Cross-cultural Families Research Articles

Impact of Perceived Racial Discrimination on Depressive Symptoms and School Outcomes Among Asian American Youth

Using two survey datasets–the Korean American Families (KAF) Project and the Cross Cultural Families (CCF) Project, this study examined how perceived racial discrimination influences depressive symptoms and school outcomes among Asian American adolescents, and what factors mediate the association between perceived discrimination and youth outcomes. The KAF Project surveyed Korean American (KA) youth in Midwest (n = 220), and the CCF Project surveyed Cambodian American (CA) youth (n = 164), and Vietnamese American (VA) youth (n = 163) in a Pacific Northwest school district. Using Structural Equation Modeling, the results revealed perceived discrimination was positively associated with depressive symptoms for KA and VA youths, but school misbehavior only for CA youth. Among KA youth, perceived discrimination was positively associated with ethnic identity, in turn positively related to social support, thereby reducing depressive symptoms. Among CA and VA youths, perceived discrimination was not associated with ethnic identity, but ethnic identity was related to social support, which in turn was associated with lower depressive symptoms, less school misbehaviors and better grades. This study offers insights into the way in which perceived racial discrimination may exert an impact on children’s mental health and school outcomes and how the mechanisms that explain this relationship vary across AA subgroups. The findings of this study highlight the need for sustained research in the future to advance research and practice for AA groups.

Cross-cultural marriages as a reserve of demographic development in Russia

With the deepening of the process of globalization, the scale of interaction between different cultures, their interpenetration, mixing is expanding, which increases the possibility of cross-cultural marriages. The problems of the analysis of cross-cultural marriages in Russia and Iran seem to be an urgent direction for research. Cross-cultural marriages between Russians and Iranians serve as one of the significant elements of the process of rapprochement of two different cultures, and also contribute to the development of interest and tolerant attitude of Russians to the cultural traditions of the East. The purpose of this work is to analyze the attitude of Iranians and Russians to cross-cultural marriages against the background of the transformation of the desired family model, to identify the factors of the formation of cross-cultural marriages. The conclusions are based on the results of the International sociological study "Russian-Iranian marriages in the context of intercultural interactions", conducted in June-September 2021 in the cities of Russia and Iran by a team of authors. The sample size was 153 people, including representatives of different generations aged 18 to 60 years. The results of the survey revealed ideas about the model of family and marriage for residents of Iran and Russia. The study identified the main motives for concluding a cross-cultural marriage, the respondents' views on family relationships, as well as their attitude to the official registration of the status of spouses. A separate block of questions was aimed at studying the problems and living conditions of spouses in cross-cultural marriages, the need for special support measures. The attitude to cross-cultural marriages in society, both on the part of Russians and Iranians, is considered. The results obtained can be used in the development of strategies for the development of socio-cultural interaction between Russia and Iran. It is important to take into account the conclusions of the study as part of efforts aimed at smoothing out possible acute issues of interethnic relations; providing support to cross-cultural families in the process of adaptation and familiarization with the norms, traditions, customs of a new culture for the spouse.

Russian-Iranian Cross-Cultural Marriages: a Sociological Analysis

One of the characteristic features of the modern socio-demographic situation in the world is the increase in the number of cross-cultural marriages concluded between a man and a woman belonging to different socio-cultural strata of society, having their own cultural characteristics and value systems. There are no official statistics of cross-cultural marriages in Russia in the public domain, which actualizes the conduct of special sociological research. The conclusions of the article are based on the results of a pilot sociological survey conducted by a questionnaire survey of 153 respondents from Russia (Moscow) and Iran (Tehran) aged 18 to 60 years, who are in cross-cultural marriages, as well as having families based on cross-cultural marriage or being in an interethnic, interfaith environment (due to educational or professional activity). The results of the survey revealed the existence of different ideas about the family and marriage model for both Iran and modern Russia. The results obtained can be used to develop strategies for the development of socio-cultural interaction between Russia and Iran, in the public administration system, as part of efforts aimed at supporting cross-cultural families in the process of adaptation and familiarization with the norms and traditions of a new culture for a spouse.

