No Place without a Home: Southeast Asian Grandparents in Refugee Families
Author(s):
Detzner, Daniel F.
Format:
Journal article
Citation:
Generations: Journal Of The American Society On Aging, Volume 20, Issue 1 (1996-04). pp. 45-48.
Language:
English
Abstract:
Examines cross-generational conflict among Southeast Asian immigrants to the US, based on 40 life-history accounts from immigrant Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, & Hmong elders. Traditional Southeast Asian values are strongly family-oriented, & filial piety is emphasized through a generational hierarchy within which the older generations command absolute respect & authority. Although generational tension is inherent in such a system, the elders' expectations of respect & authority are sufficient to perpetuate the system in Southeast Asia. However, in the case of US immigration, the younger generation's focus on the future & adaptation to Western culture significantly undermine the reverence for the past & Asian tradition. Although elders have attempted to reestablish traditional family practices in the US, the status of male elders is eventually diminished by overly zealous attempts to hold onto the past. The values of self-expression, freedom, & individuality characterized by Western society contradict the obedience & self-denial of traditional Asian practices, & it is concluded that cross-generational conflict is unavoidable in such a situation. 19 References. T. Sevier