Between Two Generations: Language Maintenance and Acculturation Among Chinese Immigrant Families (The New Americans: Recent Immigration and American Society)

Zhang studies three domains of acculturation--language attitudes, cultural participation and social network--in relation to home language maintenance. Her results indicate that while most parents use Chinese as their dominant language, the majority of the second-generation children prefer using English. The different language attitudes and preferences accompany inter-generational conflict. Parents see home language maintenance as critical to family cohesion and second-generation children become language and cultural brokers within the family. Co-ethnic networks, including extended family ties, children s co-ethnic peers, and the co-ethnic community, are important forces that contribute to children s home language maintenance.