To understand parental expectations in Chinese immigrant families in Canada, this qualitative study intends to uncover a folk theory grounded in the perspectives and experiences of a group of recent Chinese immigrant parents and children. As a tradition, the parents emphasize the importance of school achievement and moral character. In response to their life disadvantages in Canada, the parents rely on science-related career aspirations and cultural integration to help optimize their children's future. While the majority of the children hold parallel views and share similar expectations with their parents, some children experience intense feelings in reconciling vast differences presented in the dual process of enculturation and acculturation. Cultural expectations, perceived minority immigrant status, and tension inherent in the process of acculturation are three intertwined forces underpinning the evolving relationship between parental expectations and children's school achievement in these Chinese immigrant families.