Filial Piety, Modernization, and the Challenges of Raising Children for Chinese Immigrants: Quantitative and Qualitative Evidence

This study examines Chinese immigrant parents’ perceptions of filial piety. The concept of filial piety is introduced and we discuss the impacts of modernization and immigration experience on the challenges faced by contemporary Chinese immigrants as they reconcile traditional values with the demands of sociohistorical change and child rearing in the United States. Factor analysis of a commonly applied scale demonstrates multiple aspects of filial piety and reflects modifications from traditional views. Interview results point to aspects of filial piety not fully represented in the quantitative scale and expose specific challenges in child rearing related to filial values. These findings suggest the evolution of expectations and strategies related to a cultural adaptation of filial piety. One key demand is for strategies consistent with parental values while maintaining respect for children’s unique point of view. The conclusions focus on the development of approaches to understanding the evolving conceptualization and meaning of filial piety for contemporary immigrant Chinese. [Chinese, immigrants, parents, filial piety, cultural values, cultural models] People of my generation believe that taking care of our parents in the future is a universal truth, but I don’t know if our children will have this sense of responsibility. I believe they won’t have this sense of responsibility, but maybe if they really love us, they will want to take care of us . . . if they feel close to their parents. When the time comes, then ETHOS, Vol. 32, Issue 3, pp. 324–347, ISSN 0091-2131, online ISSN 1548-1352. C © 2004 by the American Anthropological Association. All rights reserved. Send requests for permission to reprint to: Rights and Permissions, University of California Press, Journals Division, 2000 Center Street, Suite 303, Berkeley, CA 94704-1223.