Immigrant parents want children to remember their roots
Deborah David sits at her dining room table， introducing her daughter to the Haitian game Wosle. Her 5-year-old， Lyrah， watches in amazement as David scrambles to pick up the shiny pieces while juggling one in the air.
It's a game David mastered during her summer vacations in Haiti， a link to her culture， and one of many Haitian pastimes* she plans to pass along to her two children.
But making a firm decision on which of her Haitian cultural traditions to pass on her daughter and 10-month-old son is no simple toss-up.
"I often find myself in a predicament of choosing between what would be acceptable in Haitian vs. American culture，" David said. She recently launched the blog balancedmeltingpot. Worlpress.com where she writes about these cultural dilemmas.
From one generation to the next At a time when the first- and second- generation immigrant community is booming in Florida， David is among many parents who belong to this hyphenated American* generation， some of whom are wrestling with what aspects of their culture to keep alive as they themselves become more "American."
There are more than 60 million first- and second-generation immigrants in the United States； about a quarter of the population， according to 2004 census data， the latest numbers available.
"The older generation of immigrants are usually holding on to their culture and values，" said Lena Hall， associate professor in the social and behavioral sciences division at Nova Southeastern University. "But the second generation tends to be more of a 'unique species' because they're not purely the old culture or the new culture. They have a combination of values."
Deborah David sits at her dining room table， introducing her daughter to the Haitian game Wosle. Her 5-year-old， Lyrah， watches in amazement as David scrambles to pick up the shiny pieces while juggling one in the air.
It's a game David mastered during her summer vacations in Haiti， a link to her culture， and one of many Haitian pastimes* she plans to pass along to her two children.
But making a firm decision on which of her Haitian cultural traditions to pass on her daughter and 10-month-old son is no simple toss-up.
"I often find myself in a predicament of choosing between what would be acceptable in Haitian vs. American culture，" David said. She recently launched the blog balancedmeltingpot. Worlpress.com where she writes about these cultural dilemmas.
From one generation to the next At a time when the first- and second- generation immigrant community is booming in Florida， David is among many parents who belong to this hyphenated American* generation， some of whom are wrestling with what aspects of their culture to keep alive as they themselves become more "American."
There are more than 60 million first- and second-generation immigrants in the United States； about a quarter of the population， according to 2004 census data， the latest numbers available.
"The older generation of immigrants are usually holding on to their culture and values，" said Lena Hall， associate professor in the social and behavioral sciences division at Nova Southeastern University. "But the second generation tends to be more of a 'unique species' because they're not purely the old culture or the new culture. They have a combination of values."