Learning a New Land

Carola Suárez-Orozco is Professor of Human Development and Psychology and Co-Director of the Institute for Immigrant Children, Youth, and Families at the University of California, Los Angeles. Marcelo M. Suárez-Orozco is Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, Distinguished Professor of Education, and Co-Director of the Institute for Immigrant Children, Youth, and Families at the University of California, Los Angeles. Irina Todorova is an international health psychology consultant in Boston.

• Introduction: The Long View on Immigrant Students 1. Academic Engagement and Performance 2. Networks of Relationships 3. Less-Than-Optimal Schools 4. The Challenge of Learning English 5. Portraits of Declining Achievers 6. Portraits of Low Achievers 7. Portraits of Improvers 8. Portraits of High Achievers Conclusion: Immigration Policy Dilemmas Notes References Acknowledgments Index Tables and Figures

In the fierce national debate about immigration, too many ignore the millions of children trying to find their way in a society that wants their parents' work, does not want to give them rights, but expects them to meet intense academic demands in a language they don't command, in communities from which their families may be expelled. The Suárez-Orozcos' remarkable study of immigrant students on both coasts challenges us to think about the consequences and to help these children realize their potential.