School achievement and well-being of immigrant children: The role of acculturation orientations and perceived discrimination

Household Income and Early Adolescents' Executive Function: The Different Roles of Perceived Discrimination and Shift-and-Persist

Household income predicts early adolescents' cognitive development. However, the mechanism underlying this association and protective factors are unclear. This study assessed one-year longitudinal data to examine whether perceived discrimination mediated the association between household income and executive function and the moderating role of shift-and-persist. 344 early adolescents in rural China were included in the study (mean = 10.88 years, SD = 1.32 years, girls: 51.74%). The latent variable model revealed that household income predicted early adolescents' cognitive flexibility and working memory in the subsequent year through perceived discrimination. Shift-and-persist moderated the negative effects of perceived discrimination on cognitive flexibility: perceived discrimination impeded cognitive flexibility only among early adolescents with low shift-and-persist. The findings highlight perceived discrimination in the relation between household income and early adolescents' executive function and underscore the protective role of shift-and-persist.

Hukou-based Discrimination and Migrant Adolescents' Adaptation: Migrant Pattern Differences among the Buffering Role of School Engagement

While the detrimental consequences of racial/ethnic discrimination for adolescent adaptation are well established, little is known about the long-term impact of hukou-based discrimination from the hukou (household registration) system and the potential protective benefits of adolescents' internal capabilities; furthermore, there have been even fewer studies examining potential migrant pattern differences in the association. The current study addressed these gaps by investigating the longitudinal associations between hukou-based discrimination and migrant adolescents' adaptation outcomes (cognitive ability, depressive symptoms, and behavioral problems), as well as whether school engagement moderated these pathways, and whether this function varied by adolescents' migrant patterns. The data were obtained from 1226 migrant adolescents (51.31% male; 51.47% urban migrants, 48.53% rural migrants) aged 12 to 16 years (Mage = 13.56, SD = 0.69 at Wave 1) from the China Education Panel Survey in two waves separated by twelve months. Multilevel modeling revealed that hukou-based discrimination from peers and teachers was negatively related to cognitive abilities, but positively related to depressive symptoms and behavioral problems. School engagement served not only as a facilitator of adaptation but also as a protective factor against hukou-based discrimination. The moderating effect of school engagement was more pronounced in urban migrants than in rural migrants. The current study's findings highlight the role of hukou-based discrimination in adaptation disparities and shed light on the importance of internal capabilities in protecting migrant adolescents with different migration patterns from the detrimental impacts of discrimination on the adaptation process.

The Role of Ethnic Community Social Capital in the Association between Acculturation and Psychological Distress among Older Korean Americans

Guided by the theories of social capital and stress-buffering, we examined how the association between low acculturation and poor mental health among older immigrants would be modified by social capital in ethnic communities (social cohesion, social engagement, perceived ethnic density, and the quality of social interaction). Using data from the Study of Older Korean Americans (N = 2,150, Mean age = 73.4), direct and interactive effect models were examined. Lower acculturation was associated with a greater level of psychological distress, and their link was modified by social cohesion (β = .19, p < .01) and negative social interactions (β =  - .97, p < .01). Findings suggest that the mental health risk associated with low acculturation could be intensified when older immigrants perceive low sense of cohesion in their ethnic communities or have negative interactions with ethnic community members.

Predictors of educational aspirations of Roma mothers in Czech Republic, Greece, and Portugal

Roma communities are a disadvantaged minority in Europe which is particularly underrepresented in social and educational research. This study aimed to investigate the predictors of Roma mothers’ educational aspirations for their children in the Czech Republic, Greece, and Portugal. Participants included 461 mothers with a Roma background (135 from the Czech Republic, 130 from Greece, and 196 from Portugal), with a child between 3 to 6 (n = 181) or 9 to 12 (n = 280) years old. Data were based on mothers’ reports, obtained during a structured in-person interview. Material deprivation (microsystem level), frequency and quality of interactions with non-Roma parents, as well as the quality of parent-teacher interactions (mesosystem level), predicted Roma mothers’ educational aspirations. Findings suggest that, in addition to microsystemic variables such as material deprivation, mesosystemic predictors such as those examining contact with non-Roma parents may play an important role in shaping Roma mothers’ educational aspirations and need to be further examined.

Difficulties in Adapting at School Among Nepalese Immigrant Children in Japan

Introduction

Japan has experienced a shift toward a multicultural society, and an increasing number of immigrant children have enrolled in its educational systems. Unforeseen experiences may affect the mental well-being of these children and undermine their holistic development; however, research is scarce. This article explores parents' concern on Nepalese children's experiences in Japanese schools. We aim to reveal the issues that may inform healthcare professionals and schools in best supporting immigrant students.

