Immigrant Chinese Mothers’ Socialization of Achievement in Children: A Strategic Adaptation to the Host Society

Florrie Fei Yin Ng; Irene Nga Lam Sze; Catherine S. Tamis-LeMonda; Diane N. Ruble

doi:10.1111/cdev.12701

Immigrant Chinese Mothers’ Socialization of Achievement in Children: A Strategic Adaptation to the Host Society

Florrie Fei Yin Ng, Irene Nga Lam Sze, Catherine S. Tamis-LeMonda, Diane N. Ruble

Applied Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Academic socialization by low-income immigrant mothers from Mainland China was investigated in two studies. Immigrant Chinese mothers of first graders (n = 52; M_age = 38.69) in the United States (Study 1) and kindergartners (n = 86; M_age = 36.81) in Hong Kong (Study 2) tell stories that emphasized achieving the best grade through effort more than did African American (n = 39; M_age = 31.44) and native Hong Kong (n = 76; M_age = 36.64) mothers, respectively. The emphasis on achievement was associated with mothers' heightened discussion on discrimination (Study 1) and beliefs that education promotes upward mobility (Study 2), as well as children's expectations that a story protagonist would receive maternal criticism for being nonpersistent in learning (Study 2).

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	979-995
Number of pages	17
Journal	Child development
Volume	88
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12701
State	Published - May 1 2017

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
Education
Developmental and Educational Psychology

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10.1111/cdev.12701

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title = "Immigrant Chinese Mothers{\textquoteright} Socialization of Achievement in Children: A Strategic Adaptation to the Host Society",

abstract = "Academic socialization by low-income immigrant mothers from Mainland China was investigated in two studies. Immigrant Chinese mothers of first graders (n = 52; Mage = 38.69) in the United States (Study 1) and kindergartners (n = 86; Mage = 36.81) in Hong Kong (Study 2) tell stories that emphasized achieving the best grade through effort more than did African American (n = 39; Mage = 31.44) and native Hong Kong (n = 76; Mage = 36.64) mothers, respectively. The emphasis on achievement was associated with mothers' heightened discussion on discrimination (Study 1) and beliefs that education promotes upward mobility (Study 2), as well as children's expectations that a story protagonist would receive maternal criticism for being nonpersistent in learning (Study 2).",

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Immigrant Chinese Mothers’ Socialization of Achievement in Children: A Strategic Adaptation to the Host Society

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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