Mai's family immigrated to the U. S. from Cambodia and her parents expect her to honor the traditions and styles that characterize life for a young woman growing up in Cambodia. Although she wants to please and honor her parents, Mai, however, also want to be like her school friends, most of whom are white, middle-class girls. She feels torn between wanting to be the person her parents expect, and wanting to be a modern woman growing up in mainstream U.S. culture. The term that best describes Mai's dilemma is:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Adolescents who belong to ethnic minorities must take note of their ethnicity, but they must also acknowledge that the majority culture may not reflect or may actually be hostile to the characteristics valued within the ethnic group. Sometimes this means that individuals will experience an ethnic identity crisis much like the more general adolescent identity crisis that Erikson described.

Mai's Family Immigrated to the U