NEGOTIATING TWO WORLDS: A CROSS-CULTURAL NARRATIVE OF CHINESE IMMIGRANT PARENTS’ ENCOUNTER WITH CANADIAN SCHOOLING by Xiaohong Chi A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Graduate Department of Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto © Copyright by Xiaohong Chi 2012 NEGOTIATING TWO WORLDS: A CROSS-CULTURAL NARRATIVE OF CHINESE IMMIGRANT PARENTS’ ENCOUTER WITH CANADIAN SCHOOLING Doctor of Philosophy, 2012 Xiaohong Chi Graduate Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning University of Toronto Abstract From 1998- 2009, mainland China has been the number one source of immigrants in Canada (Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2011). For newcomer families, adjusting to the local school is a major concern, since their children’s education is a crucial factor in families’ immigration decision. In my research, I examined Chinese immigrant parents’ experience with Canadian schooling. The study focuses on four families living in the Greater Toronto area, who have immigrated from mainland China. I employed narrative inquiry to tell the stories of the lived experience of the four families in my study. The data for these stories are mainly drawn from field notes of each of my home visits and my interviews with the family members over a six month period. I found that the challenges and difficulties the immigrant parents face are deeply rooted in the differences between Chinese and Canadian cultures and social systems. The discussion on the features of Chinese culture in its comparison with Western culture provides a reference point for understanding the Chinese immigrant parents’ values and opinions on such matters as schooling, moral education, and parenting practice. Parental ii involvement in schools is different between China and Canada, and the parents, and school teachers and administrators have different understanding on this issue. What’s more, the language barrier impeded the parents’ involvement in their children’s school life. The acculturation gap between the parents and their children is another major reason for miscommunication over such issues as extracurricular activities, choice of university major, and future career. The less heard voice of immigrant parents will open new venues for the understanding of cross-cultural experiences of immigrant students. I find that instead of mainly using the traditional Chinese practice and Chinese educational values in approaching their children’s education, it is important for Chinese immigrant parents to make efforts to familiarize themselves with the ideas and values that their children are exposed to in the new environment. iii Acknowledgements I would like, first of all, to thank Dr. John Wallace for his most invaluable guidance and supervision during my doctoral journey. His help is not restricted to academic things only. There were very difficult moments in these years when, had it not been for his support and encouragement, I would have lost my grip and allowed myself to drift away from my original purpose. My heartfelt gratitude goes to the four families who kindly agreed to participate in my research. Their trust in me, and their willingness to share their precious views and life stories with me rendered my thesis research fruitful. Their reflection on Chinese culture, their questions about the Canadian schooling, and their eagerness to learn about the local school give new insights into the parent-school relations. Their dedication to the wellness and happy growth of their children greatly touched me. I am also indebted to Dr. Lesley Shore, who was my faculty advisor during my Master’s study. By attending her course, and reading her articles, I first thought of combining my literature training with educational research. Without her kind encouragement, I would not have embarked on this research in the first place. The kindness she shows me in moments of difficulties will always arouse the warmest feelings when I look back at this period of my life. My heartfelt thanks are due to Dr. Erminia Pedretti, Dr. Tara Goldstein, and Dr. Antoinette Gagne. They helped me in developing and refining the methodology, the structure, and the ideas for my project. They provided me with the most welcomed iv suggestions and advice when I found myself stuck in the writing of my thesis. I feel blessed for being supervised and examined by such an outstanding academic committee and examination panel. I am grateful for the financial support from the OISE/UT Scholarship. My love and gratitude also go to Ms. Jemille Chu Morrison, who is a PhD candidate at OISE and my dear friend. I could never forget that she gave me a birthday surprise in one of our classes, and the whole class sang the birthday song to me. I visited