Migration induces complex processes of human transformation that are usually not reflected in theories that describe these changes. In most theories regarding these transformations, the implicit assumption is that immigrants undergo a transition to the culture of the mainstream population according to a modernization perspective. Based on a review of the literature as well as through illustrations with empirical data, it is argued that current conceptualizations, such as acculturation, cannot capture the complexities of the transformations that take place when multiple cultural traditions come into contact with each other. In this paper, alternative models of understanding the cultural complexities in migration settings are proposed with a focus on how these apply to child rearing practices. (Contains 1 table.)