arizona State University discuss why it is important to examine how immigrant children are faring, the health and education challenges facing immigrant children, their future prospects, and important unanswered research questions.