Racial socialization practices of Asian American and White American parents
Date
2006
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
All parents have the responsibility of teaching their children how to function successfully in society; however, in a society where one’s race automatically ascribes them to a certain position along a status hierarchy, the process of socialization can take on a different meaning for parents from different racial backgrounds. Thus, this study examined how the bicultural identification pattern of Separated Asian American, Alternating Asian American, and White American parents influenced their racial socialization practices, racial identity, and perceptions of discrimination; and how parents’ racial identity and perceptions of discrimination influenced their racial socialization practices. 95 parents of second to sixth grade children completed a survey assessing their socialization practices (6 dimensions: own- and other-group cultural socialization, own- and other-group preparation for bias, socialization of mistrust, egalitarianism), racial identity (4 dimensions: centrality, membership, private regard, public regard), and perceived discrimination (2 dimensions: institutional and interpersonal). Results showed that Separated Asian American parents engaged in own- and other-group cultural socialization and own-group preparation for bias more than Alternating Asian American, who engaged in these practices more than White American parents. Separated and Alternating Asian Americans parents reported higher centrality and perceived more institutional and interpersonal discrimination than White American parents. Hierarchical regression analyses examined the influence of racial identity and perceptions of discrimination on racial socialization. Centrality and perceptions of interpersonal discrimination had positive relationships with own- and other-group cultural socialization. Membership esteem also had a positive relationship with own-group cultural socialization. In contrast, private regard had a negative relationship with own- and other-group cultural socialization. Perceptions of institutional discrimination significantly predicted preparation for bias and socialization of mistrust. In addition, centrality had a positive relationship with own-group preparation for bias, while public regard had a negative relationship. Significant interactions revealed differences in the strength of these relationships across groups. This study extended the literature by distinguishing between two different bicultural orientations among Asian American parents, and revealing distinctions within these families in the way they socialize their children. These findings indicate a need to better understand the underlying factors that influence racial majority and minority parents’ racial socialization practices.