The Interplay of Cultural Orientation and Discrimination in Asian American Parents’ Racial-Ethnic Socialization

This study examined the moderating effect of Asian American (AA) parents’ experiences of racial discrimination on the relationship between parents’ cultural orientation (e.g., acculturation, enculturation) and domains of racial-ethnic socialization (RES). The sample included 159 AA parents (M_age = 40.97, range = 25–53 years). Significant interactions were found between cultural orientations and racial discrimination, predicting awareness of discrimination messages–parents less acculturated to the mainstream American culture showed stronger relationships between racial discrimination and teaching about discrimination (-1 SD: β = 0.81, p <.001). Similarly, parents more connected to their heritage culture demonstrated stronger associations between experiences of racial discrimination and messages about awareness of discrimination (+1 SD: β = 0.87, p <.001). Cultural orientation influenced all domains of racial-ethnic socialization except messages of minimization of race, while racial discrimination specifically influenced messages about discrimination awareness and outgroup avoidance. These findings suggest cultural orientation and discrimination experiences distinctly shape AA parents’ RES approaches.