Explores the complexities of immigrant family life in North America and analyzes the individual and contextual factors that influence health and well-being. Synthesizing research from a range of disciplines, this book addresses such key topics as child development, school achievement, and the cultural and religious contexts of parenting.
This is the first text to provide a comprehensive account of the complex issues faced by many of America's immigrants and their children.--James A. Graham, PhD, Department of Psychology, The College of New JerseyImmigrants face many challenges that place them at risk for social, educational, health, and emotional difficulties. In this rich volume, scholars in psychology, medicine, sociology, education, law, and economics raise riveting issues while they document and chart new directions for research and intervention that promote social and psychological resilience. A 'must read' for a multidisciplinary audience of academics, policymakers, program developers, and practitioners trying to understand the pressing needs of immigrant children and families and to encourage their positive adaptation.--Celia J. Falicov, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San DiegoImmigrant families and modern social institutions pose a number of challenges and opportunities for each other. The social and behavioral sciences, by and large, have addressed the issues in piecemeal fashion. This volume, in contrast, brings together knowledge and insights from psychology, sociology, medicine, and other disciplines to open a dialogue on the complexities of immigrant families in North America. The nicely organized chapters provide a foundation for gaining a larger perspective that has been missing. This book will be enormously useful to researchers, policy scholars, and teachers of the next generation of applied social scientists.--Charles M. Super, PhD, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of ConnecticutThe multidisciplinary approach of this book helps capture the human complexity of immigrant families. The chapters cover diverse immigrant groups, cross-referencing each other to yield a comprehensive, integrated text that can serve as a stand-alone volume on immigrant families. The authors, who are among the foremost experts in their respective fields, present the most up-to-date and relevant research and offer insightful suggestions for future investigation. This book will serve as a valuable text for upper-division undergraduate and graduate-level courses; for example, it is ideal for my seminar on cultural psychology and immigrant families.--Raymond Buriel, PhD, Department of Psychology and Department of Chicano Studies, Pomona CollegeThis is one of the few interdisciplinary books that provide a well-balanced and well-integrated overview of demographic and sociological trends in immigration, issues of development and acculturation, and the impact of social and economic systems. It is an excellent reference not only for researchers, but also for policymakers and educational and clinical professionals. The book combines broad reviews of current theories and trends in research with more focused analyses, making it an appropriate text for specialized courses on immigrant children and families as well as more general courses on development and family diversity. It would serve as an excellent supplementary resource or even as a main text.--Ruth Chao, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside-A real strength of this book is its interdisciplinary approach, bringing together insights from demographic studies, sociology, psychology, education, and other areas....This volume is a valuable and stimulating addition to the research literature.--Journal for the Study of Marriage and Spirituality, 1/18/2009ffThis book has the potential to stimulate interdisciplinary research on this topic, which ultimately could lead to improved social, psychological, and health services for members of immigrant families.--PsycCRITIQUES, 1/18/2009
