Raising Immigrant Kenyan Children in America

Growing up in Africa, then having to raise your own children in the American society brings with it some complex issues. This study, which was my dissertation research, investigated some experiences of a selected number of immigrant families of Kenyan background who were living in the U.S. The research focused on academic and cultural issues. Some of the main themes that emerged included family academic expectations, the role of the native language in the families homes, the children's identity formation process as well as the racial relations between these families and other races in America. Through a qualitative research methodology that facilitated the collection of the participants views and stories, the parents and their children revealed their own experiences within the society. A number of teachers too brought in their own perspectives of these children and their families based on their own interactions with them. In the face of a continuously and rapidly growing number of African immigrants in the U.S., this work was viewed as a significant contribution to the field of African Diasporic Studies among other disciplines.