Castro Elena Maker, Medina Christian, Suárez-Orozco Carola
University of California, Los Angeles, Graduate School of Education and Information Sciences.
Providence College, Department of Biology and Department of Public and Community Services Studies.
Psychol Sch. 2023 Apr;60(4):883-901. doi: 10.1002/pits.22801. Epub 2022 Sep 18.
Immigrant-origin (I-O) youth face increasing anti-immigrant rhetoric in the USA, including in their schools. School-based intergroup dialogue programming may help I-O youth and their peers build a more inclusionary culture. We qualitatively examined how I-O youth and their peers experienced a week-long school-wide intergroup dialogue program that aimed to foster connection among participants at a Northeastern high school. Participants' (N=159) experience in the program were analyzed using post-program reflections. Participants were 53% female and 74% underclassmen; 59% Latinx, 14% Black, 13% multiracial, 9% White, and 5% Asian and Middle Eastern; generationally, 54% identified as second-generation immigrants, 38% as non-immigrant origin, and 8% as first-generation. Participation in the program produced mixed results. For many, participation led to a greater sense of connection; youth reported that they learned about their peers, the immigrant experience, and sometimes, themselves. Connection was especially fostered among the dominant demographic groups in the school: second-generation and Latinx youth. Learning about others was less likely to cultivate connections when participants could not relate their own experiences, and at times even made participants feel more different from their peers. Intergroup dialogue has the potential to foster connection when participants are able to relate across experiences.
移民出身（I-O）的青少年在美国面临着越来越多的反移民言论，包括在他们的学校里。基于学校的群体间对话项目可能有助于移民出身的青少年及其同龄人建立一种更具包容性的文化。我们进行了定性研究，以了解移民出身的青少年及其同龄人如何体验了一个为期一周的全校范围的群体间对话项目，该项目旨在促进东北部一所高中参与者之间的联系。使用项目后的反思对参与者（N = 159）在项目中的经历进行了分析。参与者中53%为女性，74%为低年级学生；59%为拉丁裔，14%为黑人，13%为多种族，9%为白人，5%为亚洲和中东人；在代际方面，54%的人被认定为第二代移民，38%为非移民出身，8%为第一代移民。参与该项目产生了喜忧参半的结果。对许多人来说，参与带来了更强的联系感；青少年报告说，他们了解了同龄人、移民经历，有时也了解了自己。学校中占主导地位的人口群体，即第二代和拉丁裔青少年之间的联系尤其得到了促进。当参与者无法将自己的经历联系起来时，了解他人不太可能培养联系，有时甚至会让参与者觉得自己与同龄人更加不同。当参与者能够跨越经历建立联系时，群体间对话有促进联系的潜力。
