At the age of four, the children first learn unknown letters and foreign sounds, as they struggle to piece them with the words they have learned at home. At the age of ten, they are fluent enough to translate for their parents, interpreting the rapid English sentences in the doctor’s office. Children of foreign-born parents in the U.S. receive numerous benefits from living in another country, but they also experience struggles unimaginable to many.
Children in immigrant families either fit into the category of second generation or 1.5 generation. Second-generation children are born under immigrant parents in a foreign country, while 1.5-generation children immigrate between the ages of six and 12.
As adults, these children often have the obvious advantage of speaking two or more languages, but the process of achieving it can be difficult. According to the Urban Institute, approximately 68% of children with at least one foreign-born parent in the US are bilingual. The rest of the children often are monolingual or have limited English proficiency. Children of immigrant parents often meet barriers in their environment to give up their native language as time goes by. These children face unequal exposure to both languages, pressure to perform well academically in English, and commonly have the misconception that their native language hinders their English proficiency.
Not only that, but students often face social pressures from their peers to give up their native language. Living in a “foreign” country, especially in less diverse areas, children feel the need to assimilate into their communities. In fact, children in parts of Texas and California are more likely to retain their biliteracy due to their diverse environments. In other parts, especially in their teenage years, when social belonging plays an important role in their lives, “fitting in” holds a larger priority than being bilingual.
Needless to say, one of the greatest challenges second-generation students face is their struggles in balancing the two cultures of their native countries and America. Children of foreign-born parents coexist in two environments: their homes and communities that speak in their native tongue, and their schools and friends that practice the so-called “American” lifestyle. This not only leads to confusion but also to a phenomenon called “cultural homelessness,” in which children do not feel a clear sense of belonging to a particular culture.
Even through these struggles, second-generation students often face the most pressure to succeed in their academic environment. This stems from parental pressure and from the high standards their environment places on these students. Especially for Asian American students, the “model minority myth” forces them to push themselves to succeed, even leading to many stereotypes.
However, children of foreign-born parents face obvious benefits that primarily led their parents to immigrate to the U.S. From access to better education to opportunities to explore any passions and careers, these children can find a purpose to push them forward in their lives.
