Cross-Cultural Experiences of Immigrant Chinese Mothers Caring forTheir Children in Japanese Society:The Process of Coping with Difficulties

Abstract

ObjectiveTo describe the diculties faced by immigrant Chinese mothers caring for their children in Japan and their process of coping with cross-cultural experiences. MethodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews of 8 Chinese-Japanese mothers living in the Tokyo metropolitan area who had given birth to and were caring for their children in Japan. A qualitative descriptive research method was used. ResultsWe found 3 categories of diculties that these women faced repeatedly 1 Could not imagine how to be a Japanese mother 2 Were confronted by a wall of a dierent culture 3 Lost their sense of self in cross-cultural experiences. We found 1 common category of coping We found 1 category of outcomes from coping with diculties ey found new identities as mothers with both Japanese and Chinese cultural characteristics. ConclusionWe found that they coped with their diculties by observational learning and imitation , and that this result resembles the stage theory of culture shock proposed by Pedersen that is, Chinese-Japanese mothers experienced intercultural adjustment and mothering together over time, because caring for their children forced them to acclimate to their new culture. 8 3