Family background, parenting practices, and child outcomes: Chinese migrants’ offspring in Hong Kong

Abstract

Using data from the 2011 population census and the Hong Kong Panel Study of Social Dynamics, this paper examines the academic performance and non-cognitive skills of the children of Chinese migrants in Hong Kong aged 14 and below. Our analyses show that the poorer academic performance of Chinese migrants’ children results mainly from disadvantageous family background and parenting practices. Children of cross-border and migrant families do not differ from children of natives in Chinese, mathematics, or English, once parental education and parent–child communication about school life are controlled for. Children from migrant families have significantly higher levels of non-cognitive ability than children of natives. Our analyses also show that parental education is positively associated with Chinese and English performances; parents talking with children about school life significantly improves children’s performance in Chinese, mathematics, and English; and parental migrant status and parenting practices have positive effects on non-cognitive skills.

Etiology of Students Fail to Complete Doctorate Degree Within Stipulated Time

“…Result show that there is significant positive relationship between individual background-cum-personal traits and research degree completion. Research finding is consistent with study of (Daneil et al, 2020;Okesina, 2018;Zhang et al, 2019). Further study found significant positive relationship between advisor support and research degree completion.…”

Parental Academic Involvement in Cross-border marriage, Native and Immigrant Families: The Roles of Family Resources and Parental Expectations

“…Immigrants are a self-selected group who often have a strong motivation for a better life and high expectations for their offspring (Borjas, 1987;Kao & Tienda, 1998;Zhang et al, 2019). Past studies have found that students and parents from immigrant families often have higher educational and occupational expectations than their native counterparts (Zhang et al, 2019).…”

“…Immigrants are a self-selected group who often have a strong motivation for a better life and high expectations for their offspring (Borjas, 1987;Kao & Tienda, 1998;Zhang et al, 2019). Past studies have found that students and parents from immigrant families often have higher educational and occupational expectations than their native counterparts (Zhang et al, 2019). It is doubtful that parents in cross-border marriages have the same high level of expectations as immigrant families, because the locally born parent in a crossborder marriage may not have the same "immigrant drive" seen among immigrant families (Borjas, 1987).…”

“…However, research has paid insufficient attention to how the structural disadvantages and higher parental expectations said to characterize cross-border marriages may, in turn, affect parental involvement in children's education. This is an important oversight, because parental academic involvement has profound implications for children's educational and behavioral outcomes (Cheung & Park, 2016;Ho & Willms, 1996;McNeal, 1999;Park, 2006;Park et al, 2011;Zhang et al, 2019).…”

Immigration and public attitudes towards social assistance: evidence from Hong Kong

“…controlling the parental education and parent-child communication (Zhang, Nie, and Xu 2019). Lee, Ng and Chou's (2016) study illustrates the way in which Hong Kong citizens have a strong exclusionary attitude towards granting immigrants access to welfare.…”