Second Generation Vietnamese Americans

The following voice project will discuss second generation Vietnamese Americans struggling with cultural expectations. In this assignment of exploration of literature, I will be discussing the first chapter of Growing up American: The Adaptation of Vietnamese Children to American Society. The first chapter is entitled The Children of Vietnamese Refugees. Growing up American tells the story of largest group of refugee children, Vietnamese children and sheds light on how they are negotiating the difficult passage into American society. It is comprehensive study of the unique experiences of Vietnamese immigrant children. For the children of immigrants in the United States, the passage to adulthood involves growing up American. In addition to the …show more content…
It stated that individual traits, family socioeconomic backgrounds, and racial or ethnic characteristics are the crucial ingredients of second-generation adaptation. The most important individual characteristics influencing their adaptation are those associated with exposure to American society. Theories of immigrant assimilation predict that proficiency in English, at a young age should lead to adaptive outcomes. The outcomes of adaptation vary according to where immigrants settle. Most of these families settle in underprivileged neighborhoods. They come into direct daily contact with the poor rather than with the middle class; they are more likely to encounter minorities and other immigrants rather than members of the dominant culture. The most important thing that I took away from this section of the article was the discussion on how socioeconomic status effects the second generation Vietnamese Americans. Family socioeconomic status shapes the social conditions for adaptation, because it determines the type of neighborhood in which children live, the quality of school they attend, and the peers they associate with. Immigrant children from middle-class backgrounds benefit from financially secure families, good schools, and safe neighborhoods, which ensure better life chances for them. However, the children with poorly educated and unskilled parents grow up in underprivileged …show more content…
Vietnamese cultural values, such as a tradition of respect for teachers, may affect how young people respond to public education. The experience of immigration can possibly reshape cultural values. Racial or ethnic group membership can have disadvantages in the American public school system. The problems in American society are carried into the American educational system. Minorities often attend schools that provide poorer resources compared to other schools. Schools may provide unequal opportunities on the basis of race and