Cross-Cultural Marriages in the Context of the Transformation of the Family Model: Russia and Iran

Introduction. The relevance of the study of cross-cultural marriages in Russia and Iran is due to the fact that Russia and Iran are characterized by both attention to the observance of cultural needs and the desire for innovative development. These contradictory manifestations are also manifested in family and marriage relations. There is a shortage of empirical studies that reflect the range of opinions of various social strata in Russia and Iran, allowing a comparative analysis of attitudes towards cross-cultural marriages to determine the prospects for state policy to support the institution of marriage in a cross-cultural environment. The purpose of the public research is to analyze the relationship with cross-cultural marriages in Russia and Iran against the background of the proposed family model. Materials and Methods. Sociological research is carried out by the method of a quantitative survey. 153 people were interviewed in total, urban residents of Russia and Iran aged 18 to 60 who are in cross-cultural marriages or an interethnic, interfaith environment. To analyze the results, descriptive statistics methods, frequency distributions, and a tabular data visualization method were used. Results. The survey results have revealed the presence of different ideas about the desired model of family and marriage both in Iran and Russia (both traditional and modern). The study has revealed a friendly attitude towards interethnic marriages in both countries (primarily for urban residents). In many ways, the success of cross-cultural marriages is determined by the attitude of relatives and the local community towards them. Discussion and Conclusion. The results obtained can be used to develop strategies for the development of socio-cultural interaction between Russia and Iran. It is essential to consider the study’s conclusions when supporting cross-cultural families in the process of adaptation and acquaintance with the norms, traditions, and customs of a new culture spouse. It is necessary to conduct a study on a more representative sample to assess the differentiation and determinants of people’s opinions in interethnic marriages living in Iran and Russia.

Parents’ Perceptions and Management of Children’s Learning of Chinese as a Heritage Language: A Case Study of Cross-cultural Families in Australia

Parents play an important role in children’s learning of their heritage language (HL) in immigrant countries. Fostering HL learning is a hard task for parents, particularly in immigrant families, and this difficulty is exacerbated in cross-cultural families. The existing studies have not fully addressed the importance of consistent parental perceptions and language management in children’s HL learning. This gap is particularly clear in the research concerning learning Chinese as an HL among cross-cultural families’ children living in English-speaking immigrant countries such as Australia. The present qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to fill this gap by examining the perceptions and language management strategies of three cross-cultural families in Australia whose children are learning Chinese as one parent’s HL. The results suggest that, in English countries, Chinese-background and non-Chinese-background parents in cross-cultural families have quite different opinions about their children learning Chinese, which are reflected in their dissimilar language management strategies. The results highlight the importance and challenges of developing a stable family language policy in cross-cultural families in order to maintain their children’s HL learning.

Beyond colour-blindness: Enhancing cultural and racial identity for adopted and fostered children in cross-cultural and transracial families

INTRODUCTION: Cross-cultural and transracial adoption or fostering is a common experience in adoptive and foster family formation yet few adoptive or foster parents are truly competent to address the cultural needs of children who join their families in this way. Few parents comprehend the full extent of cultural and, or, racial identity knowledge that their newly adopted children bring with them. Parents also struggle to answer the cultural, and, or, racial identity questions that their adopted children ask them. Likewise, human service professionals, when helping families, sometimes struggle to provide culturally competent knowledge and training.METHODS: A review of literature nationally and internationally to ascertain best practice models and strategies to help families and professionals move beyond colour-blind approaches and meet the cultural needs of adopted or fostered children.FINDINGS: There are useful models of cultural and bicultural competency that parents and human service professionals can use to enable improved support for families formed through transracial and cross-cultural adoption and fostering.CONCLUSIONS: A colour-blind approach to cross-cultural or transracial parenting is unlikely to help children view their ethnic background and heritage positively. Rather, a culturally competent approach will help children develop positive racial and cultural identities.