Methods

Qualitative survey methods were adopted in an online survey tool to access and collect data from 13 Nepalese parents whose children (age 6-18 years) attended the schools (elementary or junior high school) in four prefectures of Japan. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.

Results

The following four themes were identified: (i) interaction and relationship; (ii) feeling different and meals at school; (iii) academic exclusion-lack of assistance/review at home; and (iv) emotional distress, peer exclusion, and bullying.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that because of the linguistic and cultural differences, children had difficulty communicating, leading to poor interpersonal relationships. Subjects reported changes in daily living patterns at home and school, and children felt different, shy, and unable to make friends or get involved. There were problems with school meals as well, and parents expressed concern over a lack of academic assistance. Some noteworthy emotional aspects were inability to be happy at school and bullying or exclusion from peers. They did, however, express the impression that Japanese students and teachers are cooperative. Overall, these findings have implications for schoolteachers, nurses, health personnel, parents, and others who promote the mental well-being and holistic development of children. This study provides a basis for mental health educational programs targeting the relationship between migrant and native students to create an inclusive society for all.

Correlates of Acculturation Strategies: Personality, Coping, and Outcome

This contribution reviews correlates of Berry’s acculturation strategies. The aim was to offer a differentiated overview of correlates that may come into play during different phases of the acculturation process, as antecedents, as concurrent correlates, and as outcome variables. Building on a literature search and previous review papers, k = 61 independent publications ( N = 40,505) were identified. Correlates of acculturation strategies were grouped into 35 variables pertaining to diverse domains, and mixed-effects models were estimated to derive the mean magnitude of the relation. The correlates comprised basic dimensions of personality belonging to the giant three, big five, alternative five, and multicultural personality taxonomies. Further, more specific traits were investigated, including field dependence and dogmatism. The next group comprised the experience of stress and negative emotions as well as different coping styles. Finally, a selection of psychological and health-related correlates as well as a selection of sociocultural adjustment variables were investigated. Results indicate that the acculturation strategies possess differential patterns of relations, thereby supporting a multi-dimensional acculturation model. Generally, integration was characterized by a pattern of correlates that facilitate interacting with other people, coping successfully with stress, and beneficial outcome variables. Marginalization revealed an opposite pattern of relationships in many cases. Assimilation and separation fell in between the other acculturation strategies.

Experiences of Discrimination and Everyday Racism Among Children and Adolescents With an Immigrant Background - Results of a Systematic Literature Review on the Impact of Discrimination on the Developmental Outcomes of Minors Worldwide

Experiences of discrimination such as everyday racism can negatively affect the mental and physical health of children and adolescents with an immigrant background and impair their integration process in the host societies. Although experiences of racism are part of the everyday life of many minors affected by the process of "Othering" (e.g., those with an immigrant background), an overview of empirical findings is missing for this age group worldwide. A systematic review was conducted to identify and analyze international research on the impact of discrimination on the developmental outcomes and integration of immigrant children and adolescents. Three scientific databases were systematically searched up to June 11, 2021. A total of k = 4,769 identified publications were reviewed based on inclusion and exclusion criteria in terms of the PICOS format by independent reviewers. Thirty-four primary studies published between 1998 and 2021 met all inclusion criteria. The samples examined were mainly migrant youth (k = 30), with only k = 2 studies assessing refugee youth and k = 1 study assessing both migrant and refugee youth. The majority of included studies assessed perceived discrimination, with only k = 1 study directly assessing experiences of racism. The association between discrimination or racism and developmental outcomes was assessed by the included studies within the three main topics of (a) mental and physical health-related outcomes (k = 30, e.g., self-esteem, depressive symptoms), (b) school-related outcomes (k = 6, e.g., academic achievement), and (c) other developmental outcomes (k = 13, e.g., misconduct or delinquency). Data collection procedures were implemented, and findings on minors' developmental outcomes and integration process who experience discrimination and racism were summarized and discussed. The current review suggests experienced (racial) discrimination as a negative predictor of children and adolescents' (mental) health-related outcomes, while no clear results could be found for the association between discrimination and school-related outcomes. A need for more empirical research focusing on the path and (possibly) indirect link between discrimination and children and adolescents' school-related outcomes as well as resulting school recommendations and the chosen career path was derived.

Systematic Review Registration

[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=260291], identifier [CRD42021260291].

