The Role of Community Programs in Supporting Immigrant Youths’ Academic Success and Identity Development
Community youth programs are understood as an important third institution supportive of adolescent development and educational success, besides family and school. In the context of a multi-sited ethnography, we explore the kinds of learning opportunities and identity work that community programs support for participating first and second-generation immigrant youth. While these programs can respond well to the specific needs of immigrant youth, we focus primarily on youths’ cultural diversity as an asset in terms of learning and identity work. We offer case studies that illustrate the diverse forms of participation and identity work the youth are engaged in over time and across space, with a specific focus on the mobilization of youths’ cultural resources and histories given their transcultural position.