"Throughout many immigrant experiences, stories collected from family members can be a starting point for migrants. The memories gleaned from parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles-who crossed dozens of borders at great risk and with immense pain-can settle into the consciousness of new host communities for decades. For the migrants, these stories and memories represent the first step into a new world and contain lifelines with the potential and promise to build new, resilient identities and a sense of belonging in often hostile environments."
"Immigrant families undergo what scholars refer to as an "acculturation gap"-when children begin to adapt to the new host culture at a faster rate than parents, who maintain stronger connections to their heritage values and customs. The risk of disconnection is significant: Children may struggle to balance different demands, while parents may worry about the loss of cultural continuity. Research, however, reveals the enduring strength of family cohesion, filial duty, and a sense of belonging as indicators of positive adaptation and sources of adaptive resilience."
Family stories passed down by parents, grandparents, and other relatives offer migrants lifelines that shape resilient identities and foster belonging within often hostile host communities. Bilingual, culturally integrated memories support children's social, academic, and emotional growth. Immigrant families face acculturation gaps as children adapt faster to host cultures while parents retain heritage values, creating potential disconnection. Strong family cohesion, filial duty, and shared narratives function as protective factors, bridging generational and cultural divides. Intergenerational narratives preserve traditions, record struggles and hopes, and help balance adaptation with cultural continuity, supporting adaptive resilience and long-term community integration.
Read at Psychology Today
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