Abstract
Neighborhoods constitute a microsystem theorized to be of great importance for immigrant families, with the potential to support and facilitate families’ transitions to life in the United States. Yet, few studies examine immigrants’ perceptions of their neighborhoods and the extent to which different aspects of these neighborhoods, such as safety or social cohesion, may shape the ways in which immigrant families interact with other microsystems in which they are embedded. This chapter uses longitudinal, ethnographic data to explore the ways in which neighborhoods matter for the child care choices of low-income immigrant mothers. In considering the mesosystem linkages between neighborhoods and child care, several themes emerge: Mothers discussed concerns about crime and safety, availability of neighborhood resources, as well as access to support from friends and family, and the meaning of living in co-ethnic compared with predominantly European American or more diverse communities. The bioecological model is used throughout this chapter to guide our understanding of the experiences of immigrant families with young children in the United States.
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Shuey, E.A., Leventhal, T. (2021). Neighborhood Experiences of Immigrant Families with Young Children in the United States. In: Chu, H., Thelamour, B. (eds) Conceptual and Methodological Approaches to Navigating Immigrant Ecologies. Advances in Immigrant Family Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50235-5_12
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