Should I stay or should I go? Migration trajectories of Chinese–Taiwanese couples in third countries

This article explores the migration choices of Chinese–Taiwanese couples who have met in a third country as students and formed transnational and cross-cultural families. Being subject to three sets of regulations (those of China, Taiwan and the third country) has put these couples in a more restrictive situation in negotiating their life choices and mobility. Using qualitative data, this article elucidates the migration trajectories of these couples, the conflicts they face, how they negotiate conflict areas and the strategic use of marriage in a third country to be together. This article finds that the conjugal lives of these transnational couples cannot completely disengage from institutionalized cross-Strait relations and state ideologies which eventually push them to stay in a third country rather than return to either of their countries of origin.

The Silken Ties that Bind: How Do Asian Values Impact Marriage for Modern and Cross-Cultural Families?

As the ties that bind marriages are strained and broken in the context of separation and divorce, the value systems of the parties will impact their perspective on the performance of the 'marriage contract'. In Asia, marriage creates a contract between individuals but also a web of family alliances. The impact of globalization is often seen as eroding the impact of culture on societal values, but in this most intimate contract, people often find that their underlying values are consistent with belief systems that have traditionally held their societies together. In Confucian and neo-Confucian societies, values around the role that each gender will perform are perceived to be changing, however, for some traditional values exercise a strong hold. This reality can be a confronting experience for spouses in separation.

Longitudinal Effects of Acculturation on Alcohol Use among Vietnamese and Cambodian Immigrant Women in the USA.

Recent studies indicate that alcohol use is increasing among Asian American populations and that acculturation impacts alcohol use among immigrants in the USA. We investigated the longitudinal relationship between three domains of acculturation (traditionalism, biculturalism, assimilation) and alcohol use among 302 Vietnamese and Cambodian women in Washington State. Data were obtained from the Cross Cultural Families Project (CCF), a 5-year longitudinal investigation of a random sample of Vietnamese and Cambodian immigrant families living in Washington State. Alcohol use was measured with a three item scale assessing frequency and quantity of use, and binge drinking. Acculturation was measured with the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale. Linear mixed effects regression models were estimated to assess the impact of acculturation on alcohol use among the overall sample and among a sub-sample of only women who consumed any alcohol. A majority of the sample, 73.2%, reported no alcohol use. In the overall sample, none of the three acculturation domains were significantly associated with drinking. Among a sub-sample of only those who reported any alcohol use, however, a greater degree of traditional cultural identification (β = -0.94, SE= 0.44, P= 0.03) and a greater degree of biculturalism (β = -1.33, SE= 0.53, P =0.01) were associated with lower levels of use. Our findings suggest that acculturation did not impact alcohol use prevalence but that it did affect the drinking pattern among alcohol consumers. Clinicians should be cognizant that certain aspects of cultural identification are important contributors to drinking behavior among alcohol consumers in these populations.

The Impact of Intergenerational Cultural Dissonance on Alcohol Use Among Vietnamese and Cambodian Adolescents in the United States

PurposeRates of alcohol use may be increasing among Asian-American adolescents. Among youth from Asian-immigrant families, intergenerational cultural dissonance (ICD), a difference in acculturation between children and caregivers, is associated with adverse childhood outcomes. This study investigates the longitudinal association of ICD and alcohol use among youth from immigrant Vietnamese and Cambodian families in the United States. MethodsTwo waves of annual data, wave 4 (baseline for this study) and wave 5 (follow-up), were obtained from the Cross-Cultural Families Project, a longitudinal study of 327 Vietnamese and Cambodian immigrant families in Washington State. The Asian-American Family Conflicts Scale was used to measure ICD. Adolescent alcohol use was measured as any drinking in the past 30 days. A multiple logistic regression model was estimated with the outcome, alcohol use, measured at the follow-up visit and all predictors, including ICD, measured at baseline. Sex, nationality, nativity, and acculturation were tested as modifiers of the ICD-alcohol use relationship. ResultsNine percent of adolescents (age range 13–18 years) reported alcohol use at baseline and this increased significantly (p < .0001) to 16% one year later. ICD was associated with increased odds of alcohol use at follow-up (odds ratio: 1.57; 95% confidence interval: 1.03–2.41; p = .04). None of the interactions were statistically significant. ConclusionsICD is a significant predictor of alcohol use among Vietnamese and Cambodian adolescents. Interventions that should be targeted toward reducing ICD through enhancing parent-child communication and teaching bicultural competence skills may help prevent alcohol use problems among youth from immigrant families.

