In Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club," a profound realization dawns on the narrator about the fears of immigrant parents regarding their American-born daughters. These parents see reflections of their own struggles and anxieties in their daughters, who often struggle to connect with their cultural heritage. The disconnect arises from the daughters’ impatience and frustration with their parents' attempts to communicate in their native language, which the daughters often interpret as a lack of intelligence.

This generational gap illustrates a deeper issue—the daughters, raised in a different cultural environment, fail to appreciate the significance of their parents' experiences and sacrifices. The phrase "joy and luck" takes on different meanings for each generation, highlighting the loss of hope and interconnectedness that can occur when cultural legacies are not passed down. As a result, the potential for future generations to understand and embrace their ancestry is jeopardized, creating a painful schism in family bonds.