Changes in familial discussions among East Asian American families during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Abstract

ObjectiveWe examined the degrees of change in familial discussions about racial issues (i.e., race, ethnicity, racism, and discrimination) due to the surge of anti‐Asian discrimination during the COVID‐19 pandemic.BackgroundAsian American family racial–ethnic socialization that teaches the values, information, and perspectives about racial–ethnic group membership and race relations carry great implications for youth development. However, little is known about how anti‐Asian sentiments may have contributed to the degrees of change in racial issues.MethodThe participants included 143 second‐generation East Asian American youth (e.g., Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese) ages 11–18 years (M = 14.96, SD = 1.98). Youth were attending middle (38%) or high (62%) schools in the United States.ResultsLatent profile analysis identified four profiles of degrees of change in familial discussions: (a) moderate change in racial discussions about other ethnicities, (b) much change in racial discussions, (c) moderate change in racial discussions about own ethnicities, and (d) little change in racial discussions.ConclusionOur findings provide a snapshot of the ways East Asian American families' racial discussions are changing, which in turn shape youth's experiences in navigating their social contexts.ImplicationsThe findings provide valuable directions for research and interventions to promote important racial discussion among East Asian American families.

Ethnic‐racial socialization in mono‐racial Asian American and Pacific Islander families: A 21‐year systematic literature review

“…Whether measured in terms of use in the past year or ever while growing up, cultural socialization was more common and more frequent than preparation for bias and promotion of mistrust. Several recent studies document, however, how current events in the last five years, including the COVID‐19 pandemic, anti‐Asian hate crimes, and the national racial reckoning associated with police violence and ensuing protests, have spurred family conversations about ethnicity‐race and in particular, discussions of bias, mistrust, and anti‐racism (Coard et al., 2023; Kim, Zhao, & Toomey, 2023; Lee et al., 2022; Tian, 2023). Coard et al.…”

“…(2022) found that Chinese American youth felt prompted by the BLM movement to respond to anti‐Black messages from parents. Kim, Zhao, and Toomey (2023) found that the most common change due to COVID‐19 in East Asian family conversations about ethnicity‐race was an increase in discussion of racism and discrimination in the United States. Tian (2023) found in their study of Chinese American and Indian American parents that parents saw recent events as a wake‐up call and came to view as necessary for their children's well‐roundedness racial socialization, including lessons about the structural position of Asian Americans in society and the role of collective action to protect and advance the Asian American community.…”

“…There is room for more socialization, such as preparation for bias, given that the reviewed research has demonstrated its benefits, such as better socio‐emotional outcomes for children (e.g., Ren et al., 2022). The most recent studies show that AAPI parents are rethinking their socialization efforts in response to current events, demonstrating greater willingness to address issues of racism and discrimination among Asian Americans and other racial groups (Coard et al., 2023; Kim, Zhao, & Toomey, 2023; Lee et al., 2022; Tian, 2023). This research demonstrates that parents can address the negative aspects of ethnicity‐race with their children, especially in the face of great contemporary challenges (e.g., COVID‐19) (Atkin & Ahn, 2022; Kiang et al., 2022).…”