CITL Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning Transnationalism and Educational Decision-making among Latino Immigrant Families: Building Theory in

CITLCenter for Intercultural Teaching and Learning

Transnationalism and Educational Decision-making among Latino Immigrant

Families: Building Theory in Northern Indiana

Lynda Nyce, Ph.D. Visiting Research Fellow

Robert Reyes, Ph.D.Director of Research


Outline

• Making the case for theory building

• The state of theory about immigration

• Sharing what we are learning in our part of the country; provide examples for theory building from this context

• Engaging together and our experiences to build theory that links transnational migration and education


Rationale and Objectives

• Construct theory that links macro and micro realities of Latino immigrant families

• Construct linkages between mobility, flux, uncertainty created by migration and micro processes of decision-making and identity development

• Learn together through using a model of theory construction that integrates disciplinary understanding, multiple locations of understandings and data into theory

• Continue to collaborate beyond today


The case for theory building

• A. Portes’ (1999) argues for buidling theory of immigration containing the following elements:– Element 1: Delimitation and description of some

patch of reality (case study)– Element 2:Identification and definition of a

process or characteristic to be explained, e.g. a DV (empirical generalization)

– Element 3: One or more explanatory factors and their types of effects (theoretical statement)

– Element 4: Logical link to at least one similar proposition (theory)


Current state of theory

• Macro theory on economics, narrowly defined as jobs– Mexican Migration Project; e.g. Massey (2006), Durand and

Massey (2004)

• Acculturation theory on education: educational attainment, language acquisition, values– Cabassa (2003), UCLA Home/School Study (e.g. Reese, L. (2002),

Goldenberg, C. N. & Gallimore, R. (1995)) , Lugo Steidel and Contreras (2003)

• Identity development among Latino students– Torres, 1997; 2003

• Decision-making and networks– Haug, 2008


Massey (2006)


Cabassa, 2003

• To understand individual’s acculturation experience, the context (e.g. social and economic environment of home and host cultures) for the acculturation process must be examined

• Theory of acculturation must be expanded beyond uni-dimensional models or bi-dimensional models to incorporate theory, such as stress-coping, from multiple disciplines


• Bicultural Identity Model• The conceptual idea behind cultural orientation is to understand the

nuances among the Latino college student population by looking at the choices they have made between two cultures.– Hispanic Orientation

• This orientation indicates greater comfort with the culture of origin.

– Marginalized Orientation• It indicates discomfort with both cultures and may indicate conflict

within the individual.

– Bicultural Orientation• This orientation indicates a comfort level with both cultures.

– Anglo Orientation• Indicates greater comfort with the majority culture

Torres, 1997


Haug, 2008

• An interdisciplinary approach linking economic approaches to migration with social networks and social capital decision-making by migrants is needed

• “Location-specific capital at the place of destination increases the probability of emigration intentions and therefore may increase the probability of emigration” (600)

• There is no consensus in migration decision research about necessary and adequate factors (economic and non-economic motives) to be included in a theoretical model


Element One: Case StudyThe Northern Indiana Context

• Delimitation and description of some patch of reality

• Grounded theory data collection and analysis tradition using multiple sources of data• newspapers, notes from conversations with key

informants and public meetings, data from La Casa and other community and development organizations, city government, churches, local school systems, and surveys of Movil Consular participants

• face to face, semi-structured interviews (30)


Progress

• Interviews:– Participants are parents of middle and/or high

school children in Goshen City Schools, West Noble Schools (completed in Spanish and/or English)

– Working with Parent Liaisons ENL staff to schedule interviews this spring

– Content: migration to the area, transnational moves, social networks that help settlement into the community and labor market access, values about educational, and educational decision-making

• Progress: interviews with 6 people completed, including one focus group format


Local Context

City of Goshen unemployment rate:

Elkhart County unemployment rate:

December 2008 November 2008 December 2007

15.4% 12.3% 4.6%

December 2008 November 2008 December 2007

15.3% 12.4% 4.7%



Elkhart County Racial/Ethnic Demographics

White 71.1%

Hispanic/Latino 13.4%

Black or African American 5.5%

Some Other Race 8.7%

Two or More Races 1.3%

2006 Elkhart County Racial/Ethnic Breakdown

White 77.5%

Hispanic/Latino 8.9%

Black or African American 5.2%

Some Other Race 6.6%

Two or More Races 1.8%

2000 Elkhart County Racial/Ethnic Breakdown

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Source: U.S. Census Bureau


Ethnicity- Goshen Community Schools, 2007

Goshen Community Schools

53%37%

2%

1% 6%

White

Hispanic

Black

Asian

Multiracial

Source: Indiana Accountability System for Academic Progress (ASAP)


Minority Student Population 1990-2007

Minority Students as % of Total Student Body

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

35.00%

40.00%

45.00%

50.00%

Indiana State Average

Goshen Community Schools

Source: Indiana Accountability System for Academic Progress (ASAP)


Immigration in Indiana

After years of sustained growth, Indiana’s immigrant populations has at least stagnated and possibly declined in size.