A Longitudinal Investigation of the Causal Relationship Between Wellbeing and Perceived Discrimination Among Migrant Children in China: The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem and the Moderating Role of School Type

BACKGROUND

A large rural labor force has been attracted to urban areas with the acceleration of urbanization in China. This significant change in environment for migrant children from rural to urban may lead to psychological problems, such as decreased subjective wellbeing (WB) and increased perceived discrimination (PD). However, previous studies have focused on the influence of PD on WB by using a cross-sectional design, ignoring the causality and intrinsic mechanisms between WB and PD. The current study investigates the causal association and internal relations between migrant children's PD and WB.

METHODS

A total of 466 (222 females, 47.64%) migrant children (M _age = 11.78, SD = 1.80) were recruited from Beijing in China. The participants filled in the questionnaire twice, with an interval of 1 year, including a basic information questionnaire, wellbeing index scale, perceived discrimination questionnaire, and self-esteem scale.

RESULTS

Overall, cross-lagged regression analysis revealed that WB (T1) had a predictive effect on PD (T2) but that PD (T1) had no predictive effect on WB (T2). Mediation results indicated that self-esteem (SE) (T1) mediated the relation between WB (T1) and PD (T2). Moderated mediation results further proved that the link between WB (T1) on SE (T1) and the indirect effect between WB (T1) and PD (T2) were more robust for migrant children who attended public school than those in the migrant children's school.

CONCLUSION

These findings implied that a decrease in WB may increase the perception of subjective discrimination and that SE could be an intrinsic factor between migrant children's WB and PD, especially in public schools. Therefore, educators and parents should also pay attention to mental health problems to improve the wellbeing and self-esteem of migrant children.

Do Parental and Peer Support Protect Adjustment in the Face of Ethnic Discrimination? A Comparison between Refugee Youth and Youth of Immigrant Descent

Applying a risk and protection perspective, this study paid special attention to the protective roles of parental and peer support in the face of perceived ethnic discrimination (PED) at school. Responding to the inconsistent findings of previous research, the survey study provides greater clarity regarding the interactions between PED at school, social support and positive adjustment (self-esteem, self-efficacy, optimism and school integration). The sample comprised 104 ethnic-minority youth (M_age = 17.73, SD = 3.29, 61% female), including refugee youth (n = 55) and second- and third-generation youth of immigrant descent (n = 49). Structural equation models across the whole sample confirmed peer support as a significant moderator, indicating that ethnic-minority youth who received low peer support were less optimistic when facing PED. In multi-group models, we tested whether results differ across refugee youth and youth of immigrant descent. Results revealed between-group differences concerning the moderating roles of parental and peer support: For youth of immigrant descent, while more PED was associated with lower self-esteem when receiving low parental support, we found a positive association between PED and optimism when receiving high parental support. Based on the findings that refugee youth were shown to be less optimistic when obtaining low peer support, the main interaction effect for peer support on optimism seemed to be driven by refugee youth. The results of our cross-sectional study highlight the importance of identifying specific social support factors for specific adjustment outcomes and also the importance of differentiating between minority groups. Further, the findings offer practical implications for the educational sector in terms of programs focusing on the development of peer-support networks to especially promote refugee youth resilience and resettlement in Germany.

Racial and Language Microaggressions in the School Ecology

The growth trajectory of ethnically and linguistically diverse individuals in the United States, particularly for youth, compels the education system to have urgent awareness of how diverse aspects of culture (e.g., Spanish-speaking, Black Latina student) are implicated in outcomes in American school systems. Students spend a significant amount of time in the school ecology, and this experience plays an important role in their well-being. Diverse ethnic, racial, and linguistic students face significant challenges and are placed at considerable risk by long-observed structural inequities evidenced in society and schools. Teachers must develop the capacity to be culturally sensitive, provide culturally responsive pedagogy, and regularly self-assess for biases implicated in positive academic outcomes for students in kindergarten through Grade 12. Research and practice have suggested that racism and discrimination in the form of racial microaggressions are observed daily in schools and classrooms. This article provides an overview of racial microaggressions in the school context and their damaging effects on students. We provide specific examples of microaggressions that may be observed in the U.S. classroom environment and how schools can serve as a positive intervention point to ameliorate racism, discrimination, and racial and language microaggressions. This comprehensive approach blends theory with practice to support the continued development of cultural humility, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and an equity-responsive climate.

