ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the context of gender socialization and gender role expectations for men and women in South Asian American (SAA) cultures. It provides a discussion of the evolving gender socialization process within SAA communities today. The chapter focuses on the case of Binal, a 20-year-old cisgender second-generation Muslim Bangladeshi-American female who identifies as queer. Primary socialization, occurring in infancy and childhood, is the initial process of learning the ways of a society or group. The four most studied agents of socialization are family, peers, education, and media. Acculturation adds a layer to the gendered story for the SAA family as it plays a major role in the immigrant family's adaptation and is influenced by gender-based cultural norms and expectations. The pressure placed on females in the SAA home often manifests in the domain of marriage and sexuality, including the presence of premarital sex, expectations for partner choice, type of marriage and beliefs about dating.
