Abstract
Traditional South Asian values have collectivist implications where the welfare and happiness of the family are held in a higher regard than the individual’s personal desires. While the requirement for parental and community approval is conventional for South Asian culture, this may not have the same resounding concurrence for second-generation South Asian-Americans raised in the United States who have likely been influenced by American ideologies and values. The cohort for this research is second-generation South Asian-Americans, a group who is forced to reconcile straddles the two competing cultures of their foreign-born immigrant parents and their American peers. Generational gaps between the conservative, tradition-based culture of their first-generation parents and mainstream American society make traversing life decisions such as marriage problematic. Mate selection and marriage are critical moments for all young adults, but expectations to uphold tradition make it especially difficult for second-generation South Asian-Americans. South Asian marital traditions point to arranged practices while conventional American marriages romanticize the requirement for love before marriage. The second-generation is faced with the decision of whether to follow tradition or to individuate and accept the potential consequences of marrying for love. More detailed examination on what prompts these immigrant children to pursue one marriage pathway over the other is needed due to the complexity of the issue. This research examines attitudes on marriage for the second-generation by utilizing three techniques: a theoretical approach, narrative inquiries, and media analysis. The theory of social constructionism helps breakdown the ever-changing understanding of second-generation ethnic identity and explains the way marriage preferences are reflective of their ethnicity. Using personal narratives gathered from pre-existing interviews and surveys, participant testimonials provide a first-hand experience of the second-generation marital dilemma. Lastly, I bring media portrayals—pop culture, podcasts, and television series on the topic—into the discourse because of its high consumption rate for both insider and outsider members and its impact on the social understanding of the phenomenon.
Marital decisions for second-generation South Asian-Americans does not follow a prescribed marriage model. Three key findings conclude ethnic identity, parental consent, and influence of American values are tied to this matter. Which marriage model to follow by the second-generation individual, whether arranged or love, is constantly disputed. But regard regardless of which pathway was taken, the outcome was a result of an independent choice. The second-generation does not automatically reproduce the cultural behaviors exhibited by their parents, such as arranged marriage practices. Therefore, the choice to forego an arranged or love marriage is a well-thought, individual decision.