On Wednesday night, Alessandra Powell ’11 revealed the research she conducted over the summer on the patterns of Hispanic immigration in her CAMD Scholars presentation. Powell’s lecture focused on her work with a non-profit organization called the Start Program, which integrates Latin American kids, ages nine to 13, into the American public school system. At the Start Program, participants wrote an autobiography based on a list of questions, including “What do you want to be when you grow up?” During Powell’s first year, only three out of twenty kids had a response. “Even though [participants are young], it’s surprising coming from a place like PA. I’m sure a lot of us had ideas [when we were young] even if we weren’t sure or changed [ideas] every day, we had some notion of what we wanted to be.” Powell also researched the “impact of immigration on the psychological development, especially [on] youth.” In particular, Powell “framed [her] presentation” around Hugo, a boy who initially refused to tell her his career aspirations. Hugo then told Powell that when he had lived in Mexico, he had wanted to “build people’s houses.” Powell conducted her case study on immigration trends in Port Chester, New York, a town with a predominantly Hispanic working class community. Most of the town’s residents are first- and second-generation immigrants, according to Powell. Powell’s work with her kids through the Start Program inspired her to further understand the stress and side effects of Latin American immigration. In spending time with the Hispanic children, she learned that many of them were unsure about the future lives or careers they might pursue. Powell felt compelled to understand the kids’ backgrounds and the factors behind their indecisiveness. She spoke with Richard Fry, Senior Research Associate at the Pew Hispanic Center, an association that collects demographic trends in Hispanic immigration, and consulted about 15 books about Hispanic sociology and anthropology. Through her research, Powell discovered that Hispanic immigration led to acculturation and assimilation – the absorption of Hispanic culture into American culture. “I went in thinking that [this would be an opportunity] to work with kids. I [ended up] finding a lot about immigration and chidhood,” said Powell. Powell learned that the most significant obstacle Hispanic immigrants face is their inability to communicate with people who speak only English. Hispanic-American children often assimilate into American culture because they can speak better English than their immigrant parents. Powell also discussed an “alternative family structure” in which adult burdens and responsibilities are placed on children’s shoulders. Powell conducted interviews with the director of her summer program and social workers to shape her research. She said, “Immigration definitely changes the futures [of many children]. They no longer know what to expect.” Powell concluded that a Hispanic-American child’s prosperity in the U.S. depends on their ability to balance between Hispanic and American culture. She believed that increased Hispanic involvement in the American public school system would help Hispanic immigrants assimilate more easily. Reflecting on the process, Powell said that she has never read so many non-fiction books. She studied close to fifteen books about sociology and anthropology. Powell also wrote a 30-page essay for her CAMD Scholars project.
