Immigration Policy and Immigrant Families

Jennifer Van Hook, Ph.D. , is Director of the Population Research Institute and Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Demography at Penn State. Her research focuses on the demographics of immigrant populations and the socioeconomic integration of immigrants and their children. She has published research on the size, characteristics, and dynamics of the unauthorized foreign-born population. She also has ongoing research projects that focus on the relationship between immigrant legal status and the health and well-being of immigrants and their children.

Valarie King, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Demography, and Human Development and Family Studies and an Emeritus Associate of the Population Research Institute at Penn State. Her research focuses on intergenerational relationships across the life course and their implications for the health, well-being, and development of family members. Dr. King’s most recent work focuses on elucidating the factors that promote the development of strong ties between children and their stepfathers, and the ways in which stepfathers can promote children’s well-being.