Distance, Alignment, and Boundaries: How Second-Generation Immigrant College Seniors Negotiate Parental Involvement

Drawing from 34 in-depth interviews, we examined the senior-year transitions of second-generation immigrant (SGI) college students, who are members of the first generation in their families to grow up in the US. We considered the ways SGI college seniors made meaning of parental involvement and negotiated relationships with parents during this transition, finding that students' interpretations of parental involvement shaped their strategies for engaging with parents as they approached graduation. Three types of perceptions corresponded with 3 distinct strategies, ranging from prioritizing independence to prioritizing familial expectations.