Skip to main content
Log in

They Just Respect You for Who You Are: Contributors to Educator Positive Youth Development Promotion for Somali, Latino, and Hmong Students

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
The Journal of Primary Prevention Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Youth from immigrant communities may experience barriers to connecting with schools and teachers, potentially undermining academic achievement and healthy youth development. This qualitative study aimed to understand how educators serving Somali, Latino, and Hmong (SLH) youth can best promote educator–student connectedness and positive youth development, by exploring the perspectives of teachers, youth workers, and SLH youth, using a community based participatory research approach. We conducted four focus groups with teachers, 18 key informant interviews with adults working with SLH youth, and nine focus groups with SLH middle and high school students. Four themes emerged regarding facilitators to educators promoting positive youth development in schools: (1) an authoritative teaching approach where teachers hold high expectations for student behavior and achievement, (2) building trusting educator–student relationships, (3) conveying respect for students as individuals, and (4) a school infrastructure characterized by a supportive and inclusive environment. Findings suggest a set of skills and educator–student interactions that may promote positive youth development and increase student-educator connectedness for SLH youth in public schools.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allard, M. D. (2008). How high school students use time: A visual essay. Monthly Labor Review, 131(11), 51–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen, M. L., Culhane-Pera, K. A., Call, K. T., & Pergament, S. L. (2011). Partners in research: Curricula to prepare community and faculty for CBPR partnerships. http://ces4health.info/find-products/view-product.aspx?code=T63W5WBC.

  • Allen, M. L., Elliott, M. N., Fuligni, A. J., Morales, L. S., Hambarsoomian, K., & Schuster, M. A. (2008). The relationship between Spanish language use and substance use behaviors among Latino youth: A social network approach. Journal of Adolescent Health, 43(4), 372–379.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bernat, D. H., & Resnick, M. D. (2006). Healthy youth development: Science and strategies. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 12, S10–S16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bigelow, M. (2008). Somali adolescents’ negotiation of religious and racial bias in and out of school. Theory Into Practice, 47(1), 27–34. doi:10.1080/00405840701764706.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blum, R. W., & Libbey, H. P. (2004). School connectedness—Strengthening health and education outcomes for teenagers—Executive summary. Journal of School Health, 74(7), 231–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bond, L., Butler, H., Thomas, L., Carlin, J. B., Glover, S., Bowes, G., et al. (2007). Social and school connectedness in early secondary school as predictors of late teenage substance use, mental health, and academic outcomes. Journal of Adolescent Health, 40(4), 357. e359–318.

  • Bond, L., Patton, G., Glover, S., Carlin, J. B., Butler, H., Thomas, L., et al. (2004). The Gatehouse Project: Can a multilevel school intervention affect emotional wellbeing and health risk behaviours? Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 58, 997–1003.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borkan, J. (1999). Immersion/Crystallization. In B. F. Crabtree & W. L. Miller (Eds.), Doing qualitative research (2nd ed., pp. 179–194). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks, F. M., Magnusson, J., Spencer, N., & Morgan, A. (2012). Adolescent multiple risk behaviour: An asset approach to the role of family, school and community. Journal of Public Health: Oxford Journals, 34(Suppl 1), i48–i56. doi:10.1093/pubmed/fds001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, D. F. (2004). Urban teachers’ professed classroom management strategies—Reflections of culturally responsive teaching. Urban Education, 39(3), 266–289. doi:10.1177/0042085904263258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Catalano, R. F., Haggerty, K. P., Oesterle, S., Fleming, C. B., & Hawkins, J. D. (2004). The importance of bonding to school for healthy development: Findings from the Social Development Research Group. Journal of School Health, 74(7), 252–261.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chhuon, V., & Wallace, T. L. (2014). Creating connectedness through being known: Fulfilling the need to belong in U.S. high schools. Youth & Society, 46(3), 379–401. doi:10.1177/0044118x11436188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chicano Latino Affairs Council of Minnesota. (2007). The Hispanic/Latino population in Minnesota: Demographic update 2007. Retrieved November 2014. http://media.wix.com/ugd/dd8a6d_9279e6331a8b441e8f14fc12d43c7aa2.pdf.

  • Child Trends Databank. (2015). High school dropout rates. Available at http://www.childtrends.org/?indicators=high-school-dropout-rates.

  • Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2011). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daly, B., Buchanan, C., Dasch, K., Eichen, D., & Lenhart, C. (2010). Promoting school connectedness among urban youth of color. The Prevention Researcher, 17(3), 18–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Darboe, K. (2003). New immigrants in Minnesota: The Somali immigration and assimilation. Journal of Developing Societies, 19(4), 458–472. doi:10.1177/0169796x0301900402.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delpit, L. (2006). Other people’s children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. New York: New Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2005). The sage handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, A. B., Banerjee, M., Meyer, R., Aldana, A., Foust, M., & Rowley, S. (2012). Racial socialization as a mechanism for positive development among African American youth. Child Development Perspectives, 6(3), 251–257. doi:10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00226.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forehand, R., Miller, K. S., Dutra, R., & Chance, M. W. (1997). Role of parenting in adolescent deviant behavior: Replication across and within two ethnic groups. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65(6), 1036–1041.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harris, K. M. (1999). Children of immigrants: Health, adjustment, and public assistance (pp. 286–347). Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawkin, J. D., Kosterman, R., Catalano, R. F., Hill, K. G., & Abbott, R. D. (2005). Promoting positive adult functioning through social development intervention in childhood: Long-term effects from the Seattle Social Development Project. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 159(1), 25–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hendricks, G. L. (1986). The Hmong in transition. New York: Center for Migration Studies of New York Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hook, J., Brown, S., & Kwenda, M. N. (2004). A decomposition of trends in poverty among children of immigrants. Demography, 41(4), 649–670. doi:10.1353/dem.2004.0038.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Howard, T. C. (2010). Why race and culture matter in schools: Closing the achievement gap in America’s classrooms. New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Israel, B., Schulz, A., Parker, E., Becker, A. B., Allen, A., & Guzman, J. R. (2008). Critical issues in developing and following CBPR principles. In M. Minkler & N. Wallerstein (Eds.), Community-based participatory research for health: From process to outcomes (2nd ed., pp. 47–66). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, S. F. (2008). A participatory group process to analyze qualitative data. Progress in Community Health Partnerships, 2(2), 161–170. doi:10.1353/cpr.0.0010.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kieffer, E. C., Salabarria-Pena, Y., Odoms-Young, A. M., Willis, S. K., Baber, K. E., & Guzman, J. R. (2005). The application of focus group methodologies to community-based participatory research. In B. A. Israel, E. Eng, A. J. Schulz, & E. A. Parker (Eds.), Methods in community-based participatory research for health (pp. 146–166). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klem, A. M., & Connell, J. P. (2004). Relationships matter: Linking teacher support to student engagement and achievement. Journal of School Health, 74(7), 262–273.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Konu, A., & Rimpela, M. (2002). Well-being in schools: A conceptual model. Health Promotion International, 17(1), 79–87.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kumpfer, K. L., & Alvarado, R. (2003). Family-strengthening approaches for the prevention of youth problem behaviors. American Psychologist, 56(6–7), 457–465.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lara, M., Gamboa, C., Kahramanian, M. I., Morales, L. S., & Bautista, D. E. (2005). Acculturation and Latino health in the United States: A review of the literature and its sociopolitical context. Annual Review of Public Health, 26, 367–397. doi:10.1146/annurev.publhealth.26.021304.144615.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • LaRusso, M. D., Romer, D., & Selman, R. L. (2008). Teachers as builders of respectful school climates: Implications for adolescent drug use norms and depressive symptoms in high school. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 37(4), 386–398. doi:10.1007/s10964-007-9212-4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Macaulay, A. C., Commanda, L. E., Freeman, W. L., Gibson, N., McCabe, M. L., Robbins, C. M., et al. (1999). Participatory research maximises community and lay involvement. North American Primary Care Research Group. BMJ, 319(7212), 774–778.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mattessich, P., Bevis, L., Lott, A., & Hope, G. (2000). Speaking for themselves: A survey of Hispanic, Hmong, Russian, and Somali Immigrants in Minneapolis-Saint Paul. St. Paul, MN: Wilder Research Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • McBrien, J. L. (2005). Educational needs and barriers for refugee students in the United States: A review of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 75(3), 329–364. doi:10.3102/00346543075003329.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mertens, D. (2009). Transformative research and evaluation. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Minnesota Department of Education. (2013). 20122013 Fall enrollment by home primary language by school district (State Of Minnesota: Department of Education (MDE), Trans.). Accessed Via MDE Data Center on January 12th 2014.

