The study aimed at identifying ways Chinese Canadian immigrant Christian parents are impacted by the generational assimilation of their second-generation children when youth abandon the faith and ethno-religious community. The original contribution to knowledge is substantiating that Chinese Canadian Christian parents are variably impacted emotionally, spiritually, socially, and psychologically by the exit of their youth from ethno-religious communities, and the research proposes supportive recommendations. Key issues of impact are generational disconnect, parenting transitions in ethno-religious communities during acculturation, theo-cultural[1] expectations on family and church, and interdisciplinary framework for holistic health, growth and flourishing.
The research involved eighty-four interdenominational participants, either formerly from, or currently in Chinese churches. Qualitative research was utilized to elicit findings on the impact of the Silent Exodus on parents. The relevance of the research is providing interdisciplinary transformational strategies and solutions to parents encountering transitional complications during generational assimilation and contributing to knowledge for best practices. A discovery was the connection between the Silent Exodus and five differentiated high to low intensity impacts on parents. The knowledge domain is the sociology of religion, developmental psychology, emerging adulthood theory, life cycle and social learning theory, and cultural anthropology interfacing with a theology of the family.
[1] Theo-cultural – a integrated or syncretistic theological and cultural outlook or perspective.