Endurance of cultural traditions in the children of immigrants
Bailey contends that cultural traditions and identities tend to guide immigrant children as they consider their futures. For example, Cambodians from farming backgrounds rarely go to college and often take manual jobs out of high school; the more western-looking Vietnamese do the opposite. Despite this transgenerational consistency, Bailey sees second-generation immigrants struggling to balance the demands of tradition with the urge to succeed.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Raleigh Bailey, December 6, 2000. Interview K-0270. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full Text of the Excerpt
- BARBARA LAU:
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How could you describe some of the different choices that kids who were
facing that situationߞwhat kind of different choices do they
make about who they are? I mean, right, some go to college. Some
don't. Some lean in one direction. I'm curious
what you've observed.
- RALEIGH BAILEY:
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Again, it's a little bit cultural. Most of the Khmer or most
of the Cambodians don't go to college.
Most of their parents were rice farmers and were put right into
factories, and do not have much of a support system to go into college.
And I think that's proving to be true for most of the
Montagnards. There are exceptions. The Vietnamese came in with a much
stronger motivation to westernize, probably because of their exposure to
the west, and probably formal education, at least the group who came,
was a much higher priority of families, so you see more Vietnamese going
to school. If I generalized the say, like, African communities, I think
we can do the same thing. If you're coming from an rural,
impoverished environment, harsh times, then probably you're
going to move into factory work. If you're from a family that
has very high educational expectations, you follow that.
- BARBARA LAU:
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How do you think that affects people personally, trying to balance that,
trying to live in both worlds?
- RALEIGH BAILEY:
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Well, I think it is a generational thing. I think this generation
that's just now reaching adulthood are pivotal with the
Southeast Asians. They're the ones that are holding both
together, and it's very difficult. Butof course, I deal with
the people who are successful. Tthey are very successful because
they're really highly motivated, and they have access to both
worlds.
- BARBARA LAU:
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Can you expand on what you mean, they're holding both sides
together?
- RALEIGH BAILEY:
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They're accommodating their parents in traditional values and
trying hard to maintain traditional ways, and they're going
to college and pursuing professional careers.
- BARBARA LAU:
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And what have you observed? What toll does that take on them?
- RALEIGH BAILEY:
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I'm sure it's stressful.
