Many families seek to immigrate thinking about the well-being of their children: better quality of life, better education and better income. At the same time, they are faced with the reality of raising their children in another society with different values, norms and language.
What is the importance of culture in our development?
Human beings live in society, and this is fundamental to our existence. The family is important in this process because it is within the family that we learn how to live in society, in particular through everyday activities: conversations, food, observation and socializing.
That is how our socialization, education and training for the world begins. The function of the family is to transmit the language and culture so that each member can learn the principles of the society in which he is inserted. There are challenges in this process, but the challenges increase when we live with different cultures.
Multiple cultures in a single house
Even when both parents share the same culture, the family ends up absorbing aspects of the culture of the country in which they live. It can be different perceptions about problems, different ways of dealing with some situations, food and even different values.
When children go to school, cultural differences can be more visible and accentuated. It can be a different look at religion or a different look at races. And it is true that these experiences create different perceptions and different behaviors in those who are in contact with different cultures.
Perceiving cultural changes and living well with them facilitates family interaction as well as social life for both parents and children.
Choices and renunciation
We opted for a better quality of life, a better future for our children, more security and the possibility of learning another language. But at the same time, we renounced living with grandparents, uncles and cousins; we live in a different culture with the challenges of living together.
And the guilt comes relentlessly, because we go on with our lives and choices, but noticing the differences that arise. And this realization can hurt, it can bring doubts, and also guilt.
Having the courage to look at these feelings and not hide them is very important, as we give the chance to balance choices and renunciations so that they can live in harmony.