Negotiating cultural transmission : Asian Indian immigrant parents and children

The study examines parenting experiences of Asian Indian immigrant parents and their second generation adult children to understand how immigrant families negotiate differences and similarities between cultural values and beliefs within the family and dominant society at large. Participants in the study included seven first generation couples and their adult children who were born and brought up in Canada. Both parents and one child per family were interviewed separately using open ended in-depth interviews. The analysis of the interviews resulted in certain core themes: (1)Contextual factors; (2)Notions of family; and (3)Parenting as a process. The parenting experience of immigrant parents and children embedded within a socio-cultural context where cultural maintenance and cultural adaptation both serve as an important role in the adaptation and adjustment of these families. The study highlights the need for a cultural and developmental perspective to understand experiences in the context of immigration.