Factors associated with intensiveness of use of child preventive health services in Taiwan: a comparative study between cross-cultural immigrant families and native-born families

Objectives: To compare intensiveness of use of child preventive health services (CPHS) between cross-cultural immigrant families and native-born families in Taiwan and to explore factors associated with differences in intensiveness of CPHS use. Design: Cross-cultural immigrant families were defined as families where the mother was an immigrant from another southeast Asian country. In native-born families, both parents were Taiwanese-born. Data were collected from 318 immigrant mothers and 340 native-born mothers of children aged 7 years or younger in a cross-sectional survey in central Taiwan. A social determinants framework of health inequities was constructed, and ordinal logistic regression models were used to examine the effect of four domains of intermediary determinants on the relationship between family type and underuse of CPHS: CPHS-related factors, medical-related factors, maternal acculturation factors, and sociodemographic/socioeconomic characteristics. Results: Cross-cultural immigrant families were less likely to intensively use CPHS than native-born families. This difference appeared to be mediated by the greater likelihood of having an older child or a lower educated father in cross-cultural families. Conclusion: Findings of this study highlight the importance of promoting health behaviors and combating health inequities and social inequalities for cross-cultural immigrant families in Taiwan from a sociodemographic/socioeconomic and political context.

Intergenerational Cultural Dissonance, Parent–Child Conflict and Bonding, and Youth Problem Behaviors among Vietnamese and Cambodian Immigrant Families

Intergenerational cultural dissonance (ICD)-a clash between parents and children over cultural values-is a frequent issue for Asian American youth. Using longitudinal data from the Cross Cultural Families Project, this study examines the mechanisms by which ICD contributes to problem behaviors, including whether ICD predicts parent-child conflict, whether parent-child conflict then has a direct effect on youth problem behavior, and whether positive bonding with parents mediates the effects of such conflict on youth problem behaviors among Vietnamese (n = 164) and Cambodian (n = 163) families with adolescents [average age = 15.2 years (SD = 1.05)]. The results from the path analyses show that, in both groups, ICD indirectly predicts problem behaviors by increasing parent-child conflict, which in turn weakens positive parent-child bonding. Interventions that target youths' perception of intergenerational cultural gaps, help them manage conflict, and help strengthen bonds with parents may prevent problem behaviors among Cambodian and Vietnamese families. This study contributes to inform how to effectively prevent problems and difficulties among these families.

Examining equivalence of concepts and measures in diverse samples.

While there is growing awareness for the need to examine the etiology of problem behaviors across cultural, racial, socioeconomic, and gender groups, much research tends to assume that constructs are equivalent and that the measures developed within one group equally assess constructs across groups. The meaning of constructs, however, may differ across groups or, if similar in meaning, measures developed for a given construct in one particular group may not be assessing the same construct or may not be assessing the construct in the same manner in other groups. The aims of this paper were to demonstrate a process of testing several forms of equivalence including conceptual, functional, item, and scalar using different methods. Data were from the Cross-Cultural Families Project, a study examining factors that promote the healthy development and adjustment of children among immigrant Cambodian and Vietnamese families. The process described in this paper can be implemented in other prevention studies interested in diverse groups. Demonstrating equivalence of constructs and measures prior to group comparisons is necessary in order to lend support of our interpretation of issues such as ethnic group differences and similarities.

Global Migration, Ethnic Media and Ethnic Identity

Although ethnic media have a long history, the nature and characteristics of contemporary ethnic media have been transformed by globalization. This article explores the association between ethnic media and ethnic identity by looking at various examples: the Nikkei and Okinawans in the United States, the Brazilians currently residing in Japan, the Koreans in Japan, and the specific case of cross-cultural families in Japan. Given the different nature of mobility and the ethnic media, the role of the ethnic media in maintaining or transforming ethnic identity needs to be re-examined.