Elizabeth Lake- Group 4

Video: Do you feel American? Immigrant Parents vs First Generation | Middle Ground– https://youtu.be/jZA34onP-ZA

In the video I shared, immigrant parents and first generation Americans come together to discuss their experiences with ties to cultural roots, speaking different languages, in how certain topics are viewed and openly discussed in one’s culture (e.g.mental health), and parenting. All of this connects to the several challenges and perspectives that having a transnational identity may hold. 

In Louie (2006), there is mention of how important it is to consider where the “old country” is situated in the lives of immigrants and their children; and the ways in which children of immigrants relate to their parents’ experiences and views on culture can vary greatly. For instance, some first generation Americans have a strong connection to their families’ background as they may have an open dialogue with their parents about culture as well as take it upon themselves to adopt/ continue cultural practices and traditions. For other first generation Americans, it can be very difficult to relate to or understand their immigrant parent’s experiences and culture, especially when the life they have created for themselves in America does not always coincide with the generational patterns and expectations of one’s familial culture.

When these divides occur, I think it makes it a lot more challenging to see exactly where assimilation lies because while it may seem like some children of immigrants have assimilated fully to the American ways, is it really assimilation if American practices are all those children have ever known? However, even first generation Americans sometimes struggle to feel American because their identity is pulled into different directions. For example, one of the participants in the video explained how they “don’t feel Asian enough or American enough” because depending on who they are engaging with–Asian friends or American friends–they get judged on how they present themselves in either culture. Immigrant parents also go through these transnational challenges. One parent in the video said that it is not so much about him accepting America and becoming American, but that it is more so about wanting America to accept him.

Louie, V. (2006) Growing up ethnic in transnational worlds: Identities among second-generation Chinese and Dominicans. In Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power Vol.13 No.3 [363-394]