Carola Suarez-Orozco

Dr. Carola Suárez-Orozco, a leading authority on immigration and its impact on youth, families, and achievement, will present a program titled “Moving Stories: Newcomer Immigrants Transition to their New Land & Schools.”  Part of Northern Essex Community College’s White Fund Enlightenment Series, the free presentation will be held Friday, Sept. 23, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Northern Essex Community College’s White Fund Room at 78-82 Amesbury St., in Lawrence.

Immigration presents both opportunities and challenges for children and youth. This presentation examines the adaptation of newcomer immigrant adolescents from a wide range of countries. While some youth thrive as they adapt in their new schools others find themselves struggling. Based on a five-year study, following 400 immigrant students, Dr. Carola Suárez-Orozco sheds light on the challenges they encounter as they adjust to their new settings.

Suárez-Orozco is a professor of applied psychology at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education & Human Development and co-director of Immigration Studies at New York University. She has published widely in the areas of immigrant families and youth, educational achievement among immigrant origin youth, immigrant family separations, and the role of mentors in leading youth development.

Her books include: Learning a New Land: Immigrant Children in American Society; Children of Immigration; Transformations: Migration, Family Life and Achievement Motivation among Latino Adolescents; and The New Immigration: An Interdisciplinary Reader.

The White Fund’s purpose is to have a free series of interactive presentations for Lawrence area adults, youth, and children. The audience is encouraged to seek wisdom, cultural enrichment, and intellectual enhancement by attending and participating.

Funded by a generous financial gift from the Honorable Daniel Appleton White, the White Fund Lecture Series has provided cultural conversation featuring well-known lecturers in fields such as history, literature, travel, the arts, and politics. The White Fund is collaborating with Northern Essex on this series.

The White Fund Series will continue with a Thursday, October 6 presentation titled “Let’s Chat: Northern Essex Community College Grows Up in Lawrence” and a Thursday, October 13 performance by the Flamenco Dance Project.

The views expressed in the White Fund Enlightenment Series Presentations are the views of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Northern Essex Community College.

This program is also supported in part by a grant from the Lawrence Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
For additional information, call 978-738-7403 or visit the website www.necc.mass.edu/whitefund