WHY DO CANADIAN KIDS OF INDIAN ORIGIN (I mean east Indian) DEMAND INDEPENDENCE, AUTONOMY & PRIVACY FROM THEIR PARENTS WHILE ALSO EXPECTING PARENTS TO FINANCE THEIR UNIVERSITY EDUCATION; EXPECTING THEIR MOTHERS TO DO THEIR LAUNDRY AND COOKING; EXPECT THEIR PARENTS TO BUY THEM A CAR AND PAY FOR THE GAS AND INSURANCE BUT REFUSE TO DO CHORES AROUND THE HOUSE; REFUSE TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE BUT WANT PRIVACY; OR WANT TO GET OUT BUT EXPECT PARENTS TO PAY THE RENT?


My long-suffering and exasperated friend asked me this question. I had no answer. Chatting over lunch at work, we often compare life in India and Canada and the changing values in the families---changes due to the march of time and also the differences between India and Canada. I feel really bad for the families struggling to get along . There seems to be the usual age gap, generation gap but this gap seems to be more exgaggerated here in Canada than it was in India.

In some families, parents just cannot seem to understand why their kids are so difficult to understand.
In 3 south-east Asian families I know where the struggle between the 2 generations is really great. But this may be because of mental health issues compounding the picture. One son in one family has schizophrenia, another has depression and another is on drugs.