ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews American immigration policy, specifically focusing on policies that have an impact on Chinese children and families. It describes the several different kinds of Chinese children and families in the United States. The chapter discusses the core values that all Chinese Americans share, presents some of the problems Chinese immigrant children and families have had in the United States. It discusses how the immigration policies have had an impact upon the problems of Chinese parents and children, and proposes future recommendations to address these problems. Eldest sons in traditional Chinese families are obligated to take care of the elders, carry on the family name, and meet all the obligations of family leadership. The predominance of family and the value placed on avoiding loss of face applies to the Chinese children as well as the adults. Immigration policy has shaped the lives of Chinese Americans powerfully and for several generations.