Associations between acculturation, perceived discrimination and subjective well-being among Syrian adolescents living in Turkey

Although numerous studies have documented the associations between perceived discrimination, acculturation and well-being in immigrants, far fewer have examined these associations in adolescent immigrants in the context of forced displacement. The focus of this study was to refine our understanding of the link between acculturation, perceived discrimination and subjective well-being in understudied forcibly displaced Syrian adolescents residing in Turkey. The data were collected from 181 Syrian adolescents (53.19% girls) aged between 10 and 16 years (M_age  = 13, SD = 1.53). The participants completed measures of acculturation, perceived discrimination, positive affect and negative affect alongside demographic variables. The results indicated that boys reported more experience of positive affect while girls reported more experience of negative affect. Younger adolescents reported greater positive affect, higher heritage acculturation and lesser negative affect. Adolescents who had higher host acculturation and experienced low perceived discrimination had a greater positive, whereas adolescents who experienced perceived discrimination had a greater negative affect. Host acculturation and perceived discrimination significantly contributed to the variance in explaining positive and negative affect over and above the age and gender. The results elucidate our understanding in terms of acculturation and perceived discrimination that significantly contribute to subjective well-being in the context of forcibly displaced Syrian adolescents.

Immigrant adolescents' perceptions of cultural pluralism climate: Relations to self-esteem, academic self-concept, achievement, and discrimination

A cultural pluralism climate values differences between groups and fosters learning about different cultures. This study investigated the relation between four facets of cultural pluralism climate (learning about multicultural topics, learning about intercultural relations, interest shown by teachers, interest shown by non‐immigrant students) and immigrant students’ self‐esteem, academic self‐concept, achievement and perceived discrimination. We furthermore tested whether academic self‐concept, self‐esteem, and perceived discrimination mediated the relation between the four facets and achievement. Relying on a sample of 700 immigrant students (M_age = 12.62 years; SD = 1.12; 45.4% female) from 87 Austrian secondary school classes, all effects were estimated at two levels (L1, individual student level; L2, classroom level) in multilevel mediation models. It was shown that learning about multicultural topics and intercultural relations, and interest shown by teachers positively predicted academic self‐concept and self‐esteem at L1. Learning about intercultural relations negatively predicted discrimination at L1. At L2, learning about intercultural relations positively predicted academic self‐concept and negatively predicted perceived discrimination. None of the facets predicted achievement at L1 and L2. However, academic self‐concept (positively) and self‐esteem (negatively) fully mediated the effect of learning about multicultural topics, learning about intercultural relations, and interest shown by teachers on achievement at L1.

Longitudinal profiles of acculturation and developmental outcomes among Mexican-origin adolescents from immigrant families

Prior studies investigating the association between acculturation and adolescent adjustment have often focused on specific acculturation domains rather than examining these domains collectively in a profile typology. Here, we investigate stability and change patterns in Mexican American adolescent acculturation profiles over time, using a two-wave longitudinal dataset spanning 5 years. Using latent profile analysis, three adolescent acculturation profiles were identified at Waves 1 and 2: integrated; moderately integrated; and moderately assimilated. Using latent transition analysis, four acculturation transition profiles were identified across time: stable integrated; stable moderately integrated; progressive; and regressive. Over half of all adolescents were identified as belonging to the stable integrated and stable moderately integrated transition profiles. Adolescents classified in the stable integrated profile reported the highest levels of adjustment (academic competence and socioemotional well-being) relative to those with other transition profiles. Findings from this study contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic process of acculturation among Mexican American adolescents, and provide useful insights to inform interventions and policies aimed at improving Mexican-origin adolescents' adaption to US culture while maintaining their heritage Mexican culture.

The effects of perceived discrimination, social support and ethnic identity on mental health of immigrant adolescents

Background: The number of immigrants has been increasing. Immigrant adolescents experience an acculturation process that affects particularly their ethnic identity, perceived discrimination, and relationships with their peers, which would have significant impact on their mental health. The ethnic composition of social environments might affect this relationship. Objective: The main purpose of the current research is to examine the effect of peer attachment, social support, ethnic identity, and perceived discrimination on immigrant adolescents' mental health. Method: The sample included 226 Syrian immigrants (X¯ age = 13.31, SD=1.67, 70.8 % girls). Adolescents live in a homogenous social environment where proportion of Syrian is higher. Two hierarchical regression models were used to predict depression and emotional problems. In both models, the predictive roles of social and psychological factors were examined in separate steps. Results: The regression analysis results for depression emphasized peer attachment, social support, and ethnic identity did not affect the depression after controlling the effect of emotional problems. Similarly, regression analysis results for emotional problems showed that peer attachment, social support, and ethnic identity did not affect depression after controlling the effect of emotional problems. The results also revealed that perceived discrimination was a risk factor for both depression and emotional problems. Conclusions: The results underlined the importance of psychological variables on immigrant adolescents' depression. Past research emphasized that ethnic identity and peer support had a buffering effect on mental health. The current study participants were living in a different area where they attended schools for only immigrants. The social environment was totally different from the host culture. These reasons may account for why social support from ethnic peers and ethnic identity development did not emerge as a protective factor in the present study. The results will further be discussed in terms of the importance of interaction between ethnic and host culture.

