Immigrants’ children differ from children which born and live in their own country. They extremely need parent’s support, but they often have to support their parents. Sometimes they experience lack of confidence and worried about their parents’ helplessness.
Eva is a Jewish girl born in Poland who immigrated to Canada at age thirteen. Elizabeth is Chinese born in America. Both Eva and Elizabeth grow up in immigrant’s families, where parents don’t assimilate into the host cultures. Both of them are the oldest children in their families. Both Eva and Elizabeth have siblings who often are inadequate towards parents. Eva’s mother can’t accept to the norms of the new reality. Likewise, Elizabeth’s mother can’t get used to the conditions of the host country. Eva pities her mother when her sister challenges mother’s authority. Similarly, Elizabeth sympathizes with her mother when her brother rudely criticizes their mother’s English. Eva suffers because she feels distraction and uncertainty of her mother and Elizabeth does too. Eva is a mediator between her family and outside world, as Elizabeth.
Eva tries to adapt to the host country. She embraces norms of behaviour in Canada. Likewise, Elizabeth accepts the norms of American life. Eva feels her belonging to the
Canadian culture as Elizabeth feels her belonging to the American culture. Eva becomes Canadian, but she doesn’t release her roots. Similarly, Elizabeth thinks of herself as multicultural. She is American, but she can‘t ignore her Chinese background.
World views of both Eva and Elizabeth form from two different cultures. I think this experience will help them in their adult life.
