Navigating Intersectional Margins: A Multilevel Analysis of First- and Second-Generation Immigrant Students’ Academic Outcomes Within Urban Coethnic Communities

This study examines how structural and cultural forms of capital interact to shape the academic attainment of first- and second-generation immigrant students within urban coethnic communities. Drawing on data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study and hierarchical multinomial logistic regression, we integrate Yosso's community cultural wealth and the cultural and structural coethnic frameworks to examine how socioeconomic resources, bilingual fluency, and coethnic community strength predict postsecondary outcomes. Findings reveal that strong coethnic networks, bilingual fluency, and faith-based participation offset structural disadvantage. Results reframe the immigrant paradox through an intersectional, asset-based lens, emphasizing community-driven supports for equity-focused urban education policy.