Asian American parenting in a racialized world: The role of ideological contexts and intergenerational gaps

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveTo understand the challenges that have impeded Asian American parents' critical responses toward racism, we looked at interpretive contexts, as well as the recent immigration contexts and their impacts on intergenerational relationships.BackgroundAsian Americans are the fastest growing diverse group in the United States. The advent of COVID‐19 resulted in a dramatic increase of anti‐Asian hate crimes.MethodsWe reviewed research on Asian American parents' racialized experiences and the challenges they face when raising children to respond to racism. With a contextual perspective, we highlighted three ideological concepts that have shaped the interpretive context for Asian American parents' responses to racism, including the model minority myth, the just‐world view, and the cultural maintenance model. We also looked at how recent waves of immigration may have compounded intergenerational gaps in many Asian American families, with both developmental and acculturational differences between generations.Results and ConclusionUnderstanding these contexts provides insights into how to best support Asian American parents as they communicate with their children on complicated topics. These support can help faciliate these parents' ability to remain grounded in their ethnic‐racial group, while uniting with other diverse groups in dismantling racism.ImplicationsInformational and sociocultural resources are needed to help Asian American parents develop racial literacy and seek changes. We encourage practitioners to develop cultural competency and deepen their understanding of immigrant families' developmental and acculturational needs.