The Role of Parental Acculturation in Immigrant Families' Language Interactions at Home

• In Event: Relevance of Individual and Family Environment Factors for Young Children’s Language Use and Language Skills

Abstract

Over the past few decades, the U.S. has experienced a significant increase in the number of immigrant families, reshaping the country’s demographic and linguistic landscape (Migration Policy Institute, 2022). When families migrate, they navigate new cultural environments and adjust to different social norms through a process known as acculturation (Berry, 2019). This process of intercultural contact leads to individual and group behavioral changes including language use (Sam & Berry, 2010). As one of the main components of acculturation, language serves as the primary vehicle through which parent-child interactions occur and culture is transmitted and maintained (deSouza et al., 2023). While prior research has established links between acculturation and language, limited empirical work has examined how acculturation relates to language interactions between parents and their dual language learning (DLL) children. Little is known about how immigrant parents navigate, negotiate, and sustain multiple languages in at-home family interactions.

Based on a sample of 213 immigrant families (Mexican American, n = 80; Chinese American, n = 133), this mixed methods study investigated (1) the frequency and patterns of language use in at-home interactions between adults and children, (2) the relationships between parental acculturation and the languages used in these interactions, and (3) how parents make meaning of their acculturation experiences and how these are reflected in language interactions with their children. The participants were recruited from preschools in Northern California. Parents completed surveys with the assistance of a bilingual researcher. Survey data were analyzed using RStudio. Ten parents from the larger group were then interviewed. The qualitative data were analyzed following a reflexive thematic analysis approach.

The results showed that while adults mostly use the home language (HL) with each other and their children, DLLs use mostly English with their parents and other children at home. Chinese American children appear to maintain higher levels of HL use in parent-child interactions compared to their Mexican American counterparts. For Mexican American families, parents’ English media use also predicted English use, while parents’ Spanish media use was linked to greater Spanish use, especially in father-child exchanges. Multiple regressions revealed that higher parental English proficiency was associated with increased use of English in adult-child interactions. For Chinese American families, parents’ Chinese proficiency predicted greater Chinese use among adults, among children, and in child-to-mother interactions.

Reflexive thematic analysis showed how different aspects of acculturation (adaptation and integration) shape language use. Parents shared how they use language to advocate for their children’s needs in school. Socialization through digital communication in Spanish/Chinese with friends and family helps maintain intergenerational language transmission. Parents pursue HL resources and extracurricular programs such as music lessons to sustain their children’s HL and culture. Workplace environments, ethnic enclaves, and caregiving responsibilities shape daily language interactions, with some parents reinforcing HL use while their children increasingly adopt English. By integrating both cultures into daily life, parents support and validate their children’s bilingual development and bicultural identities. Implications for early childhood educators and immigrant families are discussed.

Authors

• Maria Belen Buttiler, University of California - Davis

• Qing Zhou, University of California - Berkeley

• Yuuko Uchikoshi, University of California - Davis