Mayra Bamaca

As an undergraduate student, I read child development textbooks that did not describe my upbringing or family experiences as an immigrant. My undergraduate advisor, Carrie Saetermoe, introduced me to the work of Carola Suarez-Orozco and Marcelo Suarez-Orozco. I received a copy of Children of Immigration and Transformations (also by same authors) as my graduation present from her. Children of Immigration describes the lives of immigrant children and focuses on their experience and development (e.g., identity, acculturation, academics) while underscoring the influence of family and the broader sociocultural context. For the first time, I could relate to the experiences of the children depicted in a book! Since then, my goal as an immigrant scholar has been to advance the knowledge on diverse adolescent experiences and describe how culture and context shape the lives of Latino youth.