This book describes the life of immigrant families in the United States, particularly second generation immigrants. Chapter 1, "Twelve Stories," presents the stories of immigrant families. Chapter 2, "The New Americans: An Overview," describes U.S. immigrants. Chapter 3, "Not Everyone Is Chosen: Segmented Assimilation and its Determinants," describes theoretical perspectives guiding this study, focusing on segmented assimilation and factors that condition diverse aspects of the adaptation process of second-generation youth. Chapter 4, "Making It in America," examines the socioeconomic adaptation of immigrant parents. Chapter 5, "In Their Own Eyes: Immigrant Outlooks on America," further explores immigrant parents' characteristics, situations, and perceptions, particularly child rearing. Chapter 6, "Lost in Translation: Language and the New Second Generation," discusses children and language issues. Chapter 7, "Defining the Situation: The Ethnic Identities of Children of Immigrants," analyzes the evolution of different types of ethnic self-identities. Chapter 8, "The Crucible Within: Family, Schools, and the Psychology of the Second Generation," explores parent-child conflict, self-esteem, and aspirations for the future. Chapter 9, "School Achievement and Failure," addresses factors that affect academic achievement. Chapter 10 offers "Conclusion: Mainstream Ideologies and the Long-Term Prospects of Immigrant Communities." Three appendices contain the follow-up and parental questionnaires for the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study and variables used in multivariate analyses. (Contains approximately 340 references.) (SM)