Communicatively Sustaining a Shared Transnational Family Identity Between Grandparents and Grandchildren: The Mediating Role of Chinese Immigrant Mothers

This study investigated the association between Chinese immigrant mothers' reports of parenting stress and two sources of parenting support: fathers' support and social support. Five independent-samples t-tests were first computed to examine whether there were discrepancies between Chinese immigrant mothers' and fathers' perceptions of fathers' involvement across five domains of fathers' involvement in early child care: (1) fathers' warmth and attunement; (2) control and process responsibility; (3) emotional involvement; (4) indirect care; and (5) positive engagement. Then regression analyses were conducted to understand how and to what extent the five domains of father involvement reported by mothers and mothers' perceived social support influenced Chinese immigrant mothers' parenting stress. In addition, an indirect effects of mothers' self-efficacy on the relation between fathers' involvement and mothers' parenting stress was also tested. The results showed that Chinese mothers reported significantly greater level of fathers' emotional involvement than the same type of involvement reported by Chinese immigrant fathers. This study also found that fathers' emotional involvement reported by Chinese immigrant mothers was a significant predictor of Chinese immigrant mothers' parenting stress. However, mothers' perceived social support was a stronger predictor, accounting for more variance in their parenting stress than their reports of fathers' involvement across all the five dimensions. Mothers' self-efficacy did not account for the association between Chinese immigrant mothers' reports of fathers' involvement across five dimensions and mothers' parenting stress.

This paper examines the dynamic intersection of lifelong learning, transnational migration and migrant motherhood by locating Chinese immigrant mothers’ transnational learning and mothering experience. It aims to understand how Chinese immigrant mothers learn mothering skills, reconstruct identities, and practise mothering in transnational spaces. Based on 30 in-depth interviews with Chinese immigrant mothers in Canada, this paper finds three major dimensions of immigrant mothers’ transnational lifelong learning practice: (1) the good mother/bad mother binary and motherhood learning; (2) lifelong learning within transnational families; and (3) learning mothering as transnational cultural capital. This paper argues that taking Chinese immigrant mothers’ learning and mothering experience as a standpoint is critical to view transnational lifelong learning as non-linear, fluid, and dynamic. This perspective could assist scholars to acknowledge the experience, identity, work, and knowledge of immigrant mothers, to highlight the intersectionality of race, gender, and class, critically analyse the public/private binary and the learning space of lifelong learners, to reflect on the relationship between learning, mothering and transnational cultural capital, and to examine the race, gender and class relations underlying the changing meanings of lifelong learning in the context of transnational migration.

Objectives: The present research used a person-centered approach to examine the acculturation styles of Chinese and Korean immigrant mothers in the United States and demographic characteristics and psychological functioning associated with each acculturation style. Method: The sample comprised 240 first-generation Chinese immigrant mothers (CIMs; M = 37.80 years, SD = 4.55) and 222 first-generation Korean immigrant mothers (KIMs; M = 36.00 years, SD = 3.69) of preschool children. Latent profile analysis was used to identify latent acculturation styles among CIMs and KIMs. We further examined whether mothers' acculturation styles were associated with their sociodemographic characteristics and psychological functioning within each cultural group. Results: Four acculturation styles were revealed among CIMs: (a) behaviorally undifferentiated/psychologically assimilated, (b) behaviorally marginalized/psychologically separated, (c) behaviorally psychologically assimilated, and (d) behaviorally integrated/psychologically undifferentiated. Three acculturation styles were uncovered among KIMs: behaviorally psychologically separated, behaviorally psychologically assimilated, and behaviorally psychologically integrated. Chinese behaviorally integrated/psychologically undifferentiated mothers and Korean behaviorally psychologically separated perceived the highest levels of coethnic concentration in their communities. Chinese behaviorally marginalized/psychologically separated mothers reported poorer psychological functioning than other Chinese mothers. Korean behaviorally psychologically separated mothers had poorer psychological functioning than other Korean mothers. Conclusions: Findings revealed the significant role of participation in the American mainstream culture for Asian immigrant mothers' psychological adjustment. The heterogeneity in the acculturation experiences of Asian immigrants in the United States was highlighted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: To examine if social support in the guise of a culturally sensitive, community-based oral health intervention could promote mother–infant bonding in socially-isolated immigrant mothers. Design: A quasi-experimental design. Participants: A convenience sample of 36 Chinese immigrant mothers with 8-week-old infants was divided into intervention and control groups. Intervention: The ChIME (Chinese Immigrant Mothers oral health Education) programme, a culturally-sensitive oral health education intervention included social support elements. Intervention mothers had five home-visits augmented by telephone calls and open access to the first author (SY). All mothers completed the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) at baseline, when the infant was aged six months and 12 months. The PBQ screened for impaired mother–infant bonding. Results: At baseline, the Chinese mothers had significantly greater mean scores for bonding disorder; rejection and pathological anger and for incipient abuse compared with normative values but equivalent mean scores when compared with normative values for depressed mothers. At 12-month follow-up the intervention compared with control group mothers had significantly greater decreases in mean scores for bonding disorder, rejection and pathological anger and infant-centred anxiety. Conclusion: Social support provided within the guise of a culturally-sensitive oral health education programme assisted socially-isolated immigrant mothers to improve the quality of their relationship with their infants.

