Language Use, Parenting Behaviors, and Parent-Child Relationships in Asian Immigrant Families

• In Event: Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: PS 11 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

Introduction
Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the U.S. (Colby & Ortman, 2015). Many speak a non-English, Asian heritage language (HL) inherited from one’s family (Montrul, 2016), which plays an important role in ethnic identity development and well-being of children in Asian immigrant families (Boutakidis et al., 2011). Language use may also impact parenting behaviors and parent-child relationships, both of which have a critical influence on child development (Stormshak et al., 2000). For example, parents may employ negative parenting behaviors to elicit HL use in the home (Tseng & Fuligni, 2000). However, little is known regarding the relationship between these factors in Asian immigrant families. This study explored three hypotheses: 1) bilingual parents would be more acculturated than their HL-speaking counterparts, 2) parents who spoke the HL with English-speaking children would report fewer positive parenting behaviors and more negative parent-child relationships, and 3) Asian parents and children with reciprocal language use would report more positive parenting behaviors.

Method
Asian parents (N = 76) self-reported their acculturation levels, parenting behaviors, and parent-child language use. Participants were primarily female (n = 53; 69.74%) and ranged from 26- to 58-years-old. The participants’ age of immigration ranged from 1 to 48 years old (Mimmigration = 21.99 years, SD = 12.79). Participants self-identified as Vietnamese (n = 37), Hmong (n = 16), Chinese (n = 15), Mien (n = 3), Taiwanese (n = 2), Filipino (n = 1), and bi-ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese (n = 2). Participants were divided into nine parent-child (PC) language use combination groups, and two groups were removed from analysis due to low power (see Table 1). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were conducted to determine differences in mean scores of acculturation levels and parenting behaviors between the seven remaining PC language use combination groups.

Results
Results demonstrated that bilingual parents had significantly higher levels of acculturation than monolingual HL parents (see Table 2). Parents who spoke the HL with children who spoke English reported significantly fewer positive parenting behaviors, specifically proactive parenting and positive reinforcement. Parents who mutually spoke English with their children reported significantly more negative parenting than parents who mutually spoke the HL with their children.

Discussion
Results confirmed the first hypothesis and supported existing literature that indicates second-language acquisition relates to greater acculturation (Schumann, 1986). Results also confirmed the second hypothesis and supported previous research that nonreciprocal language use negatively influences parent-child relationships and parenting behaviors (King et al., 2008). The third finding adds nuance to existing literature, indicating that reciprocal English language use may negatively impact relationships in Asian immigrant families. It is postulated that immigrant parents may be less proficient in English due to the acculturation gap. The mismatch in parent-child language proficiency may contribute to greater family conflict and less family cohesion (Kim, 2011). These findings demonstrate the need to better understand the impact of language use on parenting behaviors and parent-child relationships. Future interventions can consider how language use can promote positive parenting behaviors and mitigate family conflict in Asian immigrant families.

Authors

• Cindy J Huang, Columbia University
  Presenting Author

• Kailee Kodama Muscente, Columbia University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Cindy Y Huang, University of California, Davis
  Non-Presenting Author

• Yuuko Uchikoshi, University of California - Davis
  Non-Presenting Author

• Nolan Zane, University of California, Davis
  Non-Presenting Author