Immigration, Acculturation And Culture Value: A Comparative Study Between American-Born Chinese And Their Immigrant Parents In America

The history of Chinese immigration in America can be traced back to hundreds of years ago. To some extent, the contributions made by the Chinese immigrant people have become part of the most persistent and the most pervasive influences in American development. Some one said American history of immigration is rather a process of assimilation into the American mainstream. It seems natural that Chinese immigrants to American in the early years intended to preserve theirtraditional culture and way of life. At first they endeavored to establish a subculture of their own and develop separate religious and living environment. While increasing strong sense of conformity with the existing American pattern obliged them to adopt a common American form gradually.This thesis made a brief study on the acculturation of Chinese immigrants from the early generation to the American-born Chinese. Instead of stating the gradual development history, the thesis uses the device of comparison between the Chinese-Americans and their immigrant parents to trace their underlying value differences and clashes, from which reveals the distance between the traditional Chinese culture and assimilated Chinese culture or even American culture.The significance of this thesis is that it makes us more clear the impact of traditional culture on the process of initial accommodation and the ultimate acculturation of the Chinese immigrants in America.