The infant feeding practices of Chinese immigrant mothers in Australia: A qualitative exploration

Background Acculturation has an influence on the attitudes and perceived behaviour of mothers of different ethnicities. Little data exists on complementary infant and young child feeding practices in minorities in England, particularly in Chinese communities. This mixed research is to explore the association of acculturation and complementary infant and young children feeding practices amongst new Chinese immigrant mothers in England. Methods Our study recruited 32 new Chinese immigrant mothers. All recruited Chinese immigrant mothers completed the IFSQ (Infant Feeding Style Questionnaire) and MIRIPS (Mutual Intercultural Relations In Plural Societies), a sub-set of 15 new Chinese immigrant mothers also participated in semi-structured interviews, which were used to understand the association of acculturation and complementary infant and young children feeding practices amongst new Chinese immigrant mothers. Pearson’s Correlation coefficients analysis and thematic analysis were performed separately, and triangulation was employed to integrate questionnaire and semi-structured interviews findings. Results Each feeding practices subscales score was non-significantly correlated with assimilation (r Conclusion This study suggests that New Chinese immigrant mothers are predisposed and concerned about responsive satiety behaviour, showed better assimilation and integration, provided influence and higher responsiveness to satiety and attention, supplied influence and higher scores on restrictive amount and diet quality, provided influence and lower indulgence to permissive, coaxing and pampering in this study. Some positive complementary infant and young child feeding practices are identified in this research, including feeding a variety of foods, keeping a healthy and balanced diet, eating more vegetables and fruits

The infant feeding practices of Chinese immigrant mothers in Australia: A qualitative exploration

This study investigated how Chinese immigrant mothers in the USA make meaning of their parenting styles and practices in rearing their young children (aged two to six). Twelve Chinese immigrant mothers were interviewed. A key finding reveals that the Chinese immigrant mothers' parenting practices reflected the indigenous concept of jiaoyang in the Chinese culture (with jiao meaning educating, teaching and training; yang meaning rearing; and jiaoyang implying educating and rearing). Another finding is that except for one mother, the rest practised authoritative parenting, combining high levels of both parental warmth and parental control. The Chinese immigrant mothers' parenting seemed to best reflect what Kagitcibasi described as the psychological interdependence interaction pattern of the family model with the childrearing orientation focusing on parental control, emotional closeness and child autonomy, leading to the child becoming both emotionally autonomous and related. Implications for future research and professional practice are discussed.

Previous studies have investigated how Chinese and Korean immigrant mothers adjust to life in the US in order to understand their lives and help them to adapt to the new culture. Based on acculturation and mobile media theories, this study explores particularly how Chinese and Korean immigrant mothers’ child-rearing practices in the US are mediated by mobile media. Guided by the theoretical framework of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), we conducted 16 in-depth interviews with Chinese and Korean immigrant mothers. Findings reveal that while going through the acculturation process, Chinese and Korean immigrant mothers attempt to play the traditional social role of mother as defined in their home countries when utilizing mobile media in their new home. Mobile media have symbolic meanings of empowerment and can be used as tools to deal with prejudice in the host country. This study also suggests that mobile media may mediate Chinese and Korean immigrant mothers’ acculturation processes when adopting different types of acculturation strategies (e.g., integration or separation). Implications for practice and future studies are further discussed.

“Tofli, Jasadi: My Child, My Body”: Infant feeding beliefs and practices of Arabic mothers in Australia

Acculturation has an influence on mothers’ beliefs and the perceived behaviours of different ethnicities. Few studies have been conducted on complementary infant and young child feeding practices (CIYCFP) in minorities in England, particularly in Chinese immigrants. This mixed study aims to explore the association of acculturation and IYCF among new Chinese immigrant mothers using purposive snowball sampling from an informal Chinese community. The participants’ responses to the Infant Feeding Style Questionnaire (IFSQ) and Mutual Intercultural Relations in Plural Societies (MIRIPS), questionnaire (n = 32) were collected. A sub-set of 15 also participated in semi-structured interviews. Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis and thematic analysis were performed to analyse the survey and semi-structured interview data, and triangulation was employed to integrate quantitative and qualitative findings. This study indicated that Chinese mothers who scored high in integration were more likely to respond to satiety and attention; those inclined to be marginalised were more likely to indulge their children. Those who were more culturally separated were more likely to restrict the food quality offered to their children. This study also indicated that Chinese immigrants balanced western and Chinese feeding practices to combat feeding and culture conflict. This study presents preliminary findings of the association between acculturation and CIYCFP, which can improve culturally appropriate CIYCFP in minorities. Further studies are needed to explore intervention programs to tailor CIYCFP with consideration for acculturation in the minority.

