Abstract:
This study has found that youth who or whose parents had left their home country for
fear-based reasons were less involved within their school and wider community than
youth who left or whose parents left for reasons concerning their social mobility. Many
existing studies focus on the challenges newcomer youth experience within the education
system (see Anisef, Brown, Phythian, & Sweet, 2010), however through the use of
qualitative methodologies this study expanded on the current literature by further
examining why it is some youth are successful in overcoming such challenges, while
others are not. This study supported what has been demonstrated in the literature
regarding challenges faced by newcomer youth and resources to address such challenges.
Despite challenges experienced within the education system, youth planned to complete
secondary school and attend a postsecondary institution. However, not all youth
anticipated remaining in Canada upon completion of their education, with youth or youth
whose parents left their home country for fear-based reasons frequently discussing the
possibility of returning to their or their parents' home country. Thus, perhaps these youth
were less involved within their school, as their goal was not necessarily to establish or
maintain connections within their community as they may have viewed residing in
Canada as temporary. This finding has important implications, as there are benefits to
involvement in extracurricular activities, which may assist youth in overcoming
challenges encountered within the education system. Therefore, it would seem that youth
who had or whose parents had left their home country for reasons concerning their social
mobility may have be at an advantage within the education system with respect to their
involvement in school. Perhaps then this differential involvement may at least partially
explain why it is some newcomer youth are able to overcome challenges they experience
in the education system, while others are not. Both policy and theoretical implications are
discussed.
