Most Immigrant Teenagers Remain in School, Yet Dropout Rate for Mexicans Is 28 Percent

While most immigrant teenagers remain in school, dropout rate for Mexicans is 28 percent

School dropout rates among immigrant teenagers are most severe among Mexicans, particularly those who migrated to the United States after starting school in Mexico. Nearly 28 percent of Mexican immigrants ages 15-17 were not enrolled in high school, according to a study of census data by a University of Washington demographer.

The high Mexican dropout rate is a serious concern because more than one-quarter of all immigrants to the United States come from Mexico. The non-enrollment rate for Mexican immigrants who arrived as teenagers is even higher, 40 percent, said Charles Hirschman, a University of Washington sociology professor and author of the study.

By contrast, the dropout rate for native-born Americans is 7 percent.

The study, drawn from 1990 census data, was based on a sample of more than 39,000 foreign-born children.

"In general, most immigrant teens are doing well in school and only a few foreign-born groups are experiencing problems," said Hirschman. "A number of groups actually have lower dropout rates than native-born Americans."

Immigrant success stories in school surprisingly include children of Afro-Caribbean descent and, not surprisingly, Asians, who are sometimes stereotyped as educational high achievers.

"Afro-Caribbean children -- Jamaicans, Haitians and West Indians -- resemble Asians in terms of their above average enrollment rates. They are less likely to drop out than other groups even though many Caribbean immigrants live in central cities and may encounter discrimination because they are black," said Hirschman.

The study shows there are strong family and socioeconomic factors that influence school enrollment rates. He said a significant share of some immigrant groups' higher dropout rates could be explained by poorly educated parents, the absence of parents and inner-city residence.

"These factors also have direct effects on teenage educational enrollment, independent of country of origin," Hirschman wrote in the study. "Strong families and communities sometimes can compensate for an adverse environment, but many immigrant teenagers have few familial resources. In such settings, immigrant youths (as well as nonimmigrant youths) need additional support in order to stay in high school and to have a chance to achieve the American dream."

Strong families and communities may be partially responsible for the high enrollment rates of Afro-Caribbeans and some Asian groups, despite their residence in inner-city environments, he explained.

"Asians in particular have strong family and community bonds. Even if the immediate family doesn't provide support, someone else in the extended family may be there to provide it to children. The stereotype of Asians being good students also probably helps these children because teachers expect more, not less, from them in the classroom," he said.

"Age at arrival is another important factor. Immigrants who arrive as small children begin their schooling in the United States and their adjustment is much easier than those who arrive as teenagers and must learn a new language and adapt to a new educational system. Many teenage immigrants, especially those from Mexico, may be drawn by the U.S. labor market and never enroll in American schools. These teenage immigrants are less likely to be living with parents and may not have a great deal of family support."

In contrast, dropout rates for Mexican immigrants who begin schooling in the U.S. are significantly lower, about 12 percent, but still higher than native-born children.

Hispanics from Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic are the other groups that have high dropout rates, about double that of native-born Americans. Caribbean Hispanic children tend to wind up in metropolitan urban schools where dropout risks are greater and they have fewer family resources to support them.

Hirschman said the 2000 census showed that about 10 percent of the American population is composed of immigrants, a significant increase from the 1990 census, on which his study is based.

"However, in many parts of the country immigrants are not on the horizon," he said. "They are concentrated in New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Miami, Houston, Los Angeles and most other West Coast cities. Many urban schools are swamped with immigrant students while other areas have very few.

"Immigrant children are an important part of our future. The historical image is that immigrants started at the bottom and worked their way up through education and hard work. For some European groups, it took two to three generations to reach parity with native-born Americans. It is too early to make conclusive predictions about the current waves of immigrants to the United States."

Although some theories hold that the new immigrants will have a more difficult adjustment to the United States, Hirschman said his research suggests that most of the new immigrants and their children will be absorbed in the mainstream of American society, as were earlier waves of immigrants from Europe.

The study was published in the journal Demography.

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For more information, contact Hirschman at (206) 543-5035 or [email protected].