Immigrant children development and sense of belonging

This research explores how storytelling within immigrant and multigenerational households shapes children’s cultural and religious belonging. Using an autoethnographic approach, the study examines storytelling as a lived, relational practice through which children connect to heritage, family history, and shared values. Drawing on psychological, sociological, and cultural scholarship, the paper situates storytelling as a central mechanism for transmitting identity, especially for children navigating life between cultures without direct access to their ancestral homelands.

The study highlights how everyday narratives—such as family memories, religious stories, and cultural traditions—help children construct meaning, develop emotional bonds, and form a sense of self. It emphasizes the role of intergenerational storytelling in fostering continuity across time, allowing children to “inherit” experiences they did not directly live through. Through this process, storytelling becomes a bridge between generations and cultures, supporting bicultural or multicultural identity formation while mitigating feelings of dislocation and cultural loss often experienced by immigrant youth.

Overall, the paper argues that storytelling is a powerful cultural and emotional resource within immigrant families. It not only strengthens familial bonds but also nurtures religious identity, cultural awareness, and belonging in contexts shaped by migration. By foregrounding lived experience and narrative transmission, the study underscores storytelling’s role in sustaining heritage, promoting resilience, and enabling children to integrate multiple cultural worlds into a coherent sense of self.