The Role of Immigrant Generation and Mentors in Educational Attainment

Social capital, including engagement with mentors, facilitates educational attainment. However, mentors differs significantly across groups of adolescents different backgrounds, an immigrant background. We investigate how generation predicts adolescents’ and types (i.e., school-based non-school-based), the association attainment, these estimates’ heterogeneity based on generation. analyzed nationally representative Add Health data from N = 11,242 by using school fixed-effect linear probability models. Results show that generations 1 2 were less likely than those 3+ to have a mentor, but there no significant differences in engaging mentors. Mentors predicted attainment; mentor effects larger non-school-based effects. The associations between college attendance graduation largest for first-generation immigrants. Our findings indicate importance structures supporting relationship-building mentorship schools wider communities.