Two Japanese families: a cultural perspective

Some of the difficulties in treating second and third generation Japanese immigrant families are reviewed. An authoritarian, rather concrete approach to symptom relief is expected by, and is effective in, some families. The emphasis placed on academic achievement may lead to particular problems and misunderstandings. Two case examples of very different families are presented to emphasize a flexible therapeutic approach. Particular details of Japanese internment and population movements make the attitudes and behaviors of some families more comprehensible.