for English as a Second Language December 2011 – Volume 15 , Number 3 Immigrant Stories : Ethnicity and Academics in Middle Childhood

In a three year, longitudinal study, Garcia Coll and Kerivan Marks examine the cultural, psychological and academic development of U.S. middle school students from three immigrant groups: Cambodian, Dominican, and Portuguese. These diverse groups living in East Providence, and Providence, Rhode Island represent a cross-section of the current wave of immigration. The authors note that the “immigrant story” in America is often represented as one large story. In contrast, Immigrant Stories highlights the importance of examining specific cultural factors in more fully understanding academic performance for secondgeneration immigrant adolescents.