Young Sikh American women say balancing family and careers is their own choice

In a study of 30 Sikh American women ages 18–24, most participants said they wanted children and described family planning as a personal choice connected to preserving faith and culture.

A researcher interviewed 30 Sikh American women between the ages of 18 and 24 to explore how culture shapes their reproductive identities. The study looked at how participants imagine family, careers and preserving their faith. Many of the women expressed a desire to have children while also describing preservation of Sikh teachings and Punjabi cultural practices as important. Participants generally described these goals as personal choices rather than obligations. Key findings: - The study interviewed 30 Sikh American women aged 18–24. - 24 participants reported wanting children, while three said they did not want children. - Eighteen participants said they hoped to have children with a spouse; about one-third of that group preferred that spouse to be Sikh. - Nearly all participants (28 of 30) said they remained open to other reproductive paths such as adoption, IVF, fostering or surrogacy if their plans changed. - Participants often framed faith preservation as an internal desire, citing both religious teachings and cultural practices like maintaining the Punjabi language. - The researcher noted the study is a first step with a small sample and that participants are in early stages of imagining their futures. Summary: The study presents a picture of young Sikh American women balancing individual aspirations and cultural continuity and challenges the idea that there is a single prescribed path for women in this community. The researcher and her mentor said the findings point to diverse imagined futures and recommended further research to see how these plans evolve through marriage, career development or parenthood.