Ethnic/Racial Socialization, Activism, and Adjustment in Asian American Families Navigating COVID-19 and Racism Pandemics

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

Over the past several months, unprecedented events have unfolded in the United States and the world: In March 2020, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) quickly spread around the world compromising health and safety, and changing daily realities. Along with the pandemic was the spread of anti-Asian rhetoric and xenophobia, fueled by president Trump’s references to the virus as the “China virus.” As Asian Americans were battling two pandemics (COVID-19 and increased hate crimes), the racial injustice intensified with the murder of George Floyd, followed by national and international protests for social justice. Although these times have been challenging for everyone, some groups, including Asian Americans, have been disproportionately impacted. In this symposium, we bring together recent research that examines experiences of discrimination among Asian American youth, how Asian American parents are socializing their children with respect to these experiences, and implications for children’s adjustment. Presentation 1 examines Asian American parents’ awareness of discrimination, as well as civic engagement and activism, and their associations with parents’ ethnic/racial identity and ethnic/racial socialization messages to their children. Presentation 2 examines whether the type and frequency of Asian American parents’ ethnic/racial socialization messages to their children differed across pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, and how these messages relate to children’s internalizing problems. Presentation 3 examines Asian American parents’ ethnic/racial socialization messages specific to the pandemic, and whether they buffer against or exacerbate the negative effects of children’s experiences of discrimination on their externalizing problems. Synthesizing the findings, recommendations for Asian American children’s well-being will be discussed.

Sub Unit

• Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Chair

• Vaishali V Raval, Miami University - Ohio

Discussant

• Tiffany Yip, Fordham University

Individual Presentations

• Asian American Awareness and Activism: The Silver Lining of COVID-19 and Racism Pandemics? - Presenting Author: Michele Chan, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Non-Presenting Author: Rebekah Lassiter, Wake Forest University; Non-Presenting Author: Lisa Kiang, Wake Forest University; Non-Presenting Author: N. Keita Christophe, McGill University; Non-Presenting Author: Gabriela Livas Stein, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Non-Presenting Author: Shawn Christopher Tracey Jones, Virginia Commonwealth University; Non-Presenting Author: Howard C Stevenson, University of Pennsylvania; Non-Presenting Author: Riana Elyse Anderson, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

• Ethnic/Racial Socialization and Child Functioning in Asian American Families amidst COVID-19, the so-called “China” Virus - Presenting Author: Virginia W Huynh, California State University - Northridge; Non-Presenting Author: Vaishali V Raval, Miami University - Ohio

• Racial Discrimination and Adolescents’ Externalizing Problems During COVID-19: Parental Ethnic-Racial Socialization Practices as Moderators - Presenting Author: Bumo Zhang, University of Maryland - Baltimore County; Non-Presenting Author: Xiaoli Zong, University of Maryland - Baltimore County; Non-Presenting Author: Charissa S. L. Cheah, University of Maryland - Baltimore County