IIH/SOC MIGRATION WORKSHOP SPEAKER SERIES: Robert Smith, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, CUNY (Marxe School, Baruch College and Sociology Department, and Political Science Department, the Graduate Center)
02/04/2025 - IIH/SOC MIGRATION WORKSHOP SPEAKER SERIES: Robert Smith, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, CUNY (Marxe School, Baruch College and Sociology Department, and Political Science Department, the Graduate Center)
On February 4, 2025, Dr. Robert Courtney Smith, Professor at CUNY’s Marxe School, Baruch College, and the Graduate Center, presented research from his new book, Dreams Achieved and Denied: Mexican Intergenerational Mobility (Russell Sage Foundation, 2024), as part of the IIH Speaker Series at Harvard3. Drawing on over two decades of research, Dr. Smith examined the mechanisms that have promoted-and inhibited-remarkable intergenerational mobility among children of Mexican immigrants in New York City, where upward mobility rates are notably higher than in other regions. He discussed the role of inclusive public policies, educational opportunities, and strong family and community support, as well as the barriers created by lack of legal status. Dr. Smith also shared insights from ongoing fieldwork on the impacts of DACA, legal status, and the COVID-19 pandemic on immigrant families across New York State.
For more on Dr. Smith’s findings, you can learn about his book, Dreams Achieved and Denied
