Immigration, Extracurricular Activity, and the Role of Family

Abstract

The children of immigrants’ educational progress and success have been the focus of social research for decades. Although it is known that extracurricular activities contribute to adolescent development and overall well-being, it is also clear that participation varies across immigrant generations. Yet, empirical study explaining generational differences in extracurricular activities across different racial/ethnic groups is limited. This study uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to investigate if family characteristics (i.e., socioeconomic status, structure, parental supervision, and parent–child communication and interaction) explain generational extracurricular activity participation for four racial/ethnic groups (Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians). Findings indicate that family characteristics indeed mediate the children of immigrants’ participation in school extracurricular activities. Moreover, results also denote that family characteristics are particularly relevant for Hispanic children of immigrants’ extracurricular activity participation.