ABSTRACT
The Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island holds the lamp to the Golden Door, which iconically symbolizes the United States’ promise to welcome the tired, poor, homeless, and individuals “yearning to be free” (Lazarus, 1883). With dreams of a better life, personal safety, and a good education for their children, each of these mothers followed the figurative lamp to America. Yet their experiences indicate that not all is welcoming for recent immigrants, who frequently struggle to provide financially for their families, find social and emotional support in new communities, adapt to a new language, and reconcile their previous lives in their home countries with new demands of living in the United States. Tensions linked to race, culture, and language frequently provoke ongoing challenges for children in immigrant families.
