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

Access to Document

10.1111/cdev.12701

Cite this

@article{70821a7b8eee4ba8b665bd83b07b91e9,

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).",

author = "Ng, {Florrie Fei Yin} and Sze, {Irene Nga Lam} and Tamis-LeMonda, {Catherine S.} and Ruble, {Diane N.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 The Authors. Child Development {\textcopyright} 2016 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.",

year = "2017",

month = may,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1111/cdev.12701",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "88",

pages = "979--995",

journal = "Child development",

issn = "0009-3920",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Immigrant Chinese Mothers’ Socialization of Achievement in Children

T2 - A Strategic Adaptation to the Host Society

AU - Ng, Florrie Fei Yin

AU - Sze, Irene Nga Lam

AU - Tamis-LeMonda, Catherine S.

AU - Ruble, Diane N.

PY - 2017/5/1

Y1 - 2017/5/1

N2 - 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).

AB - 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).

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85007150645&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85007150645&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/cdev.12701

DO - 10.1111/cdev.12701

M3 - Article

C2 - 27990629

AN - SCOPUS:85007150645

SN - 0009-3920

VL - 88

SP - 979

EP - 995

JO - Child development

JF - Child development

IS - 3

ER -

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

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this