The Challenges Immigrant Students Face

Immigrants and their families face a plethora of obstacles on their path to a new life. Whether forced or voluntary, these immigrants will have to tackle the cultural, economic, and educational hurdles that come along with moving to a brand new place and starting over. It can be expected that the challenges immigrant children face are numerous and daunting, but learning to navigate these barriers allow them to come out the other side better for it. 

One of the biggest issues immigrant students face is the use of the English language in an academic setting (or the official language of the new home country). Many immigrant children enroll in American schools with little to no English language skills. ELL (English Language Learners) students are often forced to learn the language quickly, especially if a school is underfunded or lacking the adequate resources to support these students. Nearly a third of all first generation immigration families in the U.S. live in poverty, which effects access to early-childhood education and creates gaps in education. As a result, immigrant students are more likely to score below their counterparts on standardized tests (Mitchell, 2017).

Another major struggle for immigrant students is the identity crises they face when being pulled between staying true to their old culture and trying to adapt to the new one they now find themselves immersed in (Shenfield, 2017). The pressure to fit in becomes especially overbearing as students enter the secondary levels of education, such as middle or high school (Harrington, 2008).

However, it’s not all doom and gloom for immigrant students. While the challenges will almost certainly surpass the advantages, these third culture kids do have a few. For starters, they often feel less tied down to a certain place and are more willing to travel for better opportunities when presented with them later in life (Druart, 2016). There sense of freedom develops an independence that can be taken advantage of when developing 21st century skills, such as collaboration and problem solving.

References

Druart, R. 2016. Where Do I Belong? Retrieved from http://www.psy-ed.com/wpblog/challenges-faced-by-immigrant-children/

Harrington, P. 2008. The Negotiation of Identity in an International School Setting. Retrieved from

Mitchell, C. 2017 Immigrants Face Challenges on Path to Opportunity. Retrieved from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning-the-language/2017/10/immigrant_students_often_struggle.html

Shenfield, T. 2017. Understanding the Challenges Faced by Immigrant Children. Retrieved from http://www.psy-ed.com/wpblog/challenges-faced-by-immigrant-children/