This longitudinal study describes the influence of family, friends, community organizations, and school on the educational and employment experiences of 146 immigrant adolescent Latinos in Washington (District of Columbia) between 1982 and 1988. All had attended a special high school for at-risk immigrant youth. The following key findings are reported: (1) many of the participants displayed several risk factors that indicated long-term poverty in 1982; (2) the most serious problems while in high school were immigration problems, culture shock, acute economic need, language barriers, and family tensions; (3) support from family, friends, community organizations, and school appear to have enabled the youths to avoid serious psychosocial adjustment problems; (4) despite the fact that most of the youths wanted to enter careers that required a college education, only 10 percent completed as much as 1 year of college; (5) 97 percent of the youth worked at jobs that paid adequate wages in 1988; (6) ethnicity was a major factor in choosing a mate, socializing, and participation in community organizations; (7) the great majority were optimistic about the future; (8) the challenges most frequently cited in 1988 were avoiding drug and alcohol abuse, overcoming negative peer pressure, working hard, setting goals, and accepting responsibility; and (9) motherhood appeared to be the primary determinant of a female's educational status. Fifty-one case studies are included. Statistical data are presented in 35 tables. A 69-item bibliography is appended. (FMW)