Immigration, Diversity and Student Journeys to Higher Education

Peter J. Guarnaccia is Professor in the Department of Human Ecology and Investigator at the Institute for Health at Rutgers University. He is co-editor of A Death Retold: Jesica Santillan, the Bungled Transplant, and Paradoxes of Medical Citizenship (2006).

“Peter J. Guarnaccia’s book is an enjoyable and thoughtful examination of how cultural capital plays a role in the triumphant educational stories of immigrants. It is rare to read reflections of successful immigrants effectively navigating the educational U.S. system, but Guarnaccia’s book does exactly that. His book is a revelation of how culture anchors immigrants to persevere through educational challenges, from applying to college or being ‘seen’ as different in college. It touches on the intimate maintenance of cultural roots and how those roots embed values, routines and interpretation in everyday life that can become assets. His book opens a window into how culture imprints identity and meaning, weaving the scientific research evidence with the personal narratives and reflections of immigrant college students. At the same time, it reveals the author’s personal journey to better understand how our heritage gives us meaning and a lens to construe interpretations of the world. It also is an insightful exploration of how immigrant families’ dreams of social mobility get transferred into the DNA of their children. I very much enjoyed the descriptions of how the immigrant family clan supports educational aspirations, and his chapters offer perceptive views of how ‘cultural resources and optimism’ characterize immigrants, even in the face of adversity. Many will recognize themselves in these pages since it is a glorious collaboration of Guarnaccia’s storytelling with the lived experience of immigrant students. From this book, we can learn much about why immigrants do so well, and what we might need to learn from them.”—Margarita Alegria, Professor, Departments of Medicine & Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Chief, Disparities Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital

• List of Figures – List of Tables – Alex Stepick: Foreword – Preface – Acknowledgments – Introduction: Why Are the Links Among Immigration, Acculturation and Educational Attainment Important? – Student Reflection: Growing up the "Filipino Way" – The Front Door as a Divider Between Two Worlds: Students’ Explorations of Their Ethnic Identities – Student Reflection: Growing Up Bilingual – The Balancing Act of Speaking Multiple Languages: The Intimate Connection of Language to Culture – Student Reflection: Only Through Education Shall Humanity Progress – We Are Family: The Dreams of Immigrant Parents – Student Reflection: A Complex Path to College – Applying to College: "I Had to Figure It All Out Myself" – Community Sources of Cultural and Social Capital: The Roles of Ethnic Schools and Student Cultural Organizations – Conclusion: Where Do We Go from Here? – Appendix A: Focus Group Guide – Appendix B: List of All Codes with Memos and Coding Trees – Index.