that they already have some social cultural influence of their country of origin in their formative years—an aspect that plays a major role when they experience tri-level identity crisis for better adjustment. The most known group is the second-generation immigrants who are mainly children of first generation immigrants born in North America. Though pre-school children born outside of north American may technically be termed as second-generation immigrants because of lack of influence of their cultural heritage, the reality of their immigration status has huge impact on their identity formation, especially towards their sophomore high school year as they begin to think of college opportunities. Those born in the US have access to whatever college they choose and do not have to think of immigration status or educational finances. They can easily get college loans through FAFSA. Those who came as children must now contend with these major differences and in some cases issues of deportation. While these might look like harmless differences, the ramifications are huge with regard to their still forming cultural and social identity. Such differences will sometimes be the reason that parents will be more cautious about allowing their young adults to enjoy all aspects of college, as they are afraid that the child may do things that are illegal and end up having their papers denied or deported. The highly politicized case of DACA children is a classic example of implications on identity formation of the two distinctive second generation immigrants. Generally, the chapters in this volume focus on first generation immigrant parents and their second generation children. However, we did not restrict authors to stay within these parameters, but allowed them to utilize categories that best helped them characterize the populations about which they are writing.
The last section of the book offers insightful ways of navigating and minimizing adverse dissonance in children of immigrants through communal-based rites of passages and through the adaptation of family palavers that we believe offer promise for smoother pathways as immigrant families navigate the perilous terrain of tri-level identity crises.
1. Erikson, Childhood and Society; Identity.
2. Marcia, “Development and Validation”; “Identity in Adolescence.”
3. Marcia, “Development and Validation”; “Identity in Adolescence.”
4. St. Louis and Liem, “Ego Identity.”
5. Phinney, “Stages of Ethnic Identity Development”; “Three Stage Model.”
6. Rotheram and Phinney, “Introduction.”
7. Kundu and Adams, “Identity Formation, Individuality, and Connectedness.”
8. Kundu and Adams, “Identity Formation, Individuality, and Connectedness.”
9. Ahmed, “Adolescent Development.”
10. Côté and Levine, Identity Formation, Agency, and Culture.
11. Kundu and Adams, “Identity Formation, Individuality, and Connectedness.”
12. Kundu and Adams, “Identity Formation, Individuality, and Connectedness.”
13. Kundu and Adams, “Identity Formation, Individuality, and Connectedness.”
14. Phinney, “Stages of Ethnic Identity Development.”
15. Sue and Sue, Counseling the Culturally Diverse, 297
16. Sue and Sue, Counseling the Culturally Diverse, 296.
17. Phinney, “Stages of Ethnic Identity Development,” 34–35.
18. Sue and Sue, Counseling the Culturally Diverse, 299.
19. Phinney, “Stages of Ethnic Identity Development,” 34–49.
20. Sue and Sue, Counseling the Culturally Diverse, 301.
21. Sue and Sue, Counseling the Culturally Diverse, 302–3.
22. Sue and Sue, Counseling the Culturally Diverse, 304
23. St. Louis and Liem, Ego Identity.
24. Agwu, Acculturation and Racial Identity Attitudes.
25. Strama, Deconstructing the American Dream.
2
Experiences of Immigrant Families in the West, with Special Reference to the USA
—Anne Kiome Gatobu
In order to understand the third level identity crisis of children of first generation immigrants, it is important to have some base knowledge of both their experience in the social realm and at home, as well as that of their parents. This chapter’s objective is to help the reader get into the world of these families from both the perspective of the first generation immigrant parents and that of their children. It is therefore divided into two parts for ease of discussion, first to discuss the journey of parents navigating a new culture and second how such navigation translates into their parenting roles and the response of their children.
Parents Navigating a Foreign Culture
Ultimate Cultural Shock—Loss of Status
Speak to any immigrant person and they will each have an experience of some sort regarding cultural shock. For many, it is the seasonal changes and ensuing extreme weather changes (especially if coming from equatorial climates where the days are generally the same throughout the year). For these immigrants, the changes of four drastically different seasons are a phenomenon to which one never really gets used. The idea of snow and chilling icy cold is not one to which these immigrants really acclimate. Yet for others, cultural shock is experienced in the foreign foods they have to get used to, and the
