Chinese Immigrant Mothers Negotiating Family and Career: Intersectionality and the Role of Social Support

Depressive symptoms in Chinese immigrant mothers: Relations with perceptions of social status and interpersonal support.

“…Though our data indicated a wide variation in work status among the participants in our sample, we did not specifically assess participants’ satisfaction with their current work status, nor their experiences with institutional-level barriers in employment. Likewise, while gendered expectations in childcare responsibilities are a central issue in social mobility among Asian American immigrant mothers (Leung et al, 2019; Zhou, 2000), the present study did not examine how these responsibilities were distributed among the parents in our sample. Of note, though almost all of the participants in our sample were married and living with a partner, future research can also examine how single-parent or multigenerational Chinese immigrant families navigate the distribution of childcare responsibilities, and test their relations to mothers’ mental health.…”

“…Variations in English proficiency may contribute to divergent patterns of mental health and well-being among Asian American immigrant mothers. Asian American immigrant mothers with limited English proficiency are limited to low-wage and low-skilled work and assume the bulk of childcare and other household responsibilities (Leung et al, 2019; Zhou, 2000); these childcare responsibilities, in turn, limit mothers’ opportunities for achieving English proficiency (Zhou, 2000). By contrast, some evidence suggests that Asian American immigrant mothers who obtain English proficiency are able to invest in both childcare and professional pursuits (Balan, 2009).…”

“…At the same time, a more comprehensive application of intersectional frameworks would also consider the effects of gender-and institutional-level factors on mental health. Previous qualitative research with Chinese immigrant families indicates that mothers are more likely than fathers to experience postmigration shifts in perceptions of relative social status, shrinking networks of social support, and steeper drops in occupational status (Leung et al, 2019;Salaff & Greve, 2003, 2007. Though our data indicated a wide variation in work status among the participants in our sample, we did not specifically assess participants' satisfaction with their current work status, nor their experiences with institutional-level barriers in employment.…”

“…Though limited largely to qualitative investigations, a growing body of research indicates that inequalities in education, income, and other metrics of social status may contribute to variations in psychological adjustment among Chinese immigrant mothers (Leung, Zhu, Peng, & Tsang, 2019; Man, 2004; Salaff & Greve, 2007; Zhou, 2000). In particular, perceived shifts in relative social standing, changes in social support networks, and limitations in opportunities for acquiring proficiency in the mainstream language have been identified as salient factors in Chinese immigrant mothers’ postmigration experiences (Leung et al, 2019; Salaff & Greve, 2003; Zhou, 2000); and have been linked to Chinese immigrant mothers’ reports of isolation, powerlessness, and other indicators of psychological well-being (Man, 2004; Zhou, 2000). The present study extends this body of qualitative research to a large quantitative investigation of Chinese American immigrant mothers and examines how English proficiency, social status (education, income, and shifts in relative social status), and interpersonal support are both directly and indirectly associated with variations in depressive symptoms.…”

The relationship between family support system with maternal postpartum rage

“…Social support serves to protect the development of depressive symptoms and mediate the relationship between stress and depressive symptoms during childbirth. Mothers need support from people who can guide and advise them, as well as from someone they can trust to talk about their problems [30], [31], [40].…”