Child-rearing experiences and home environment concerns among Southeast Asian immigrant mothers in transnational marriage families in Taiwan.

Abstract

To explore the child-rearing experiences of immigrant mothers and their concerns about children's home environments in the contexts of transnational marriage families and non-native culture. Immigrant mothers are often disadvantaged by a relative lack of information on and access to children's healthcare, but little research exists on the experiences of mothers in transnational marriage families as they attempt to provide a secure home environment while navigate an unfamiliar culture. A descriptive phenomenological research design based on intuition was employed to explore immigrant mothers' unique lived reality through their subjective experiences and perceptions. Semi-structured interviews with 15 immigrant mothers from 15 transnational marriage families were conducted between May 2016-February 2017. Narratives were analyzed using the descriptive phenomenological method because it permits systematic discovery of the lived experiences from the perspective of the study's participants. Three major themes were identified: (a) striving to maintain a secure home for children; (b) suffering and struggling with difficulties; and (c) trying to overcome difficulties and build an adequate family environment. The essential, prevailing concept of immigrant mothers' experience in child-rearing was identified as 'Where my child is, is home.' Immigrant mothers bond emotionally and physically to their new land via their children. Their child-raising experiences are interwoven with their roles in their new familial and cultural homes. Immigrant brides often become mothers soon after marrying to continue their husbands' family line. Understanding their unique child-rearing experiences and challenges in providing a secure home in a non-native culture will help nurses provide effective care. Study results will benefit paediatric/family nurses in any setting where care for transnational marriage families is provided, those families themselves, public policymakers and future researchers.