Southeast Asian Immigrants' Perceptions of Good Adolescents and Good Parents

Abstract

The authors examined the extent to which Southeast Asian immigrant parents and adolescents agree on what it means to be a "good" parent and a "good" adolescent. Thirty-six parents and 37 adolescents of Cambodian, Hmong, Lao, and Vietnamese descent participated in a series of focus groups. Content analyses of their discussions showed that good adolescents were obedient, helpful around the house, and respectful to parents and elders, and good parents were those who provide for, nurture, and monitor children's activities. The findings suggest that ideas about good parents and good adolescents are influenced by both the parents' traditions and by adolescents' acculturation to American values.

Gendered Processes of Adaptation: Understanding Parent–Child Relations in Chinese Immigrant Families

“…They want warmth and caring in the family. This dynamic is also shown in the study of Xiong et al (2005) of Southeast Asian immigrant families, in which parents believed "a good parent" was someone who provided food, clothing, and cultural education for the children. However, for children, good parents were those who understood their children and verbally expressed their love.…”

Conceptions of Good Parent–Adolescent Relationships among Cuban American Teenagers

“…Nonverbal and implicit forms of love appear to be salient for Cuban American adolescents, as they are for adolescents in other high-context cultures, such as Mexicans, Chinese, and Filipinos (Crockett et al 2007;Russell et al 2004;Xiong et al 2005). If the perception that parents care is critical for child adjustment, theories of parent-child relationships need to include the diverse forms of caring recognized by children in different cultural groups.…”

Constructing “Hmong American Youth”: A Critical Discourse Analysis of 25 Years of Academic Literature on Hmong American Youth

“…Although the father should assist, three-quarters of the refugees viewed it as the mother's job to take care of the children" (p. 124). Similarly, Xiong, Eliason, Detzner, and Cleveland (2005) titled their article "Southeast Asian Immigrants' Perceptions of Good Adolescents and Good Parents," even though 21 out of 37 youth participants were either born in the United States or brought to the United States when they were five years old or younger, which questions whether or not the term immigrant is the most appropriate term. Lastly, authors refer to Hmong as the Hmong, which not only "others" Hmong youth, but also creates a perception that there is little difference within the group.…”