The Prevention Researcher, Volume 14, Number 4, 2007, Item# 144

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Immigrant and refugee youth are extremely diverse: coming from many different countries, for many different reasons, with varying amounts of resources. While these youth have many of the same needs as their non-immigrant peers, they also have unique challenges and strengths. Since one in ten children enrolled in U.S. schools today is foreign born, understanding and responding to their needs is important. This issue of The Prevention Researcher takes a look at youth who are immigrants and refugees, examining their strengths and needs from an ecological perspective - including families, schools, and communities.

This issue begins by exploring how migration, acculturation, ethnic identification, and cultural values shape youths' experiences and the prevention and intervention strategies used to work with them. Since families are a critical factor in adolescents' lives, an article is devoted to examining the role that immigrant families play; ranging from the struggles of youth who are separated from family members during migration (which happens for roughly 8 in 10 immigrating youth), to family conflict, and the challenges for youth whose parents are not proficient English speakers.

Two places which have the potential to provide great supports for youth are schools and community-based programs. Schools have traditionally served as the place where most immigrant youth are socialized into U.S. culture. However, rather than providing individual interventions, this issue explores how schools can restructure educational programming to accommodate immigrants. Finally, the role of community-based programs is examined. Based on a review of over 60 programs for refugee and immigrant youth, a number of guiding principles for creating effective programs, as well as specific promising practices, are provided.

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