Ethnic language maintenance among Chinese immigrant children in the United States

Abstract

Based upon ethnolinguistic theory, this study examined the familial and peer influences on immigrant Chinese American children’s ethnic language maintenance. Children’s decisions to retain their ethnic language were hypothesized to be influenced by their parents’ attitude toward the maintenance of Chinese, parent–child cohesion, grandparent–child cohesion, peer influence on language behavior, and age of immigration. Of the 250 respondents, 131 were first-generation and 114 were second-generation immigrants to the United States. The results indicated that Chinese-speaking peer influence, followed by English-speaking peer influence, were the most important factors in Chinese American children’s ethnic language retention. Parent–child cohesion was an important mediating factor in the relationship between parent’s language attitude and the children’s ethnic language retention. In addition, age of immigration played an important role in Chinese American children’s ethnic language maintenance.