Cultural heritage and identity formation: A study of second-generation immigrant children through parental perspectives in Singapore
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: This paper explores how immigrant parents influence the development of their children’s identities in Singapore, drawing on qualitative interviews with parents from diverse backgrounds. A key focus is the balance between maintaining ethnic traditions and integrating into Singapore society, along with parents’ aspirations for their children’s national identity. It is found that immigrant parents play an active role in transmitting heritage cultural values and practices to their children, with a focus on maintaining a connection to their heritage while also promoting societal integration into the host country. This approach is particularly reflected in the parents’ discourse about their children’s linguistic maintenance and adaptation. This research adds more broadly to the understanding of the immigrant experience and its implications for social cohesion and multiculturalism in Singapore.
Authors: Yi Fei LOH, Lee Tat CHOW, Peidong YANG
Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
Subfield: Demography
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Reduced inequalities
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4408040103