Parenting in a new land: the influence of English language proficiency on immigrant parents’ experiences with intergenerational challenges

Tamara Mae Roose; Meng-Ting Lo

doi:10.1515/mlt-2022-0008

Article

Parenting in a new land: the influence of English language proficiency on immigrant parents’ experiences with intergenerational challenges

Tamara Mae Roose and Meng-Ting Lo

Published/Copyright: May 18, 2023

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From the journal Multicultural Learning and Teaching Volume 19 Issue 2

Abstract

The purpose of this survey study was to explore how the English language proficiency of Asian and Latin American immigrant parents influenced their levels of intergenerational challenges as reflected in their experiences with diminished parental authority, role reversal, acculturation gap, value discrepancy, family conflict, and emotional distance. The 86 participants were Asian and Latin American immigrant parents from eight classes at three adult ESL programs in Southern California. They reported lower levels of intergenerational challenges than was expected based on the extant literature, and their experiences were quite similar regardless of their adult ESL class levels. Overall, the parents from different ethnic backgrounds shared more commonalities than differences as language and cultural learners raising children in a new land. This study sheds light on the experience of immigrant parents raising children in ethnic enclaves and pushes against common discourses about immigrants’ acculturation. The findings suggest that preserving their linguistic and cultural heritage has become increasingly important to many immigrant communities and may play a crucial role in how they navigate their roles as parents.

Keywords: adult ESL; English language proficiency; immigrant parents; intergenerational challenges; parenting

Corresponding author: Tamara Mae Roose, Department of Teacher Education and Foundations California State University, San Bernardino 5500 University Pkwy, San Bernardino, CA 92407, USA, E-mail: tamara.roose@csusb.edu

Appendix

Table A1:

Descriptive statistics for part 1 of the survey: 24 items of intergenerational challenges.

Items	Mean	Standard deviation
1. I am a good parent.*	1.74	0.85
2. I struggle to manage my children’s behavior.	3.84	1.53
3. I am afraid to look foolish in front of my children.	3.11	1.46
4. My children obey me when I ask them to do something.	2.43	1.18
5. I often need my children’s help with everyday tasks.	3.65	1.45
6. I often make decisions without my children’s help.*	2.91	1.44
7. My children often explain to me how to do things in America.	3.22	1.69
8. My children often translate conversations for me.	3.83	1.52
9. I value learning American culture.*	1.94	1.05
10. I have less contact with American culture than my children.	3.87	1.50
11. I prefer to interact only with people from my culture of origin.	3.50	1.48
12. My children have greater knowledge of American culture than I do.	4.81	1.57
13. My values conflict with American culture.	2.88	1.47
14. My children and I share the same values.*	2.09	1.17
15. I like my children’s friends.*	2.00	0.93
16. I often agree with my children’s decisions.*	2.71	1.17
17. My children and I have good communication.*	1.95	1.05
18. My children and I argue more than most families.	2.61	1.54
19. My children use their greater knowledge of American culture against me.	2.46	1.50
20. I believe my children tell me the truth.*	2.11	1.09
21. I am close to my children.*	1.69	1.05
22. My children rarely talk to me when they have problems.	3.07	1.64
23. I know my children’s dreams and goals for their lives.*	2.28	1.37
24. My family members enjoy spending time together.*	1.57	0.99

Note: *indicates reverse coded items.

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Received: 2022-06-05

Accepted: 2023-04-27

Published Online: 2023-05-18

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/mlt-2022-0008

Keywords for this article

adult ESL; English language proficiency; immigrant parents; intergenerational challenges; parenting