Tri-Caucus Statement on the Current Political Climate
The Tri-Caucus of the Society of Research on Child Development (composed of the Asian, Black and Latino Caucuses) is committed to the study of the healthy development of ethnic minority youth and their families. Our members seek to understand how communities, families, schools, neighborhoods, and society can support the successful adaption of ethnic minority youth. Our research helps to identify individual, contextual, and cultural factors that promote positive development in youth and their families, especially in times of stress and uncertainty and in the face of discrimination and oppression. The study of these diverse communities and these promotive factors has never been more important. The research of our members clearly shows that policy and legislation (and likely executive orders) that purposefully or inadvertently target racial/ ethnic minority and immigrant-origin communities negatively impact the day to day experiences of youth and their families and places these families at risk. As a scientific community, we must continue to leverage science to examine the multiple ramifications of broader societal factors on the developmental contexts of ethnic minority youth, including in the contexts of intersectionality (gender and gender identity, sexuality, socioeconomic status, and ability status, for example). These ramifications can be negative as seen through increased experiences of discrimination and racism in schools after the election, families that are left in limbo due to uncertainty about immigration policy or policies that target certain groups, and policing in schools and neighborhoods that impact black communities. However, we must also seek to understand how families and communities are resilient in the face of these experiences; how civic engagement impacts youth and their families; and how policies, programs and social movements can foster school and neighborhood communities that create open dialogues of understanding and common humanity. Science is key to answering these questions. We stand together as a community of scientists committed to understanding how to develop the potential of all communities to build a vibrant world and seek equity for all.
Come to our co-sponsored events that are part of the invited program at the biennial conference that highlight this commitment:
Friday, April 7, 2017, 10:15 to 11:45am, Austin Convention Center, Ballroom G
Moderator: Hirokazu Yoshikawa, New York University
Panelists: Deborah J. Johnson, Michigan State University; Selcuk R. Sirin, New York University; Carly Tubbs, New York University (in collaboration with the International Rescue Committee); Lisseth Rojas-Flores, Fuller Theological Seminary.
The New Americans: Child Development and the Changing Demography of the United States
Saturday, April 8, 2017, 2:30 to 4:00pm, Austin Convention Center, Ballroom G
Moderator: Cynthia Garcia Coll, Albizu University and Editor of Child Development
Panelists: Rebecca M. White, Arizona State University; Vivian Tseng, William T. Grant Foundation; Sandra Graham, University of California, Los Angeles. (Co-sponsored by the Asian Caucus, Black Caucus, and the Latino Caucus of SRCD)
