School Performance of Children of Cross-Border Marriages: Effects of Within-Family Social Capital and Community Contextual Factors

Abstract

Similar to some other countries in East Asia, Taiwan has been experiencing a dramatic increase in children born to cross-border mothers. This phenomenon has drawn national attention to the school performance gap between children of Taiwanese and immigrant mothers. The present study focuses on the factors associated with these academic performance differences, in particular differential access to social capital or resources, and the community context. Drawing on data from a stratified sample of 940 elementary students in a county in central Taiwan, the researcher first illustrates the educational disadvantage of children born to Southeast Asian mothers. Second, the shortage of within-family social capital is shown to contribute to the performance gap between schoolchildren within different maternal ethnic backgrounds. Third, students’ preschool experience, educational attitudes, and behaviors all have positive association with their academic performance. In addition, the effects of within-family social capital and of maternal ethnic background can be moderated by community characteristics that show a broad picture of human capital, and socioeconomic status and heterogeneity of residents within school districts.