  • Neblett, E. W., Rivas-Drake, D., & Umana-Taylor, A. J. (2012). The promise of racial and ethnic protective factors in promoting ethnic minority youth development. Child Development Perspectives, 6(3), 295–303. doi:10.1111/j.1750-8606.2012.00239.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niehaus, K., Rudasill, K. M., & Rakes, C. R. (2012). A longitudinal study of school connectedness and academic outcomes across sixth grade. Journal of School Psychology, 50(4), 443–460.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Noddings, N. (1992). The challenge to care in schools: An alternative approach to education. New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Noddings, N. (1996). The caring professional. In S. Gordon, P. Benner & N. Noddings (Eds.), Caregiving: Readings in knowledge, practice, ethics, and politics (pp. 160–172). Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Noguera, P. A. (2008). The trouble with black boys: And other reflections on race, equity, and the future of public education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Owen, G., Meyerson, J., & Otteson, C. (2010). A new age of immigrants: Making immigration work for Minnesota (pp. 2–8). Minneapolis: The Minneapolis Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pang, V. O. (2001). Multicultural education: A caring-centered, reflective approach. Columbus: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peguero, A. A., & Bondy, J. M. (2011). Immigration and students’ relationship with teachers. Education and Urban Society, 43(2), 165–183. doi:10.1177/0013124510380233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pittman, K. H., O’Brien, R., & Kimball, M. (1993). Youth development and resiliency research: Making connections to substance abuse prevention. New York, NY: Center for Youth Development and Policy, Research/Academy for Educational Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • Portes, A., & Rumbaut, R. G. (2001). Legacies: The story of the immigrant second generation. Berkeley, Calif: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • QSR International Pty Ltd. (2012). NVivo qualitative data analysis software (Version 10).

  • Resnick, M. D., Bearman, P. S., Blum, R. W., Bauman, K. E., Harris, K. M., Jones, J., & Udry, J. R. (1997). Protecting adolescents from harm. Findings from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health. JAMA, 278(10), 823–832.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reyes, M. R., Brackett, M. A., Rivers, S. E., White, M., & Salovey, P. (2012). Classroom emotional climate, student engagement, and academic achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(3), 700–712. doi:10.1037/A0027268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • State of Minnesota. (2012). State of the Asian Pacific Minnesotans. 2010 census and 20082010 American Community Survey Report. Retrieved 1/13/2014.

  • Suarez-Orozco, C., Pimentel, A., & Martin, M. (2009). The significance of relationships: Academic engagement and achievement among newcomer immigrant youth. Teachers College Record, 111(3), 712–749.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trust, Education. (2006). Education watch Minnesota: Key education facts and figures achievement, attainment and opportunity from elementary school through college. Washington DC: Education Trust.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2012). 1-Year estimates of first ancestry of roreign born populations by state. American Community Survey; Accessed via American Fact Finder.

  • Valenzuela, A. (1999). Subtractive schooling: U.S.-Mexican youth and the politics of caring. Albany: State University of New York Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallerstein, N., & Duran, B. (2010). Community-based participatory research contributions to intervention research: The intersection of science and practice to improve health equity. American Journal of Public Health, 100(Supplement 1), S40–S46.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Walters, N., & Vu, L. (2013). Preparing immigrant students in Minnesota for higher education (pp. 6–25). Saint Paul, MN: Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waters, S. K., Cross, D. S., & Runions, K. (2009). Social and ecological structures supporting adolescent connectedness to school: A theoretical model. Journal of School Health, 79(11), 516–524. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2009.00443.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Whitlock, J. L. (2006). Youth perceptions of life at school: Contextual correlates of school connectedness in adolescence. Applied Developmental Science,. doi:10.1207/s1532480xads1001_2.

    Google Scholar 

  • Youngblade, L. M., Theokas, C., Schulenberg, J., Curry, L., Huang, I. C., & Novak, M. (2007). Risk and promotive factors in families, schools, and communities: A contextual model of positive youth development in adolescence. Pediatrics, 119(Supplement 1), S47–S53.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Research reported in this publication was supported by National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health under award number R24MD007966. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Additional funding came from the University of Minnesota Clinical Translational Science Institute Planning Grant # CTSI 15673, and the University of Minnesota Program in Health Disparities Research Planning Grant # 2010-004. Portions of this work were presented at the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) national meeting in 2012 and the Society for Adolescent Health (SAHM) national meeting in 2012.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michele L. Allen.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors have no conflict of interest to report.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Allen, M.L., Rosas-Lee, M., Ortega, L. et al. They Just Respect You for Who You Are: Contributors to Educator Positive Youth Development Promotion for Somali, Latino, and Hmong Students. J Primary Prevent 37, 71–86 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-015-0415-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-015-0415-2

Keywords

Navigation