Chapter 10: A Social Cognitive Perspective on Intergroup Relations with Immigrant Learners in Early Childhood

What early cognitive biases might contribute to difficulties in acculturation for young immigrant children? This chapter uses a social cognitive and social inter-actionist lens to explore potential barriers to the acculturation and inclusion of young immigrant children into educational settings. We consider how peer-to-peer interactions in early childhood may be influenced by race, language spoken, and tendency toward dehumanizing outgroup members (e.g., Kinzler et al., 2009; McLoughlin & Over, 2018). For example, young children show an early preference for others who share their race and language, with this preference impacting their choice of friends and teachers (e.g., Kinzler et al., 2009, 2011). We conclude with suggestions for ways to mitigate these early ingroup biases and to promote positive relationships between immigrant and non-immigrant children in classroom settings.