Immigration

Just as immigrant families learn the language and customs of the mainstream culture; it is important that service providers and policy makers increase their knowledge of immigrants’ cultural beliefs and expectations about child development. The latter may have customs, rituals, and parenting practices different from the mainstream society and those may influence children’s normative development. Clinicians should be aware of these differences to better understand immigrant children’s needs and strengths. In order for immigrant families to benefit from adequate community services, providers in education, health, and other organizations are also encouraged to provide out-reach and interpretive services in the home languages of children and their families. By reaching out to immigrant parents and orient them to their children’s schooling in their new culture, school personnel may reduce acculturation gaps between the two generations. Not only would parents increase their knowledge about the school system, but also they would have a better idea of what is expected of their children. However, education policies, programs, and curricula for first generation adolescent immigrants with little or no experience in schools must address different issues than policies for first generation immigrants who obtained most or all of their education in the mainstream culture. Finally, tolerance of cultural diversity in the mainstream society, as reflected by policies, public discourse, and low perceived discrimination, is necessary in order to promote partnerships between two cultures.

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• How important is it?
• What do we know?
• According to experts