The Role of the Immigrant Child:  Are They Our Future?

Throughout the course, we have focused on the immigrant family structure.  In our studies, there is a pattern of the control of and the resentment by the immigrant children, in particular immigrant children that were born in the United States rather than the homeland of the immigrant.  In Bread Givers, Anzia Yezierska depicts the role of five daughters and their impact on their Jewish household.  I would like to examine the role of the children in the immigrant household and the effects of this particular role on the immigrant child.

In Bread Givers, we are introduced to the Smolinsky family, in which food and rent are hard to come by.  The real life implications stemming from this book are even more startling.  Statistics show that 37% of children of immigrant families live in households in which they either worry about or experience difficulties affording food.  In addition, children of immigrant families are more than twice as likely to love in families in which at least half of income is spent on rent or mortgage (Capps 4). 

Within the context of Bread Givers, I noticed the role of the individual children in the making of the family income.  Studies show that immigrant children, the older they are, are less likely to pursue much education (Gonzalez 2).  Bread Givers depicts the discouragement of education by the first generation parents towards the second-generation children.  This discouragement stems from the need of immigrant children to support their families.  Immigrant families are family centered and therefore tend to rely on family before they would rely on public assistance.  Public assistance is often seen as a compromise of this citizenship status (Fomby 5).  Therefore, a great deal lies on the shoulders of immigrant children to bring forth income for the family.

The effect of this demanding role of the immigrant child can have its consequences.  Children of immigrant families already feel pressure to support their families.  In addition,  when these children opt to go to school, most of them feel the added pressure of being “the sole representative of his or her own culture in the classroom” (Igoa 4).  Knowing that there are not that many people represented from one’s race can have a dire effect on the comfort levels of a child.  This could contribute to the low rate of completion of formal education among immigrant children.    

The stereotype of the immigrant child as the model citizen can be harmful to a growing social class.  The role of the immigrant child leaves them growing up and taking on responsibilities at such a young age.  I think that this knowledge of the immigrant child role has left me a better knowledge of how to tackle such issues in the classroom.  I feel that I am better equipped at educating immigrant children due to the fact that I have a better understanding of their plight outside of the classroom.  In future research, I would love to learn more about the success rate of high school and the rate at which they go to college.     

Works Cited

Capps, Randy. “Hardship among Children of Immigrants: Findings from the 1999 National Survey of America’s Families.” New Federalism: National Survey of America’s Families. Series B, No. B-29 (2004): 1-9. ERIC Database. Urban Institute, Washington, DC. Feb. 2001 <www.eric.ed.gov>.

Fomby, Paula; Cherlin, Andrew J. Public Assistance among U.S.-born Children of Immigrants. Welfare, Children, and Families: A Three-City Study. (2003): (1-44). ERIC Database. Johns Hopkins Univ, Baltimore, MD Apr. 2003 <www.eric.ed.gov>.

Gonzalez, Arturo. “The Education of Immigrant Children: The Impact of Age at Arrival.” (1998): 1-26. ERIC Database. Mexican American Studies and Research Center, Univ. of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ Jan. 1998 <www.eric.ed.gov>.

Igoa, Christina. “Language and Psychological Dimensions: The Inner World of the Immigrant Child.” Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. (1999): 1-15. ERIC Database. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 19-23 April 1999 <www.eric.ed.gov>.

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