her home many, many times, and she introduced me to her friends. She became one of the main channels for me to broaden my social life in Toronto and learn about the local life and culture. My mother Zhuang, Ruhua, my father Chi, Shaonan, my older brother Chi, Yu and my younger sister Chi, Xiaoyan have always been a great support for me, emotionally and financially, in this undertaking. My deep love goes to my mother-in-law Zhou, Ruolan, and my father-in-law Chen, Long, who have given me great financial support, without which it was impossible to continue my study in Canada. Their love for me made each of my home visits in Shanghai the most enjoyable experience. My love and gratitude also go to my lovely sister-in-law Chen, Ting, whose loving care of my mother-in-law and father-in-law greatly relieved the anxiety and concern in my heart when I could not fulfill my duties as a daughter-in-law. v My greatest debt, however, is to my husband, Dr. Chen, Lei: without his patience and tireless help -- besides everything else he is also my unofficial supervisor, having discussed with me about every detail of my thesis -- I would not have been able to carry out this daunting task. My love to them all! vi Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………..……………………ii Acknowledgments…………………………….…………………………………………iv Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Prologue…. …………………………………………………………………..... 1 1.2 Research Background ………………………………………………… ……….5 1.3 Research Questions…………………………………………………………..…6 1.4 The Research Problem………………………………………………………...6 1.5 Outline of the Thesis………………...…………………………….…………...13 Chapter 2 Cross-cultural Perspectives on the Chinese Immigrant Parents’ Experience 2.1 Comparative Studies of Chinese and Western Cultures………………………..16 2.2 Confucianism in China in the 21st Century…………………………………… 19 2.3 Distinctive Features of Chinese Culture…………………………….……... …20 2.4 Individualism vs. Collectivism…………………………………………………22 2.5 Chinese Family System……………………………………………...………....26 2.6 Rearing the Children to Provide for Old Age………………………...………...28 2.7 Literature Review on Chinese Parents’ Encounters with the School Culture …………………………………………………………………………..30 2.8 Summary ……………………………………………………………...………..34 Chapter 3 Research Methodology 3.1 Narrative Inquiry……………………………………………………...………. 35 3.2 Positioning Myself in the Research…………………………………...………..39 3.3 Recruitment of Participants…………………………………………...………..41 3.4 Vignettes of the Four Families ………………………………………...……….46 3.5 In the Field……………………………………………………………………52 3.6 Data Analysis…………………………………………………………...………57 3.7 Limitations of the Thesis………………………………………………..……...58 3.8 Summary ………………………………………………………………...……..58 Chapter 4 Inter-generational Relationships 4.1 Journey to the West …………………...……………………………………… .59 4.2 “Fortress Besieged” ………………...………………………………………….64 4.3 Acculturation Process………………..…………………………………………71 4.3.1 Acculturation Gap between the two Generations…………..…………….71 vii 4.3.2 Implications of the Language Barrier……………….……………………87 4.3.2.1 Parents’ Stories of English Language Learning…………………...88 4.3.2.2 What is the Story in a Name? …..…………………..……………..95 4.3.2.3 Language Acquisition for the Second Generation…….…………96 4.3.2.4 Lost in Translation ..……………………………………………...100 4.3.3 Learning About the Local Culture……………………….……………..103 4.4 Chinese Parenting Style ………………………………………………………108 4.4.1 Physical Punishment ……………………………………………………111 4.4.2 The Shaming Practice ..…………………………………………………118 4.4.3 Get the Best of Both Worlds……………………………………..……...123 4.4.4 The Sacrifice Pattern………………….…………………...……………124 4.4.5 Expanded Family Structure……………….………………...…………..126 4.5 Summary ………………………………………………………….....………..128 Chapter 5 Encounter with Canadian Schools 5.1 Differences in School Culture………………………………………………129 5.2 Extra Chinese Homework……………………………………………………..140 5.3 Chinese Math vs. Canadian Math……………………………………………..155 5.4 Moral Education………………………………………………………………158 5.5 Parental Expectation ………………………………………………………….166 5.6 Parental Involvement with School…………………………………………….174 5.7 Summary………………………………………………………………………184 Chapter 6 Interaction with Other Chinese Immigrant Parents 6.1 Chinese Schools in Toronto……………………………...………………... …185 6.2 Social Networking…………………………………………………………… 187 6.3 Peer Pressure from Other Chinese Immigrant Parents……...……………….. 192 6.4 Tips from the Virtual Community…………………………...………………. 193 6.5 Summary……………………………………………………...…………… …194 Chapter 7 Conclusions 7.1 Chinese Immigrant Parents’ Adjustment to the Canadian Schooling……...….196 7.1.1 Learn about the Local School Culture……………………………...…. 196 7.1.2 Extra Chinese Homework…………………………………………...…197 7.2 Challenges or Difficulties in Managing their Children’s Schooling in Canada ………………………………………………………………………..197