The Immigrant Paradox 

In March 2009, Brown University hosted a conference where scholars, educators, and policymakers came together to share data from a variety of new studies on the children of immigrants and the children of American-born second and third-plus generation. The research explored the immigrant paradox across all stages of child development, various ethnic and racial backgrounds, and numerous communities.

Key findings include:

• first-generation immigrant adolescents exhibit lower levels of juvenile delinquency and risk behaviors than second or third-plus generation children;
• some first-generation immigrant children are outperforming second and third-plus generation children in standardized test scores;
• first-generation immigrant children have positive attitudes towards school and teachers;
• first-generation immigrant children often start behind American-born children in school, but they catch up quickly and have high rates of learning growth.