ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses how to conceptualize and measure the socioeconomic resources of immigrant families, in terms of how people may shape parenting and children's development, by presenting some of the issues one should consider when studying the population. It describes how both the history and the current features of American-immigration policy have shaped the socioeconomic distribution of the current foreign-born population. The chapter presents some of the issues involved when assessing socioeconomic resources and their role in parenting and development by discussing the measurement of human, financial, and social capital among immigrant families. It deals with some general conclusions and recommendations for future study of the increasingly prominent group of American families. The challenges of conceptualizing and measuring the socioeconomic resources of immigrant families are many, but by attempting to meet these challenges, researchers may gain insights into the role of socioeconomic factors in parenting and child development among all families.
