Abstract
After reviewing the existing literature on second generation adaptation, the paper presents evidence of the process of segmented assimilation on the basis of the latest data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS). This evidence serves as a backdrop for the analysis of determinants of educational and occupational achievement among second generation youths who grow up under conditions of severe disadvantage. Based on interviews with a sample of fifty CILS respondents and their families, the analysis identifies four key causal mechanisms that are common to these «success stories» and that offer the basis for theoretical refinements on how the process of second generation adaptation actually unfolds and for policies to address the needs and aspirations of the most disadvantaged members of this population