Performance and well-being of native and immigrant students. Comparative analysis based on PISA 2018

INTRODUCTION

The emotional, cultural, and economic changes involved in the process of coping with migration can be particularly difficult during adolescence. How education systems respond to the challenges posed by the flow of immigration has profound implications for society. One of the ways that students can demonstrate their adaptation to the education system is by their academic performance. In addition, in many education systems well-being has been shown to be directly related to performance. Therefore, this study aims at examine the differences between native and immigrant students in mathematics and science skills, and in well-being indicators evaluated in PISA 2018.

METHOD

We performed multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) based on the results of PISA 2018 evaluation, obtained from the official OECD database. The sample was 7099 Spanish students (49.5% girls; 50.5% boys), with a mean age of 15.83 years old (SD = 0.29). A little under half (42%) were native students, 35.5% were first generation-immigrant students, and 22.7% were second-generation immigrant students.

RESULTS

The native students demonstrated higher levels of mathematics and science skills than the two groups of immigrant students, and had significantly higher means in positive affect, self-efficacy-resilience, and feeling of belonging at school. Although life satisfaction was no different between the immigrant and native groups, the second-generation immigrants showed higher rates of positive affect, and a greater sense of belonging to the school than the first-generation immigrants.

CONCLUSIONS

We suggest future lines of research and the need to produce explanatory models that consider the complexity of migratory processes.

The effects of teacher discrimination on depression among migrant adolescents: Mediated by school engagement and moderated by poverty status

Although discrimination has been validated to be negatively related to mental health, little is known about the effect of hukou-based discrimination by teachers on depression among migrant adolescents in China. The mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this association are also unknown. Based on a nationally representative sample of migrant adolescents, this study examined whether school engagement mediated the association between teacher discrimination and depression, and whether the direct and mediating effects were moderated by poverty. Our sample comprised 2041 migrant adolescents (46.2% female) from the first two waves of the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS). The results indicated that teacher discrimination (T1) was positively associated with depression (T2). Emotional engagement with school (T1) rather than cognitive engagement with school (T1) partially mediated this association. Moreover, poverty status moderated the direct association between teacher discrimination and migrant adolescents' depression as well as the indirect relationship via emotional school engagement. Specifically, the direct and indirect effects were stronger for migrant adolescents living in poverty than they were for their non-impoverished counterparts. Contributions and implications of this study are discussed.

Acculturation and school adjustment of children and youth from culturally diverse backgrounds: Predictors and interventions for school psychology

In recent decades, classrooms in many countries have become more culturally diverse. However, students from ethnic minorities and students with immigrant backgrounds are at greater risk of lower social, psychological, and academic adjustment than their native peers. Therefore, schools all over the world are challenged by the question of how to help diverse students adjust to school independent of their ethnic background and family resources. The current special issue focuses on how schools and school psychologists can support positive interethnic attitudes and positive relationships in ethnically diverse classrooms as well as individual well-being, belonging, and academic achievement as different facets of school adjustment. The special issue includes three studies with empirical findings on the role of contextual and individual factors for school adjustment among minority and majority youth in diverse school contexts: Geerlings, Thjis, and Verkuyten study the modeling of outgroup attitudes via teachers' attitudes and more or less consistent behavior, Guerra, Rodrigues, Aguiar, Carmona, Alexandre, and Costa Lopes focus on the interplay of acculturation strategies and of perceived discrimination with school achievement and well-being. Caravita, Strohmeier, Salmivalli, and Di Blasio compare bullying and moral disengagement processes in majority and minority children. Five other studies report evaluations of evidence-based interventions that were tested among ethnically diverse youth in different school settings in two European countries, in Israel, and in the US - two on prejudice reduction (Brenick, Lawrence, Carvalheiro & Berger; Mäkinen, Liebkind, Jasinskaja-Lahti, & Renvik), and three on the effects of 'wise interventions' - self-affirmation and belonging interventions - on trust in teachers and behavioral conduct (Binning et al.), on students' sense of belonging and academic outcomes (Marksteiner, Janke, & Dickhäuser), and on math performance of students (Lokhande & Müller). The evaluation studies show differential effects across contexts and samples that point toward important mechanisms and moderators that may help practitioners adjust these programs to specific contexts.