Parenting processes and child outcomes among Chinese families in three Western contexts

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

Immigrant parents are faced with the challenge of socializing their children as they adapt to a new cultural context which often has different norms and expectations from those of their own heritage cultures (Bornstein & Cheah, 2006). However, little is known about how families of the same ethnic-cultural background originating from interdependent-focused cultures adapt in different independent-focused national contexts. This symposium aims to tackle cultural change processes among Chinese immigrant families as they navigate the unique mainstream cultural contexts of the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (U.S.), and Italy, and by examining parenting and children’s socio-emotional outcomes.
The first paper examined the role of mothers’ acculturation and parenting behaviors in mother-child interaction dynamics among Chinese immigrant families in the U.K. The second paper longitudinally explored the mediating role of depressive symptoms in the association between Chinese American mothers’ perceived racial discrimination and their authoritarian parenting, and the moderating role of acculturation/enculturation in this association. The third paper compared Chinese immigrant youth in Italy with their native majority peers in the country of origin (China) and in the country of destination (Italy) on cognitive flexibility, and explored whether such ability moderated the association between perceived parenting style and prosocial behavior in these groups.
Together, these papers shed light on important ways that specific sociocultural/contextual factors may affect Chinese parenting and children’s socio-emotional development in the diaspora. The discussant, an expert in the development of minority Chinese families, will integrate these findings and highlight their implications for future research and policy.

Sub Unit

• Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Chair

• Ughetta Moscardino, Università degli Studi di Padova (UNIPD)

Discussant

• Linda Juang, University of Potsdam

Individual Presentations

• Acculturation, parenting behavior and parent-child interaction dynamics in first-generation Chinese immigrant families in the UK - Presenting Author: Ching-Yu Huang, Keele University

• Perceived Racial Discrimination and Chinese American Mothers’ Authoritarian Parenting: A Moderated Mediation Model - Presenting Author: Xiaoli Zong, University of Maryland - Baltimore County; Non-Presenting Author: Huiguang Ren, University of Maryland - Baltimore County; Non-Presenting Author: Charissa S. L. Cheah, University of Maryland - Baltimore County; Non-Presenting Author: Craig H Hart, Brigham Young University

• Chinese immigrant early adolescents’ perceived parenting styles, cognitive flexibility, and prosocial behavior: A three-group comparison - Presenting Author: Xiaoyu Lan, University of Oslo; Non-Presenting Author: Ughetta Moscardino, Università degli Studi di Padova (UNIPD)