The immigrant paradox in education : scope, causes and consequences

Abstract

European societies face the challenge of successfully integrating immigrants and their descendants. A key part of this process is to promote their education, which should enhance their participation in the labor market and other institutions. Against this backdrop, observers have been troubled by the tendency for immigrant-origin students to underachieve in school. However, despite facing several disadvantages, immigrantorigin individuals often “paradoxically” hold higher educational aspirations, make more ambitious track choices, and, in some countries, attain higher educational levels than comparable native-origin individuals. This dissertation investigates the scope, causes and consequences of this immigrant paradox in education through four empirical chapters. I draw on survey data from France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. In terms of scope, I show that the immigrant paradox in educational choices may not apply in relatively new countries of immigration, such as Italy, partly because of restrictive citizenship laws. I also show that immigrant-origin (dis)advantages in educational choices vary significantly across students’ genders, socio-economic status, and school achievement. Moreover, I show that, in Germany, the immigrant advantage also extends to occupational aspirations and their alignment with educational aspirations. In terms of consequences, I show that the ambitious educational aspirations and choices of immigrant-origin children generally improve their upper secondary attainment and tertiary enrollment in France and Germany. I show that Immigrant-origin students should be encouraged to aim high, but they should also be supported in their academic achievement from an early age to sustain their aspirations. In terms of causes, I contribute to the literature supporting immigrant optimism or selectivity as the leading explanation of the immigrant aspiration paradox in Germany. However, I nuance previous findings and show that immigrant educational selectivity may not work as a good proxy of immigrant selectivity to explain the immigrant paradox in the UK and similar contexts.