The Children of Immigrants’ Bonding to School: Examining the Roles of Assimilation, Gender, Race, Ethnicity, and Social Bonds

Abstract

Social bonds to school (i.e., attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief) can influence educational progress and success for students; however, the children of immigrants’ bonding to school remain unclear. This study utilizes data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 and incorporates multilevel analysis to examine straight-line assimilation, segmented assimilation, and immigrant optimism theories in relationship to the children of immigrants’ school bonds. Findings suggest that bonds to school are moderated by gender, race, ethnicity, and immigrant generation. The implications of the evident disparities in the children of immigrants’ bonds to U.S. public schools are discussed more broadly.