Care Preferences Beyond Filial Piety: How Second‐Generation Chinese Migrants in the Netherlands Plan Care for Ageing Parents?
2026-08-24
As more first‐generation Chinese migrants in the Netherlands reach older age, increased attention is required to reconcile their care needs and expectations with the expectations and perspectives of their adult children. Moving beyond filial piety, this study examines how second‐generation Chinese migrants develop and reflect on their preferences and plans for their parents' care. The study employs a developmental life course perspective (DLCP) to contribute to the understanding of the evolution of care planning from an individual perspective. Drawing on semi‐structured interviews, the findings show that adult children are generally willing to support their parents, but seek simultaneously to establish boundaries in response to parental expectations. Institutional care is often preferred over family‐based care, particularly when intensive support is anticipated. In this regard, filial piety is neither fully nor seamlessly transmitted across generations. The analysis based on DLCP sheds light on multiple tensions that are either intensified or mitigated through the perceived relevance of Dutch and Chinese cultures, past and present parent–child relationships, sibling dynamics, and agency in striving toward ideal care arrangements.