The study examined the relation of cognitive and emotional engagement and academic achievement across three generations (immigrant, children of immigrant parent(s), non-immigrant) of 474 Mexican American adolescent students attending a junior high school in Southern California. Regression analysis revealed a generational shift in regards to the…

This article builds on previous research conducted by Santos, Menjivar & Godfrey (2013) and draws on a study conducted with racially and ethnically diverse early adolescents.This research explores youths' awareness of Senate Bill 1070 in Arizona, and how affected they are by the passage of this bill. Wave I (N = 726; Mage = 12.4 years; SD…

In April 2010, Arizona made national headlines when Governor Jan Brewer signed SB 1070, the "Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act" which was aimed at deterring illegal immigration to Arizona. SB 1070 is the most prominent of a series of laws and other state policies targeting immigrants in Arizona that date back to the late…

In this article, we use narrative theory to analyze and discuss how one Salvadoran youth, Thomas, constructed three different yet overlapping narratives, including a digital story, on his family's movement across borders. We describe how each telling of his narratives is situated in time and space, where Thomas reveals his understandings of…

The adversities faced by Latina/o individuals and their families in the U.S. negatively impact educational outcomes as well as their mental and physical health. These adversities are often related to immigration status and acculturation and include difficulties with immigration, language barriers, and discrimination. Given that recent immigrants…

As we have seen throughout this paper, the education of Latino/a students is in crisis. At the same time, based on our review of promising practices and creative projects, we also believe that this is a time of great opportunity. There are a number of areas that are especially crucial in improving the education of Latinos/as. Based on our critical…

This is a research study of secondary science teacher professional development, in which 30 teachers learned about and implemented a series of teaching strategies aimed at increasing the participation and learning of English Learners in schools serving largely Latino immigrant communities within California's Central Valley. This study focuses on…

Immigration enforcement efforts have become increasingly intrusive and arbitrary in Latino-origin communities in the U.S. As a result, there are very real possibilities that schools which serve large Latino populations may be affected by immigration enforcement activities (also known as "raids") in their communities. This article offers…

This essay identifies several themes presented by my parents, Abel and Juanita Jimenez. They are parents of five children who successfully navigated through the K-12 system and earned university degrees. They were interviewed over several evenings and asked what advice they would provide to the next generation of Latino parents. My parents…

This story describes how my immigrant parents from Mexico City transmitted their Mexican cultural knowledge to their U.S. born children to inspire us to understand the wealth of our culture. Their experiences and stories helped us to navigate as bilingual and bicultural Chicanos. We were a family that was very proud of our Mexican heritage; we…

The history, culture and practices of Central America are inadequately addressed in teacher preparation and professional development across the United States, and especially in California based on the author's analysis of teacher preparation. Information about the histories, cultures and practices add to the linguistic and pedagogic knowledge-base…