ABSTRACT

Ghanaian immigrant families recognize that fathers and mothers as well as other adult figures in the kin group are responsible for the upbringing of children. Whether structured upon matrilineal or patrilineal relationships, the vitality of the Ghanaian immigrant family in America can be found in its social placement function. The internal composition of the Ghanaian immigrant household in the United States reveals that there are variations in the demographic characteristics of the households. The identities of some of the Ghanaian immigrant women have undergone significant transformations due to migration, education, and labor force participation in the United States. The higher number of children in the Ghanaian immigrant family household is a reflection of high fertility rates among Ghanaian families in general. Many of the Ghanaian immigrant women describe their immigrant experience in the United States as a 'positive on'. Migration to the United States has definitely had an impact on family life and gender relations in the Ghanaian immigrant household.