Understanding the Types and Characteristics of Positive Connections in Immigrant Settings: A Qualitative Study among Second-generation Chinese-American Youth

• In Event: Poster Session 05
  In Poster Session: PS 05 Topic - Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Abstract

Background: Research has acknowledged that contexts and people within these contexts may shape the development of children and adolescents. Connection (defined as positive bonding with the individual’s contexts and other people) is one of the major components of positive youth development. However, research has been insufficient in understanding youth’s connections with contexts and people within specific cultures, especially positive connections that can benefit youth within minority and immigrant communities. Given that minority youth born to immigrants are likely to live in diverse cultures, their connections with different contexts and cultures may exhibit unique characteristics that are different from other western youth. Understanding the types and characteristics of positive connections among these youth is important to inform the improvement of their contexts in order to support their development. In addition, research has primarily used quantitative surveys to examine youth’s connections with general contexts, limiting the ability to capture, if any, some culture-related types and characteristics of connections. As such, the present qualitative study explored types and characteristics of positive connections with the contexts in which second-generation Chinese-American youth are living.
Method: Participants were 17 second-generation Chinese-American youth (Nboys=8) aged from 12-18 (Mean =14.59, SD =2.14). Semi-structure qualitative interviews (30-55 minutes per interview) were collected among these youth. We used both deductive and inductive approaches to analyze the transcripts of these interviews. The definition of connection defined in the Five Cs model of PYD was used to guide the process of deductive analysis.
Results: Through analyses, we have identified six aspects of positive connections, including family, peers, school, teachers, community, and culture (Table 1). Family connection is characterized by positive family relationships, seeking and receiving family support, parents' positive attitudes and expectation, youth's intention for making contribution to the family. Peer connection is described as having positive attitudes and relationships, sharing commonalities, embracing diversity and equality, and having positive peer influence. School connection is indexed by youth's positive attitudes towards their school and school's positive influence in the youth. Teacher connection is characterized by positive teacher-youth relationships, youth's positive attitudes towards their teachers, teachers' support for and positive influence in the youth. Community connection is indexed by community's positive influence, youth's positive attitudes towards their community, and positive relationship with the community. Culture connection is described as awareness and learning of the original culture, developing positive ethnic identity, appreciating cultural diversity, perceiving expectation from their cultural groups, attitudes towards the original culture, and positive influence of their original culture. Connections with culture, family, peers, school, and teachers, especially mutual and positive relationships, positive support and influence from these contexts and people, embracing diversity and equality, were reported to be important for their life by over 50% participants.
Discussions: Findings suggesting that building mutually positive connections with family, peers, school, teachers, community, and culture are important for second-generation Chinese-American youth. Future research and practice could enhance the positive relationships between youth and their contexts in order to optimize their contexts and development.

Authors

• Shaobing Su, Boston College
  Presenting Author

• Pengyue Quan, Falmouth Academy
  Non-Presenting Author