This study retrospectively explored the links between preimmigration beliefs of life success and postimmigration experiences and their influence on acculturative stress among a group of parents who recently immigrated with their children from three non-English speaking countries-Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan-to the United States. The respondents, 75 sets of parents residing in New York City, participated in semistructured qualitative interviews. Discrepancies between the parents' anticipated life success in the United States and actual experiences after immigration were associated with the parents' expectations of their children fulfilling parents' own dreams of success. Two criteria specific to Asian culture that guided parental expectations were the responsibility of children in enhancing family pride and the role of education as a way to advance through the social class and the caste systems. Implications for understanding immigrant parents' sociocultural contexts, the potential negative impact of unrealistic expectations on children's development, and the significance of acculturative stress for parents as well as their children were discussed.

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Pakistan educational status morality India psychological aspect human Stress, Psychological mental stress ethnology qualitative research Moral Obligations achievement interview United States Humans attitude Asian Americans Asian American Acculturation questionnaire cultural factor Article Retrospective Studies Questionnaires migration New York City Interviews Emigration and Immigration Bangladesh Cultural Characteristics social class retrospective study