Abstract
This qualitative study explored the socialization goals and values of Asian Indian mothers living in the US. Additionally, it examined the dynamic and contextual aspects of being Asian Indian mothers in the US. Twelve Asian Indian mothers living in Northern California, with a young child between 1 and 5 years, participated. Data were collected through semi structured interviews and a demographic survey. Analysis revealed four main socialization goals of Asian Indian mothers: (a) Respecting elders and maintaining family relations, (b) being independent ( c) getting a good education and career, and ( d) having faith in God and following religious customs. Three key themes that emerged with respect to the mothers' socialization goals practices were: a) learning that is embedded in social interaction, (b) open communication, and ( c) modeling. The findings also suggested that the India-US multicultural context influenced many of the mothers' personal beliefs, which further influenced their parenting.
The implications of these results for the field of cross-cultural research in child development and the need for recognizing the multicultural context in the study of Asian Indian and other immigrant families were considered.