Understanding and Responding to the Needs of Newcomer Immigrant Youth and Families

n 2000 there were 2.84 million foreign-born U.S. residents under the age of 18 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). Although many common themes are embodied in the immigrant experience, enormous diversity exists among newcomer families with important implications for the development and adaptation of youth. Immigrant youth come from dozens of countries for different reasons, follow different paths of migration, and once in the U.S., they encounter vastly different circumstances. The public debate about immigration has largely failed to notice the children of immigrants and the fundamental differences within this group. While some immigrant youth outperform their American-born peers in educational achievement, health, and happiness, many struggle to thrive in schools and communities that do not provide the resources they most need (Portes & Rumbaut, 2001; Suarez-Orozco, Suarez-Orozco & Todorova, in press).