Children of immigrants are one of the fastest growing populations under the age of 18 in the United States. Most children of immigrants have a tenuous connection to their home countries and are not likely to consider a return home. In recent decades, the educational achievement of children of immigrants has captured the interest of sociologists because this population has grown rapidly, but also because this group provides a unique opportunity to examine theoretical constructs for immigrant adaptation and the sociology of education.

True second-generation immigrants are the native-born children of at least one foreign-born parent. The term second generation is also sometimes used to refer to children who immigrated to the United States before reaching adulthood. Experts agree that a more appropriate term for this ...