Immigrant Parents and Their Immigrant Children in the U.S.A: A Comparative Study

Karen A Pren, Princeton University

The “militarization” of the border has transformed what used to be a circular flow of migration, into a settled population of immigrant families in the U.S. This study compares the experience undergone by immigrant parents and their children (the 1.5 generation) while living in the U.S. Due to the fact that many immigrant children are undocumented as well as their parents, we compare how (a) English language, (b) human and financial capital, (c) social context, (d) time in the U.S., and (e) legal status play a role in these immigrants' upper assimilation. Data for this study is taken from the Mexican Migration Project: U.S. sample.