Maternal warmth, the quality of the affectional bond between mothers and their children, has been found to be consistently associated with children's positive developmental outcomes in Western cultures. However, researchers debate the potential differences in the cultural meanings of maternal warmth, particularly between Chinese and European American families. To address the lack of empirical research on this issue, the present study examined culturally derived perceptions and practices of maternal warmth through open-ended interviews with 70 Chinese immigrant and 70 European American mothers of preschoolers. Specifically, we compared mothers' perceived importance and degree of expression of warmth toward their children, and why and how they express warmth toward their children in the 2 cultural groups. Results showed that, although mothers perceived expressing warmth to be similarly important, European American mothers perceived expressing more warmth toward their children. Moreover, both cultural similarities and differences were found in why these 2 groups of mothers believed it was important to express warmth and the specific practices they used. Chinese immigrant mothers' responses were interpreted as reflecting a cultural emphasis on nurturance and instrumental support, whereas European American mothers' responses reflected the Western cultural focus on more direct and outward demonstrations of warmth.

SYNOPSIS Objective . This study explores the contributions of Chinese immigrant mothers’ parenting cognitions and parenting practices to their children’s social skills. Design . We used a cross-sectional design to examine the mediating role of authoritative parenting in associations between Chinese immigrant mothers’ parenting attributions and their children’s social skills. Chinese immigrant mothers (N = 208, M age = 37.36 years) reported their attributions regarding successes and failures in their daily caregiving experiences, authoritative parenting practices, and demographic information. Their preschool children’s (M age = 4.51 years, 46.2% females) social skills in school were rated by their teachers. Results . Maternal attributions of successful events to uncontrollable causes and unsuccessful events to controllable causes were associated with more authoritative parenting. In turn, more authoritative parenting was associated with more competent social skills in children. In contrast, maternal attributions of successful events to controllable causes and unsuccessful events to uncontrollable causes were associated with less authoritative parenting, which in turn was associated with poorer social skills in children. Conclusions . Promoting Chinese immigrant mothers’ attributions that preserve positive efficacy during daily parenting tasks may enhance their engagement in warm, autonomy-promoting and regulatory parenting, which in turn may facilitate their children’s social skills.

SYNOPSISObjective. The present study examined specific situations in which European American and Chinese immigrant mothers to the United States expressed warmth and control with their young children. Design. Ninety-four European American and 90 Chinese immigrant mothers of children ages 3–6 from middle-class families were interviewed. Results. European American and Chinese immigrant mothers viewed children’s independence, educational, social, emotional, and moral development as important. Specifically, mothers from both cultural groups discussed expressing warmth toward their children when: (1) structuring their children’s daily schedules and routines, (2) doing activities with their children, (3) their children experience difficulties, (4) being close, showing intimacy and communicating with their children, (5) their children engage in positive behaviors, and (6) educating their children. Mothers also similarly discussed utilizing control when: (1) structuring their children’s daily schedules and routines, (2) ensuring their child’s safety, (3) their children engage in difficult behaviors, (4) their children interact with others, (5) educating their children, and (6) their children experience moral-related issues. However, mothers differentially endorsed four out of six situations of when they expressed warmth and four out of six situations of when they exerted control. Specifically, European American mothers emphasized expressing warmth and control about Western cultural values of individuality, open-expression, and respect. In contrast, Chinese immigrant mothers emphasized expressing warmth and control about psychological interdependence and Confucian-based values of group harmony and child obedience. Conclusions. This study highlights culturally shared and distinct socialization priorities that European American and Chinese immigrant mothers emphasize during early childhood.

To study cultural differences in child-rearing practices, 38 middle-class immigrant Chinese mothers and 38 middle-class Caucasian American mothers of 3- to 8-year-old children completed the Parenting Dimensions Inventory (PDI) and the Parenting Goals Questionnaire (PGQ). Comparison of the PDI scale scores revealed differences on all but the reasoning dimension. Caucasian American mothers scored higher on sensitivity, consistency, nonrestrictiveness, nurturance, and rule setting, whereas immigrant Chinese mothers scored higher on physical punishment and yelling at the child. Examination of the parenting goals revealed no cultural main effect, however, a main effect was found for child's age. Both immigrant Chinese and Caucasian American mothers place more emphasis on manners, school-related skills, and emotional adjustment during the early elementary school years (6 to 8 years of age) than during the preschool years (3 to 5 years of age). Results related to terns of the need for immigrant Chinese to maintain ties to their culture of origin and to accommodate to the socialization practices of the host culture.