A University of Nebraska-Lincoln research professor has teamed with a Columbia University professor to study how schools can better support recent immigrant students who often experience social, emotional and academic challenges in the U.S.
UNL's Lorey Wheeler and Columbia's Prerna Arora met during a training seminar hosted by the American Psychological Association at Michigan State University in 2014. The seminar, which focused on researching diverse populations, led them to realize they shared similar goals when it came to understanding the challenges recent immigrant students face.
Many of the youth they've encountered through their work have a difficult time adjusting to American society and struggle in U.S. schools early on, they said.
"Our schools are set up in a way that promotes individualism and its values," said Wheeler, who works in the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools. "This sometimes conflicts with other cultures and what they value and what they think is appropriate for adolescents. In some groups, individuals are less of the primary focus, so everything you do is to be supporting your family."
Lorey Wheeler, associate research professor with the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools.Â
Courtesy photo
For now, Wheeler and Arora are running a two-year pilot program working with participating schools in New York, focusing on students from China, Latin America, India, Africa and Haiti who have immigrated to the U.S. in the last five years. They hope to eventually expand their research to Nebraska and other rural areas that historically have had smaller immigrant populations.
As of 2018, there were more than 12,000 school-aged immigrants in Nebraska, according to the American Immigration Council.
“New York has a lot of different populations and groups that come there," Wheeler said. "So we thought that was a nice opportunity to try to understand some of those differences for adolescents coming from many different countries and how they’re experiencing the school context."
One of the most challenging aspects of recruiting participants for the study was COVID-19, and they've also found it difficult to survey participants.
“It’s hard being able to connect with people the way we want to," Arora said. "Some of these youth don’t have internet connection at home, so getting ahold of them virtually can also be difficult."
Prerna Arora, assistant professor of school psychology at Columbia University.Â
Courtesy photo
While they're still collecting data, they've found that many young immigrants struggle to adjust to the school system in the U.S. because of language barriers, difficulty making friends, mental health issues and discrimination.
According to Wheeler, recent immigrant youth in Nebraska often lack the resources needed to overcome those challenges. And some communities in rural areas of the state simply don't have experience helping immigrant students get acclimated.
The study results will be presented at conferences with the hope that educators can use the research in school environments.
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