Investing in Future Generations: Realities and Goals of Latino Immigrant Families

Considering education as a gateway to opportunity and upward mobility in the United States, this study pursued a process of qualitative methodology to gain insights about the experiences, goals, and aspirations of first-generation Mexican immigrant parents, related to the education of their children, in two communities in a rural Midwestern state. Data from focus group interviews with various members of families—first-generation Mexican immigrant mothers, fathers, and their children—were analyzed through Thematic Analysis. Findings from this study contribute to the literature focused on resilience among Mexican immigrant families and suggest needs for ethnographic and longitudinal studies to monitor families' progress in securing positive futures for their children and future generations.