Legacies: The Story of the Immigrant Second Generation

By Alejandro Portes, Rubén G. Rumbaut, Prof. Rubén G. Rumbaut

Book Overview

One out of five Americans, more than 55 million people, are first-or second-generation immigrants. This landmark study, the most comprehensive to date, probes all aspects of the new immigrant second generation's lives, exploring their immense potential to transform American society for better or worse. Whether this new generation reinvigorates the nation or deepens its social problems depends on the social and economic trajectories of this still young population. In Legacies, Alejandro Portes and Rub n G. Rumbaut-two of the leading figures in the field-provide a close look at this rising second generation, including their patterns of acculturation, family and school life, language, identity, experiences of discrimination, self-esteem, ambition, and achievement.

Based on the largest research study of its kind, Legacies combines vivid vignettes with a wealth of survey and school data. Accessible, engaging, and indispensable for any consideration of the changing face of American society, this book presents a wide range of real-life stories of immigrant families-from Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad, the Philippines, China, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam-now living in Miami and San Diego, two of the areas most heavily affected by the new immigration. The authors explore the world of second-generation youth, looking at patterns of parent-child conflict and cohesion within immigrant families, the role of peer groups and school subcultures, the factors that affect the children's academic achievement, and much more.

A companion volume to Legacies, entitled Ethnicities: Children of Immigrants in America, was published by California in Fall 2001. Edited by the authors of Legacies, this book will bring together some of the country's leading scholars of immigration and ethnicity to provide a close look at this rising second generation.

A Copublication with the Russell Sage Foundation

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520228480
• ISBN13: 9780520228481
• Release Date: May 2001
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 430 Pages
• Weight: 1.63 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

The best and ONLY research about the children of immigrants in the U.S.

This book is a detailed and well-written analysis of the most important demographic shift in America today. In addition to testimonies and explanation, the book focuses on the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study - which allows significant insight into the current state of the immigrant second generation, and implications for the future. I am a journalist, and this book sparked an entire project for me (see "Breaking Through: Second Generation Immigrants in California and Social Mobility" at [...]). A worthy read for anyone interested in the future of the country, education and social studies.