Mixed origin individuals are beginning to take up a strategic place in integration studies and policies. However, there is a lack of knowledge as regards the characteristics, living conditions and experiences of this group and especially in Portugal. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the social conditions and school experiences of students of mixed origin, comparing them with those of their native peers and other children of immigrants. The analysis is based on data from a survey involving 1,194 9th-grade students (aged 14-19), performed in the Lisbon, Setubal and Faro regions in Portugal. The students surveyed include 789 natives and 405 children of immigrants; within these 95 are mixed and multiracial, combining Portuguese and other origins (74% African). Comparative analysis reveals distinctive social profiles, conditions and subjective experiences. The young people of mixed origin surveyed experience more favourable conditions and experiences than both native and other students with immigrant backgrounds. Moreover, they return better academic records and evaluations, privileged interaction frameworks and strong individual agency. Our results recommend a more cautious approach when mixing these youngsters into the broad children of immigrants category, which has been a common practice in the field of second generation studies.

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Mixed Origin,Young People,Education,Children of Immigrants,Integration