Racialized Trauma and Parent-Child Relationships in Asian American Communities

Limson, A.Y., Xiong, Y., Young, G., Weng, D., Wang, X., Yu, T., Yuen, C., & Yu, Z. 

• 2024 Connecting Across IDEAS Conference
  
• Annika Y. Limson
  

Learning Objectives

• Demonstrate understanding of how Asian Americans perceive and experience racialized trauma across a lifespan and how racialized trauma influence their parent-child relationships and parenting approaches. 
  
• Assess how Asian Americans build resilience amid familial and societal difficulties throughout their childhood and adolescence.
  
• Describe the unique needs of Asian American families in future research and clinical settings.
  

Background and Gaps in Research

• Rise in Anti-Asian hate sentiments and blatant discrimination, heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. 
  
• There is limited research done to understand the impact racialized trauma has on Asian American parent-child relationships. 
  
• This study has very rich qualitative data that speak to the needs of the inclusive Pan-Asian communities in the US. 
  

Purpose of the Study is to Explore:

• (1) How Asian Americans perceive and experience racialized trauma 
  
• (2) How racialized trauma impacts parenting and parent-child relationships
  
• (3) How do Asian Americans build resilience amid familial and societal difficulties throughout their childhood and adolescence? What kind of support do current and future generations need to grow? 
  

Definitions

• 1st Generation Asian Americans were immigrants to the US from an Asian country
  
• 1.5th Generation Asian Americans immigrated to the US with their parents at a young age from an Asian country
  
• 2nd Generation Asian Americans were born in the US to immigrant (1st generation) Asian parents
  
• Inclusion: Self-identifying Asian American consenting adult 
  

Data Collection and Analysis

• Participants recruited through flyers around campus, Justice for Asian Americans Coalition list serv, and word of mouth
  
• Data Analyzed by Thematic Analysis
  
• 19 participants to date
  
• 45 to 120 - minute interviews
  
• $25 compensation per interview
  
• 1-3 interviews, depending on participant condition, needs, and follow up
  
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Example Interview Questions

1.5th and 2nd Generations

(1) Participant Relationship with their parents

• How would you describe your relationship with your parents?
  
• If any, what are some differences between your parents' parenting approach and your non -Asian peers' parents' parenting approach?
  
• (2) Participant Relationship with their children (if parents)
• If you are using different parenting styles and approaches from your parents, what motivated you to do things differently?
  
• Where did you learn these approaches and what did you search for?
  
• (3) Racialized Trauma
• Have you experienced racism or discrimination at work, school, or in the communities? If so, can you share some examples?
  
• If ever, how did these experiences affect your relationships with your parents?
  

Example Interview Questions

1st Generation

• Could you please share your story about your immigration?
  
• How has your experience been in the US?
  
• How would you describe your parenting style or approach?
  
• How do you show your children love and support?
  
• How do/did you discipline your children?
  
• How do/did you communicate with your children?
  
• We know there are increased incidents of anti-Asian hate sentiments during the pandemic. Have you been impacted by this? If so, would you feel comfortable sharing these experiences?
  

Common 2nd Interview Follow-up Questions

• Loneliness and Support (All)
  
• Have you ever or thought about seeking professional help? 
  
• Where did you go to for support and care?
  
• Racialized Trauma in 1st Generation Participants
  
• Do you feel that were you were treated differently because you were an immigrant or outsider of the community?
  
• What are some examples of racialized trauma or incidents for you?
  
• Parenting Interventions (All)
  
• If we were to design a parenting intervention for Asian American parents, what should we include? What would make you interested in participating?
  
• Parenting Approach to Practice in 2nd Generation Participants
  
• If you did not have [parenting approach] in your home, how did you or how do you plan to unlearn and relearn your parents' parenting styles and approaches?
  

