Bicultural Children: What Parents and Teachers Should Know

Abstract

Children internalizing two cultures often struggle to balance heritage and mainstream cultures and expectations. In many cases, this results in a discord between parents and educators. This article discusses issues related to generational dissonance between parents and children in immigrant families, which include lack of parental involvement, parent-child conflicts, and poor home-school relationships that affect student performance. Parents and educators can improve the socialization and developmental experiences of bicultural children through greater understanding of and respect for children's cultural standpoints.