The Challenges of Being Bicultural

To follow-up on my last post on cultural identity, today's post will focus on those individuals who are exposed to two cultures, or what is referred to as being bicultural. Specifically, I am talking about immigrants and the children of immigrants who are exposed significantly to their familial culture and the host culture of where they are living. Being exposed to two cultures has its benefits, but also has its drawbacks. These drawbacks can occur as the individual navigates between the two cultures which can lead to potential challenges and conflicts. We can look at these challenges and conflicts on three levels: problems with society at large, within the smaller network of friends and family, and lastly, within oneself.

Level 1- Society: Something that all members of minority groups can experience is racism and discrimination. This is, of course, no different for bicultural individuals. Additionally, at times people who are bicultural may feel that they do not belong or fit in to either group, neither the host culture or their ethnic group. For example, the son of Japanese immigrants may be told (implicitly and explicitly) that he isn't quite American by the general public, and due to becoming more "Americanized" may also not quite fit in with members of the Japanese community. This can leave bicultural individuals isolated in an in-between no-man's land. (This experience can be even more pronounced in individuals who are biracial or multiracial).

Level 2- Friends/Family: The most significant challenge at the family level comes when there are differences in values between generations, resulting in intergenerational conflict. Due to differences in acculturation level, immigrant parents and their children generally hold different cultural values. And because cultural values include gender roles and expectations for individuals, differences between parents and children in cultural values can lead to significant conflict. For example, the daughter of Iranian immigrants would like to become a medical doctor, but her parents traditional values hold that she should not pursue her education and instead become a housewife. This can lead to considerable conflict and discord. The bicultural individual is left to navigate in the space between her own cultural values and those of her parents.

Level 3- Individual: Interestingly enough, for many bicultural individuals their biggest challenge comes not from the outside, but from within. Exposure to the two cultures can potentially result in identity confusion. Using the example above, the Iranian girl may feel torn between her parents' cultural view that she should become a housewife and the cultural view in America that encourages independence and individualism. She is both Iranian and American, and at times when the cultural values of the two diverge, she may be unsure who or what she is and what she truly wants. This identity confusion can be unsettling and difficult to resolve for some. 

This post might give off the impression that being bicultural is some kind of curse, but the truth is that being bicultural can actually be a very good thing. In my next post I will discuss the benefits of being bicultural and also what can contribute to resolving and overcoming the conflicts and challenges outlined in this post.