Common Themes: 1.5th and 2nd Generation Asian American Participants

• Parentification (“therapist to parents” "emotional caretaking of parents" “third parent”) 
  
• Lack of community and belongingness --> Finding community and belonging 
  
• Intergenerational transmission of trauma 
  
• Intergenerational transmission of empowerment 
  
• Molding into model minority stereotypes and parental expectations (additional school stress) 
  
• Internalizing parental expectations 
  
• Striving to become a cycle breaker for the next generation, building resilience 
  
• Educating children about racial issues, family dynamics 
  
• Showing love and support, researching effective disciplinary approaches 
  
• Going to therapy (group, individual, family), Becoming a counselor 
  
• Bonding with children through shared experiences (racial trauma) 
  
• Difficulty creating boundaries with parents (emotional, financial, physical) 
  

"shock absorbers of like my parents, the frustrations, my dad's anger, my mom's anger"

"Violence and abuse and so like you almost equate love with abuse"

"children of immigrants are, you know, they kind of live in 2 worlds a little bit"

"I've been so focused on raising, help raising my siblings. I've been so focused on making sure my parents are okay"

"I felt like I couldn't always say what I wanted or how I felt when I was growing up.  And so I'm trying to allow my kids to be able to say what they're thinking or what they're feeling more"

"a third parent in their relationship... We're like a triad, my parents and me"

"biggest love and main stressor"

"There's so many Koreans. And Asians, like you've almost like mold into the stereotype.  Because the stereotype is to be academic, to play a string instrument. Like you, just everybody does that.  And it's worked for us. It's worked for our culture. We live up to it and and you know what to do. You know how to play the game and you know Okay, as an Asian person, I gotta do well academically that's worked for our culture"

"reclaiming filial piety is is sort of the act of like re-contextualizing the demands of your parents. And then deciding for yourself like, oh well what do I want? What do I really want and like does that align with what my parents want? And if it is aligned, then how like how can we approach this together or even like making compromises"

Common Themes: 1st Generation Asian American Participants

• Grateful for the education received in US institutions, including school systems – leading to disagreement with 2nd generation children (found in dyads)
  
• Little knowledge about microaggressions and systemic oppression
  
• Remembering positive childhood experiences of children, building resilience for hard days and life transitions
  
• High functioning, independence, yearning for a community
  
• Internalized parental, familial, and societal guilt
  
• Internalizations of mental and emotional struggle – loneliness, depression
  
• Educating peers about cultural origin positively and willingly
  

"Just didn't feel Safe, I didn't feel a sense of belonging. I didn't feel accepted. I didn't feel seen. I didn't feel heard. It was a very lonely place to be"

"[our kids] may have gone through racism, but as parents we probably did not"

"He was just one year old or something. But they broke his leg. I don't know what happened... and after that we decided we are not putting kids in any day care. So we had a terrible experience there... We couldn't figure out who broke his leg and what happened. Whether it was because you were immigrants or not, we never even could never find out. It was very traumatic why he got"

"the racial slurs, you know. It was just all just normal part of life and just you just simply learn to Chalk it up to the people who just simply didn't know"

"And so your technical skill is the only thing that they measure you on. Rather than your personality, your ability to communicate with them or how you relate with others"

Unique Themes Represented in the Study

• Connecting with cultural heritage as an adoptee, displaced refugee, or child of adoptee
  
• Intergenerational (biological and environmental) transmission of trauma and resilience
  
• Built upon historical context
  
• Story of North Korean refugees post-Korean War
  
• Growing up as an immigrant in the 80s to present day
  
• Biracial and multiracial families' journey to reconnect with their families and culture
  
• Respectful Parenting in 2nd generation parents
  
• Adaptive Parenting in 1st generation parents
  
• Both 1st and 2nd generation parents highly recommended reading parenting books, finding a community to raise families, and attending parenting workshops to future parents
  

Next Steps...

• Last round of qualitative interviews + manuscript writing
  
• Continuing to spread awareness about the unique needs of Asian American families in various community backgrounds
  

Special Thanks

Dr. Effy Yu, School of Nursing

Dr. Yiying Xiong, School of Education

Research Team Members – Dillon, Grace, Sissi, Connie, and Toni

Our Participants

NBCC Foundation Minority Fellowship Program

Faculty, Friends, and Family

Thank you so much!

Please contact us if you have any questions

alimson1@jhu.edu // zyu46@jhu.edu