University of Toronto Press, Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 2(50), p. 162-182, 2019
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The migration literature has shown that immigrant parents face significant challenges with regard to parenting in a new culture, especially with the children in early adolescence, a period of significant physical, social and emotional change for human being. This article demonstrates that Bangladeshi mothers, who have spent a major part of their lives in Bangladeshi cultural contexts, face different socio-cultural contexts raising their young daughters in Australia. Using qualitative methods, this article discusses Bangladeshi mothers parenting experiences who have daughters’ between the ages of 10 to 14 years. Thematic analysis of the data revealed two broad themes: perceived benefits of raising daughters in Australia and mothers’ anxieties around daughters’ rearing and promotion of mistrust; and two sub-themes:perceived cultural differences: Bangladeshi vs. Australian culture and perceived risk of shame, loss of family reputation and honour. The findings reveal how mothers’ construct their daughters’ identities as Bengali women as they follow cautionary parenting in a foreign culture through promotion of mistrust about inter-racial communications.