They're not so willing to just throw caution tothe wind and adapt to whatever custom comes their way. To help in bridging cultural divides like these, Ms. Rymanowski leads a group for Latinas called MujeresHispanas en Accisn. Dating is another perennial challenge. Vo tells of a collegefreshman from Vietnam who is allowed to go out with a boyonly if her father chaperones, even at Disneyland.
Parents also express concern about the availability of alcoholand drugs for teenagers.
In herhomeland, she explains, close-knit communities served as adeterrent. Parents were more likely to find out if theirchildren were getting into trouble with drugs. Everybodyknows everybody's business. Mrs. Petrovic encourages parents to spend as much time aspossible with children, and to talk freely about customs andsituations here and back home. Linda Hosseinmardi of Palos Verdes, Calif., an Americanattorney whose husband is from Iran, observes thatimmigrant parents' reluctance to say yes to children's socialactivities does not necessarily indicate a lack of trust, just alack of knowledge about American customs.