Ethnic Identity and Family Relationships Among East Asian Sexual-Minority and Heterosexual Adolescents in Canada

• In Event: 3-039 - The Adjustment of Young East Asian Sexual-Minority Individuals: A Focus on Family and Culture

Integrative Statement

Family relationships are highly valued in East Asian cultures. However, few prior studies have investigated family relationships among sexual-minority adolescents in East Asian cultures. In addition, strong ethnic identity—a sense of self defined in relation to an individual’s ethnic culture (Phinney & Ong, 2007)—has been suggested to protect against mental health problems among ethnic minorities (Rivas-Drake et al., 2014); but no prior studies have examined the role of ethnic identity on family relationships for East Asian sexual-minority adolescents. This study compares family relationships among East Asian sexual-minority and heterosexual youths in Western Canada, and examines the moderating role of ethnic identity on sexual-orientation-related disparities in family relationships.

We hypothesized that sexual-minority adolescents reported lower quality of family relationships than completely heterosexual adolescents. Further, ethnic identity was hypothesized to be associated with increased quality in family relationships, although it was unclear how this protective effect varied across sexual-orientation groups.

Data came from 3,476 East Asian students enrolled in Grades 7–12 (51.7% female; mean age = 15.17 years) in the cluster-stratified 2008 British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey. Among adolescent girls, 78.9% identified as completely heterosexual, 8.7% mostly heterosexual, 2.6% lesbian, gay, or bisexual, and 9.8% unsure; among adolescent boys, the corresponding proportions were 85.0%, 5.0%, 1.6%, and 8.4%.

Participants reported ethnic identity exploration and commitment using the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (Homma et al., 2014). They reported three aspects of family relationships: mother-youth relationship, father-youth relationship, and family interactions. Covariates included age and proxy measures for acculturation and socioeconomic status.

Complex-samples general linear models found that mostly heterosexual girls reported lower quality in father-daughter relationships and in family interactions, compared to completely heterosexual girls. Girls unsure of their sexual orientation reported significantly lower quality in their relationships with mothers than completely heterosexual girls. Boys who identified as mostly heterosexual, bisexual, or gay reported lower quality in father-son relationships than completely heterosexual boys. No other significant differences in family relationships were found between sexual-minority and completely heterosexual youths.

In addition, after controlling for demographic characteristics and proxies of acculturation, higher levels of ethnic identity commitment were related to improved father-daughter relationships among girls, for all sexual orientations; for mother-daughter relationships and family interactions, this positive effect of ethnic identity commitment was strongest for lesbian and bisexual girls. Among boys, after controlling for covariates, higher levels of ethnic identity exploration were associated with better quality in father-son relationships and in family interactions, for all sexual orientations; higher levels of ethnic identity commitment were linked to better quality in all three aspects of family relationships, for all sexual orientations.

The current findings suggest that exploring and committing to ethnic identity is linked to positive family relationships among East Asian adolescents in Canada, and provides the first evidence that the protective effect of ethnic identity may be strongest for lesbian and bisexual adolescent girls. Intervention efforts could be directed to foster strong ethnic identity among sexual-minority youths of color.

Authors

• Gu Li, University of British Columbia
  Presenting Author

• Lixian Cui, New York University – Shanghai
  Non-Presenting Author

• Elizabeth M. Saewyc, University of British Columbia
  Non-Presenting Author