Examination of Korean immigrant mothers’ parenting practices: By using the framework of bilinear acculturation.

Abstract

By using the conceptual framework of bilinear acculturation, this study examined Korean immigrant mothers' parenting practices among 389 mother-youth (adolescent children in middle or high school) dyads. We examined (a) how mothers' acculturation and enculturation were related to mainstream (i.e., authoritarian vs. authoritative styles, communication, warmth/bonding, autonomy support) versus culture specific parenting practices (i.e., interdependence, commitment to education, academic control) and (b) how parenting practices were, in turn, linked to youth outcomes of depression, antisocial behaviors, and academic performance as measured 1.5 years later. Mothers and youth had significant perceptual gaps in parenting practices, especially in autonomy support and parental commitment to education. Therefore, path analyses were conducted separately for mother-reported versus youth-reported parenting. As hypothesized, mothers' acculturation was more closely related to mainstream parenting, while enculturation was to culture specific parenting. Mother-reported autonomy support predicted higher academic performance, while youth-reported authoritarian parenting predicted lower academic performance. Youth-reported communication predicted lower depression and antisocial behaviors. The current findings have implications for parenting and family interventions to optimize Korean immigrant youth's well-being in the bicultural context. Additionally, bilinear acculturation was found to be a useful conceptual framework in studying immigrant parenting. Public Significance StatementThis study explored the interrelations of mothers' cultural orientations, parenting practices, and youth outcomes among Korean immigrant families. Autonomy support and communication were particularly important for youth well-being.

Longitudinal relations among child temperament, parenting, and acculturation in predicting Korean American children’s externalizing problems.

“…Correlations among the main study variables are presented in Table 2. Consistent with previous studies (e.g., Eisenberg et al, 2005; Yoon et al, 2021), the study variables were correlated in the expected direction (e.g., child temperamental inhibitory control was negatively correlated with child externalizing problems), which provided some evidence for the convergent validity of each measure. The attrition rate was 31% for W2 and 24% for W3 ( n = 199 at W1, n = 138 at W2, and n = 105 at W3).…”

“…Indeed, Korean immigrant mothers' behavioral acculturation toward the American culture was found to be positively related to parental warmth, while their Korean cultural orientation was positively related to Korean culture-emphasized parenting (e.g., interdependence; Yoon et al, 2021). Parental warmth is therefore expected to be more strongly associated with American acculturation than with a Korean cultural orientation, perhaps because parental warmth, especially expressive forms of warmth, is more normative and encouraged in Western cultures than in Asian cultures (Cheah et al, 2015).…”

“…Acculturation is a multidimensional construct that involves retention of the heritage culture and acquisition of the receiving culture with respect to the components that are assumed to change (e.g., language use, media preferences, and social affiliations; Berry et al, 2006;Schwartz et al, 2010). In this study, we focused on Korean immigrant mothers' behavioral acculturation toward the American mainstream culture because it has been found to be more strongly related to facilitating Asian immigrant parents' engagement in warm parenting practices than mothers' behavioral maintenance of their heritage culture (Yu et al, 2016;Kim et al, 2014;Yoon et al, 2021). Indeed, Korean immigrant mothers' behavioral acculturation towards the American culture was found to be positively related to parental warmth, while their Korean cultural orientation was positively related to Korean culture-emphasized parenting (e.g., interdependence; Yoon et al, 2021).…”

“…In this study, we focused on Korean immigrant mothers' behavioral acculturation toward the American mainstream culture because it has been found to be more strongly related to facilitating Asian immigrant parents' engagement in warm parenting practices than mothers' behavioral maintenance of their heritage culture (Yu et al, 2016;Kim et al, 2014;Yoon et al, 2021). Indeed, Korean immigrant mothers' behavioral acculturation towards the American culture was found to be positively related to parental warmth, while their Korean cultural orientation was positively related to Korean culture-emphasized parenting (e.g., interdependence; Yoon et al, 2021). Parental warmth is therefore expected to be more strongly associated with American acculturation than Korean cultural orientation, perhaps because parental warmth is more normative and encouraged in Western cultures than in Asian cultures (Cheah et al, 2015).…”

Longitudinal pathways linking racial discrimination and Chinese American mothers’ parenting.

“…However, it is important to note that a recent meta-analysis concluded that authoritarian parenting is associated with negative child outcomes such as elevated internalizing and externalizing problems and poorer academic performance across different cultural and ethnic groups, including Chinese and Chinese American families (Pinquart & Kauser, 2018). Although some studies have found that authoritarian parenting may be less detrimental to child development in Asian samples (e.g., Ang, 2006;Pong et al, 2010;Yoon et al, 2021), the majority of more recent research indicates that this form of parenting is generally associated with negative child developmental outcomes in Asian American families (Kho et al, 2019;Shen et al, 2018;. Thus, it is imperative to investigate potential contributors to Chinese American mothers' engagement in authoritarian parenting and potential mediating and moderating processes in this association, which can inform prevention and intervention efforts designed to promote positive parenting in Chinese American families with immigrant backgrounds.…”