The Strengths of Recent Latino Immigrant Parents Raising Young Children: An Application of the Concepts of Human Agency

Grounded in the family strengths perspective, this study focuses on the experience of first-generation immigrant parents in an effort to highlight the role of human agency in relation to family adjustment. Using a qualitative approach, this study examined the experience of 20 first-generation immigrant Latino parents of young children (ages 0-7), before and after migration, and their perceived adjustment. This approach created a holistic story of the migration process, relevant to promote civic and social participation. Several themes emerged within three cultural domains in relation to the concept of human agency: (1) pre-migration: intentionality and forethought, (2) settlement process: planning and kinship network, and (3) post-immigration: overcoming challenges and reactive adjustment. The results illustrate that recent immigrant parents are planners, thinkers, and self-regulators. The information provided here is useful to inform evidence-based practices and to inspire researchers as well as service providers