Immigrant Parents Have to be Stricter

Your parents' friends generally do not feel comfortable parenting you especially here in the US. They may offer subtle hints or advice, but they don't take much of an active role. A relative, however, is not as reserved and will take a somewhat more active parenting role. In the US though, relatives are far away and are not seen on much of a regular basis. This limits their ability to have much impact.

In Taiwan though, generally speaking, you live pretty close to your extended family. All your aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents are around constantly. Family reunions occur on a weekly or monthly schedule rather than a yearly one. So children are constantly being parented by a large number of adults. You do something wrong, and 10 different people reprimand you. It makes being obedient a much easier option.

Without this support structure of relatives to reinforce good behavior, the immigrant parents may feel they have to be stricter than they would have been otherwise in order to achieve the same level of obedience.