The modern divide

Regardless of the cultural differences, both ABCs and FOBs contribute to what now constitutes the Chinese identity in America.

Both Wu and Yu shared that their experiences of living in America impacted their ties with family.

“One thing that people don’t know about international students is that their parents are usually not home, they’re in another country, so their parents support them financially, but international students may lack the company of their parents,” Wu said.

Despite her differing experiences, Yu shares kindred sentiments with Wu.

“All my relatives live in Taiwan. Sometimes my family has felt a little bit isolated without a support system,” Yu said.

Peiyi Wang, a graduate student at UC Irvine’s School of Social Ecology, analyzed the roots of this transformative culture development through a psychosocial lens.

“Foreign-born individuals may be more likely to employ the separation acculturation strategy (high identification with heritage culture and low identification with the U.S. culture), whereas U.S.-born individuals may be more likely to use the assimilation acculturation (low identification with heritage culture and high identification with the U.S. culture) or integration strategies (high identification with both cultures),” Wang said.

The cultural divide between ABCs and FOBs is not just a phenomenon found in the Chinese immigrant population. The complex nature of intra-ethnic relations continues to evolve with the ever-changing demographics of the United States.  

Often considered a “nation of immigrants,” the heterogeneous constitution of America has transformed many ethnic groups’ ties to their culture.

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A number of reasons may discourage Chinese Americans from expressing their heritage culture, leading them to reject their own heritage culture, which is detrimental to their mental and physical health.

— Peiyi Wang

The celebration of heritage and diversity has progressively developed into a principal feature of the American lifestyle, one that may appear confusing or even arbitrary to countries with longstanding homogenous cultures.

However, according to Pew Research, more than six-in-ten Americans believe that the racially diverse U.S. population has a positive impact on the country’s culture. 

Appalachian State University’s Diversity Celebration cites many reasons for the significance of recognizing diversity, including its ability to “foster respect and open-mindedness for other cultures, unite and educate people, understand other’s perspectives, and broaden our own.”

From the subject of diversity in the workplace to dinner conversations with one’s grandparents, the presence of multifaceted perspectives and experiences seems to perpetually loom over us. 

Despite the frustrations that may accompany this lack of cohesion between groups, there are many benefits associated with encountering new cultures, like acquiring a fresh outlook on one’s own heritage or learning about a completely novel culture.

Wang believes that promoting cultural identity and biculturalism among Chinese Americans and international students could be beneficial in feeling more integrated with their heritage rather than conflicted.

“Via the experience of staying in another culture, individuals may be better able to adapt to new situations, develop more effective coping methods, and create new identities that assist them in navigating other cultures and societies,” Wang said.