Racially Biased High-School Support? The Heterogeneous Effects of Support on Bachelor-Degree Enrollment for First-Generation Immigrants

First-generation immigrants (FGIs) are eager to achieve the American dream and acquire the advantages a bachelor's degree affords. FGIs compared to their second-generation, third-generation and native peers fare better educationally. But, this comparison obscures across racial variation within a single-nativity status. As such, it is important to understand what mechanisms might produce inequality in college access among FGIs. One mechanism may be differences in how schools support students for college-going. The content of support may vary if racial stereotypes affect how support is given. Such variations could be decisive for FGIs' educational trajectories. We find that Latinx and black FGIs are less likely than other FGIs to enroll in bachelor-degree programs. The content of school support is a mechanism that can help partially explain this differential for black FGIs. Our findings indicate that how schools support black FGIs for college-going is different and is likely at least implicitly racially biased.