Educators and the American public too often feel that the relatively strong academic performance of Vietnamese children indicates that they are doing just fine and have few needs. Doing well and being well are two different things, though. Even when the children are excelling, they are often responding to parental needs for finding a place of respect in the new homeland. This can result in considerable psychological strain and unhappiness. Peer support groups, organized in schools, can be valuable ways of enabling children to share their stresses with each other.
Generation gaps are common in virtually all American ethnic groups.
However, they can be especially problematic in this group. Not only are children under pressure from their immigrant parents, they also have life experiences that are quite different from their parents'. Mediating conflicts between parents and children, and helping parents and children to see things from each other's perspectives, can be a critical task in creating generational consonance and in helping children meet the challenges of life in their segment of contemporary American society. The most effective way of managing bicultural problems lies in the development of bicultural ties and skills. Young Vietnamese Americans must be able to meet the challenges of American society.