First Generation Immigrant Children

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Pages: 12

INTRODUCTION The decision to migrate from South Asia to the United States complicates narratives around culture, identity, and gender, for first generation South Asian parents and their second generation South Asian American children. First generation South Asian parents may grapple directly with the dissonance between their past and present lives, while second generation children may encounter these struggles indirectly, through the cultural and emotional legacies left by their parents. Interestingly, a majority of research focuses on first generation migrant women; consequently, second generation immigrants' indirect experiences of migration and social identity have not been widely studied. Feminist literature on immigration draws attention to the gendered nature of migration, which …show more content…
These traumas, including the loss of familial ties and community, traumatic events pre- and post- migration and during transit, ongoing challenges during assimilation into the host country, cultural and institutional barriers that exacerbate feelings of alienation and marginalization, cultural dissonance, and the pressures of maintaining bi-cultural identity, can deeply impact these women and even resonate across generations. However, through adaptive and open parenting styles, the paper will reveal that immigrant mothers have the capacity to interrupt the cycle of trauma, promoting resilience and fostering healthier bicultural identities in their children. This dual focus not only highlights the specific conditions under which immigration becomes traumatic, but also illuminates pathways for intergenerational healing and collective recovery within the South Asian immigrant community in the United