The Immigrant Paradox Among the UK’s Adolescents: Data from the LSYPE 2004–2010 Project

The literature on the acculturation of the UK’s ethnic minority youth by generation status is limited. This gap in knowledge base brings to question whether we see different adaption patterns among adolescents from different ethnic groups over time. I examined the sociocultural adaptation of the UK’s ethnic minority youth by comparing first-generation youth to their second plus generation counterparts. By doing so, I establish baseline measures of sociocultural adaptation for first-generation youth for this cohort. I compared 13–15-year-old adolescents on the sociocultural scales of risky behavior (7 items), feelings about school (11 items), mental health (12 items), relational family efficacy (4 items), and bully victimization (5 items), as well as on achievement gains by key stage 3 (9th grade). I used the first Longitudinal Study of Young People in England 2004–2010 database to make these analyses by modeling generation effects, ethnicity effects, and generation × ethnicity interaction effects (Bangladeshi, n = 743; Black African, n = 716; Black Caribbean, n = 990; Indian, n = 1019; Pakistani, n = 963; White immigrant, n = 232). Analyses included multivariate linear regression and hierarchical linear regression when appropriate. My findings demonstrated an immigrant paradox on achievement gains for four of the ethnic groups but an immigrant disadvantage on mental health for White immigrants. I discuss my findings within the contexts of segmented assimilation theory, protective factors, and supports that schools and communities can provide.