Naturalizedcitizens 49,312

199094,7272006

94,1202007

Authorizedimmigrants

32,5241990

79,7742006

71,5482007

Unauthorizedimmigrants

11,0001990

92,1352006

91,4252007

Sagamore Institute for Policy Research, February 11 2009


Element Two: Empirical Generalization

• Identification and definition of a process or characteristic to be explained, e.g. a DV– What explains migration patterns of Latino

immigrants to Goshen, Indiana? Dependent variable = migration patterns

– How do Latino immigrant families make decisions about children’s education? Dependent variable = educational decision-making


Goshen Interview Participant

• “In my hometown [Apan, Higalgo, Mexico], we don’t have good schools…so many people move to bigger cities for better education and for better jobs; we move out. For some reason, we know someone, in Goshen, that’s why we got here. I learned that schools here, education, is much better. That’s when I decided to bring my kids to US for education; that was my main goal…Always education is the key for every human to get better. ... So I decided to bring my kids here, for the education. I used to have a job in Mexico, but level of education for kids I wanted wasn’t there.”


Element Three: Theoretical Statement

• One or more explanatory factors and their types of effects• Latino immigrants were moving to Goshen for better

economic opportunities and now they are leaving for the same reason.

• Education of children is very important to Latino parents and is a priority for their lives.

• Interaction effects:• Having a job• Social networks with information about the home or other

community• Immigration status


Goshen Interview Participants

• Mi nino [12 años] dos años aqui, studiar aqui; es dificil cambiar a Mexico; no recuerda nada a Mexico…

• Pero, importante de familia, es unidad de la familia

• mas dificil a regressar; contenta aqui; pero, lo economico…a regressar por lo economico y muchas cosas – me gusta aqui

• La vida es muy differente a Mexico; Apan vida es duro; escuela es no muy bueno.


Element Four: Theory

• Logical link to at least one similar proposition• Migration and dislocation provide the context for

decision-making regarding educational outcomes. • “The more a family sees formal education as

important, the more likely they are to migrate to create the opportunities for their children’s educational success.”

• Tying macro contextual factors with micro-level decision making


• Diagram


• Questions?

• Comments?

• Criticisms?


Theory Construction Activity

• Theory construction: – Active participation in groups– Overview of process

• Goal: Construct theory that links macro and micro realities of Latino immigrant families


Task One

• Identify our context (case studies) for each other• Record names and context description


Task Two

• Examine the empirical generalizations about what is happening in Goshen.

• Discuss these processes and characteristics – edit, change, amend, re-work these statements

• Create empirical generalizations from your contexts


Task Three

• Identify explanatory factors and their types of effects

• Write and/or draw out or map theoretical statements that bring together empirical generalizations from multiple contexts


Summary Discussion

• Hear from each group – empirical generalizations, theoretical statements

• Next steps


References• Cabassa, L (2003). Measuring Acculturation: Where we are and Where we Need to Go. Hispanic

Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 25(2), 127-146.• Durand, J & Massey, D (2004). Crossing the Border: Research from the Mexican Migration Project.

NY: Russell Sage Foundation.• Goldenberg, C. N. & Gallimore, R. (1995). Immigrant Latino parents' values and beliefs about their

children's education: Continuities and discontinuities across cultures and generations. In P. Pintrich & M. Maehr (Eds.), Advances in motivation and achievement ,Vol. 9., 183-227.

• Haug, S. (2008). Migration Networks and Migration Decision-Making. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 34(4), 585-605.

• Lugo Steidel, A.G. & Contreras, J (2003). A New Familism Scale for Use with Latino Populations. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 25(3), 312-330.

• Portes, A. (1999). Immigration Theory for a New Century: Some Problems and Opportunities. In C. Hirschman, P. Kasinitz, J. DeWind (Eds.), The Handbook of International Migration: The American Experience (pp. 21-33). NY: Russell Sage Foundation.

• Reese, L. (2002). Parental Strategies in Contrasting Cultural Settings: Families in Mexico and "El Norte." Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 33(1), 30-59.

• Torres, V (2003). Influences on Ethnic Identity Development of Latino College Students in the First Two Years of College. Journal of College Student Development, 44(4), 532-547.

• Torres, V. & Phelps, R. (1997) Hispanic American Acculturation & Ethnic Identity: A Bi-Cultural Model. College Student Affairs Journal, 17(1), 53-68.

• http://www.hoosierdata.in.gov/docs/laus/laus_map.pdf• http://www.nidataplus.com/ctyrate1.htm#fog

Documents

CITL Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning Transnationalism and Educational Decision-making among Latino Immigrant Families: Building Theory in