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Do Immigrant Minority Parents Have More Consistent College Aspirations for Their Children?

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  • Elizabeth Raleigh
  • Grace Kao

Abstract

Objective. Educational aspirations are an important predictor of eventual attainment. We examine if immigrant parents have higher aspirations for their children compared to native‐born parents and whether they are more likely to maintain high aspirations over time. Methods. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study‐Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS‐K), we document differences in the formation and maintenance of white, black, Hispanic, and Asian parents' college aspirations for their children between kindergarten, third, and fifth grades. We also examine the role of acculturation in the stability of immigrant parents' aspirations. Results. We find that immigrant parents are more optimistic about their children's educational trajectories than are native‐born parents and that over time they are more likely to maintain consistently high aspirations for their children. Conclusion. Immigrant parents do not see their children's future as downwardly mobile, and instead remain optimistic, consistently reinforcing messages about college plans throughout childhood.

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  • Elizabeth Raleigh & Grace Kao, 2010. "Do Immigrant Minority Parents Have More Consistent College Aspirations for Their Children?," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 91(4), pages 1083-1102, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:91:y:2010:i:4:p:1083-1102
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6237.2010.00750.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Stephen L. Morgan, 1998. "Adolescent Educational Expectations," Rationality and Society, , vol. 10(2), pages 131-162, May.
    2. John R. Reynolds & Jennifer Pemberton, 2001. "Rising College Expectations among Youth in the United States: A Comparison of the 1979 and 1997 NLSY," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 36(4), pages 703-726.
    3. Richard Alba & John Logan & Amy Lutz & Brian Stults, 2002. "Only English by the third generation? Loss and preservation of the mother tongue among the grandchildren of contemporary immigrants," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 39(3), pages 467-484, August.
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    1. Chan, Yau Yu & Li, Jian-Bin, 2020. "An early look at parental expectation towards early childhood education among Pakistani parents in Hong Kong: The role of culture and acculturation," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    2. Krista Perreira & Lisa Spees, 2015. "Foiled Aspirations: The Influence of Unauthorized Status on the Educational Expectations of Latino Immigrant Youth," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 34(5), pages 641-664, October.
    3. Edward Kim & Joshua Goodman & Martin R. West, 2025. "Kumon In: The Recent, Rapid Rise of Private Tutoring Centers," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 20(3), pages 473-493, Summer.
    4. Dylan Conger, 2015. "Foreign-born Peers and Academic Performance," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 52(2), pages 569-592, April.
    5. Zhen Li & Yu Zhu & Yingji Wu, 2024. "Migrant Optimism in Educational Aspirations for Children in Big Cities in China: A Case Study of Native, Permanent Migrant and Temporary Migrant Parents in Shanghai," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 43(1), pages 1-30, February.
    6. Risa Hagiwara & Yang Liu, 2023. "Disparity in high school enrollment between native and immigrant children in Japan," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 37(1), pages 25-50, March.
    7. Molly Dondero & Melissa Humphries, 2016. "Planning for the American Dream: The College-Savings Behavior of Asian and Latino Foreign-Born Parents in the United States," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 35(6), pages 791-823, December.
    8. Mitzi K. Lauderdale & Stuart J. Heckman, 2017. "Family Background and Higher Education Attainment Among Children of Immigrants," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 327-337, September.
    9. Risa HAGIWARA & Yang LIU, 2020. "The Disparity in High School Enrollment between Native and Immigrant Children in Japan," Discussion papers 20016, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    10. Carlos J. Gil-Hernández & Pablo Gracia, 2018. "Adolescents' educational aspirations and ethnic background: The case of students of African and Latin American migrant origins in Spain," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 38(23), pages 577-618.
    11. Yue Qian & Claudia Buchmann & Zhe Zhang, 2018. "Gender differences in educational adaptation of immigrant-origin youth in the United States," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 38(39), pages 1155-1188.

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