“Family Is Here”: Learning in Community-Based After-School Programs

This article examines the culture of community-based after-school programs that serve low-income Hmong immigrant youth. By drawing on knowledge of Hmong culture, history, and family structure, and knowledge of mainstream American culture, the staff at the community centers are able to connect to children and adolescents in ways that schools do not. Despite the success that community centers have in connecting to Hmong immigrant youth, they are less successful in providing youth with literacy-rich activities that promote school success. The authors argue that through collaboration, schools and community based after-school programs may be able to bridge the academic and cultural barriers that marginalize low-income immigrant youth.