Making sense of the conflict.

Why these Conflicts happen

1. Cultural Differences: Two World, Two Expectations

Ghanaian American teens often switch between two cultural systems, one at school or the workplace and one at home. American spaces value independence, self-expression, and casual communication with adults, while Ghanaian households emphasize respect, discipline, and communal responsibility. Neither culture is “wrong,” but moving between them creates pressure, making teens feel like they must constantly adjust who they are depending on where they stand.

2. Generational Gaps Between Parents and Teens

Generational dissonance occurs when teens adapt to American culture faster than their parents do. Parents may hold onto traditions they grew up with in Ghana, sometimes even idealized versions of them. Teens navigate a different social world. Teens may feel misunderstood, while parents fear cultural loss. Both sides want the best, but they’re speaking from different experiences.

Together we stand

3. Intersectionality and why No Two Teens Experience Identity the same Way.

Intersectionality means that multiple identity factors such as race, gender, immigration status, generation, class, religion etc. overlap to shape a person’s experience. So, a first generation Ghanaian American, for example, may face cultural expectations around respect and gender at home while facing racial stereotypes at school. These overlapping identities influence how intensely someone feels “in-between.” Intersectionality explains why every Ghanaian American teen’s journey is unique, because even though they may have background roots in Ghana, they are diverse depending on where they are from.

The Experience of Otherness

Otherness describes the feeling of not belonging because your identity does not match the dominant culture. Ghanaian American teens may feel “too African” in school due to accents, food, names, or cultural practices that their peers do not understand. At home, they may be seen as “too American” for embracing independence or questioning norms. This creates a sense of living between worlds rather than fully in one.