Session 1: The Social Contexts of Children and Youth in Hispanic Immigrant Families

The growth of immigration and the changing settlement patterns of Hispanic immigrants have given rise to wide diversity in the types of communities in which children of immigrants live. Destination communities differ in terms of population composition, economic opportunities, the receptivity of the native population, and social policies. Changing settlement patterns raise new questions about how adaptation and assimilation processes unfold for Hispanic children and their families.

Lead Speaker: Richard Alba, Department of Sociology, SUNY Albany

Discussants:

• Randolph Capps, Senior Research Associate, Urban Institute
• Stephen J. Trejo, Department of Economics, University of Texas Austin
• Stephen M. Quintana, Departments of Counseling Psychology and Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin

Session 2: Structure and Process in Immigrant Hispanic Families and their Implications for the Development of Children and Youth

Important issues pertain to how background and structural characteristics of Hispanic families (e.g. generational status, country of origin, marital status of parents) are linked to family processes such as parents' cultural orientations, discipline styles, and involvement with their children, and how structural characteristics and family processes combine to affect the development and well-being of children and youth. Strong familism values and family ties among Hispanic families mean that it also will be important to look beyond parents to consider the role of family members such as siblings and extended kin networks in youth development. In considering families' roles in youth development, we must also consider the broader contexts within which families are embedded. Accordingly, discussion will center on public policies at the local, state, and national levels that may have implications for Hispanic youth from immigrant families.

Lead Speaker: Kimberly Updegraff, School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University

Discussants:

• Jennifer Van Hook, Department of Sociology, Penn State University
• Robert Bradley, Center for Applied Studies in Education, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
• Donald J. Hernandez, Department of Sociology and Center for Social and Demographic Analysis, SUNY Albany

Session 3: Schooling and the Development of Children and Youth in Hispanic Immigrant Families

Characteristics and practices of schools include school size, the SES and ethnic composition of the student body, teacher characteristics and training, bilingual education practices and policies, and patterns of parental involvement and school-family "fit". The larger community contexts in which schools are embedded are also important. Discussion will focus on policies and practices that have proven successful in promoting school achievement, educational aspirations, school attachment, and school completion among Hispanic children and youth in immigrant families.

Lead Speaker: Carola Suarez-Orozco, Department of Applied Psychology, New York University

Discussants:

• Katharine Donato, Department of Sociology, Vanderbilt University
• Suet-ling Pong, Departments of Education Policy Studies and Sociology, Penn State University
• Andrew Fuligni, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, UCLA

Session 4: Access to Health Care and Well-Being of Children and Youth from Hispanic Immigrant Families

Hispanic children are disproportionately more likely than Anglo children to experience diabetes, obesity, asthma, poor oral health, depression, and many other health problems, but patterns vary by generational status. Barriers such as language, poverty, access to health services, and lack of health insurance are major contributors to children's health problems; parents' legal status is another factor that merits consideration. Discussion will focus on the consequences of current health care and social service policies and practices for the health of children and youth in Hispanic immigrant families.

Lead Speaker: Margarita Alegria, Department of Psychiatry and Center for Multicultural Mental Health Research, Harvard Medical School

Discussants:

• Jose Escarce, Division of General Internal Medicine, UCLA, Senior Natural Scientist, RAND
• Robert E. Roberts, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
• Cheryl Boyce, Division of Developmental Translational Research, National Institutes of Health