“Poverty limits opportunities and frequently coexists with a variety of other factors that are associated with risk in adolescence, such as single-parenthood, residence in violent neighborhoods saturated with gang activity and drug trade, and segregated, overcrowded, and understaffed schools.” – Adolescents from immigrant families.

Immigrant youth face a myriad of difficulties following their migration to the United States: acquiring new language skills, adapting to new cultural norms and leaving behind friends and family members.  What this passage and the author attempts to shed light on is that as challenging as the aforementioned experiences are during assimilation, they are only the tip of the iceberg as to what immigrant youth face in this country.  Although entrance into the United States is seen by many immigrants and Americans as an arrival to a proverbial “promised land”, sadly, many of the factors that caused these people to migrate in the first place follow them to their new home.  I recently read an article about how MS13 (the powerful Salvadorian gang) was recruiting youth who had recently moved to the United States, capitalizing on the fact that they were vulnerable and looking for community.  All too common are stories of family members in the home country being kidnapped, with the kidnappers demanding money now that presumably their family in the United States will be able to provide it.   While it is impossible to be aware of all the conflicts and issues going on around the world, having knowledge about the countries that out students come from and the potential difficulties that they may face will help us be better equipped to offer support or services.