If We Can't Do It, Our Children Will Do It One Day'': A Qualitative Study of West African Immigrant Parents' Losses and Educational Aspirations for Their Children

This study examined migration narratives of West African immigrants for the connections between experiences of loss and educational aspirations for their children. The qualitative design consisted of three interviews per family in which parents (N = 20, 12 families) were asked to narrate their families' migration histories. Transcripts were analyzed using grounded theory followed by thematic coding. Discussions of loss were markedly proximal to discussions of children's education. Schooling was described as providing upward mobility but conflicting with education at home, which was seen as fostering traditional values. Discussion contextualizes findings using Hobfoll's conservation of resources theory and Kagitcibasi's family change theory. Implications include salience of loss to educational aspirations and school-family partnerships for immigrants.