Navigating Borders and Bytes: The Reconstruction of Parenting Narratives by Chinese Immigrant Mothers

This qualitative study investigates how Chinese immigrant mothers in Canada reconstruct their parenting narratives by drawing on life experiences and engaging with childrearing philosophies accessed through digital platforms. Grounded in a narrative approach, our analysis examines the subjective interpretations and sociocultural influences that shape these mothers’ beliefs, highlighting the coherence, contradictions, and evolution within their stories. Our findings reveal that social media serve as discursive spaces that transcend geographic boundaries. These platforms enable the reimagining of parenting goals but also limit integration into local contexts. Tensions emerge as mothers critique traditional Chinese practices while idealizing “Western” approaches. By exploring these dynamics, this study illuminates how transnational experiences and digital ecologies reshape parental belief systems. It offers new insights into the social and psychological forces influencing immigrant parenting and contributes to theoretical and applied discussions on cultural psychology and family studies in a globalized, digital age.