For all immigrant communities, there is a question of whether they want to maintain their cultural heritage or assimilate into American culture. There are multiple challenges that come with either choice, and Asian Americans must undergo the struggle to understand their true identity.
For first-generation Asian Americans (who were born abroad and immigrated to the United States), they are usually more connected to their home countries. For these immigrants, English is usually their second language, causing them to have trouble connecting as well with American culture. Furthermore, they were raised in a completely different environment, making the United States’ culture seem more foreign and unusual.
Once we get to second-generation Asian Americans (who are born in the United States to immigrant parents), we begin to see more of an assimilation into American culture. Since these people are generally raised in a more American environment and speak English, they find it more difficult to connect to their cultural roots. However, since their parents are usually still relatively connected to their cultural roots, it creates a dilemma between working to reconnect with their ethnic hometown or accepting a more American identity.
Third-generation and beyond involves a much more Americanized identity, as their families have been detached from their roots for so long that they have usually lost many of their original traditions. Nonetheless, these Asian Americans can still find ways to connect with their ancestors’ cultures.
While I have phrased it like there is a choice between an Asian culture versus an American culture, a lot of the time, it is about finding a way to create a bridge between these two worlds. It’s essential that Asian Americans accept their unique place between two vastly different cultures, and that they do all they can to retain original traditions while accepting new traditions.