Tiger mothering and Hmong American parent–adolescent relationships.

Abstract

This study examined associations between indicators of the parent–adolescent relationship (academic support, monitoring, normative conflicts, and culture-based conflicts) and outcomes related to academic motivation and psychological well-being. Findings suggested that parental academic support was associated with higher self-esteem and academic motivation and monitoring was associated with higher self-esteem in a sample of 93 middle-school Hmong American students. Whereas normative conflicts reported by adolescents (fighting over hairstyles or clothes) were unrelated to any outcomes, reports of culture-based conflicts were associated with greater self-deprecating thoughts for all adolescents and with greater depressive symptoms among boys only. In addition, findings suggested that monitoring moderated associations between culture-based conflicts and psychological well-being. Hmong American parents who engage in “Asian” parenting practices may promote positive developmental outcomes for both boys and girls when they engage in behaviors perceived to be supportive and as moderately controlling (i.e., monitoring). Parent–adolescent interactions that lead to culture-based conflicts, however, may be harmful to the well-being of Hmong American boys and in cases in which parents do not promote connection via monitoring behaviors.