Children of Immigrants in the United States

Abstract

This chapter reviews what is known about how the children of immigrants to the United States are integrating. Overall the second generation is integrating with natives, showing a great deal of progress compared to their parents levels in socioeconomic attainment. In other areas such as crime, health and family type, the children of immigrants are also converging with native born Americans, but in these three areas this makes them worse off because first generation immigrants have lower crime rates, better health and more intact families than native born Americans. While the children of immigrants suffer from racial discrimination and rising income inequality which also affects the native born, there is one area in which they face a specific barrier to their integration and well-being—legal status. Undocumented children and the citizen children of the undocumented show more psychological distress, lower educational attainment and other negative consequences stemming from their parents legal status. Universal policy solutions that address racial discrimination and income inequality are recommended. In addition, an appeal to human rights and to American shared moral values are suggested as a way forward to improve conditions for undocumented immigrants and their families and to reach a lasting solution to America’s immigration impasse.