ABSTRACT
Historically and culturally, Chinese parents and their parenting styles have had a great impact on their children’s educational values and academic performance (Chen & Lan, 1998). Often, Asian American students have been labeled as the “model minority” because of their higher academic achievements over other groups (Cooc & Gee, 2014; Zhao & Qiu, 2009). In the past, Chinese parents’ parenting styles have differed greatly from mainstream American parents in several ways (Gorman, 1998). First, Chinese mothers encourage their children to focus on interpersonal relationships with others rather than their own individual traits and talents (Hsu in Gorman, 1998). Second, Chinese parents maintain the expectation of parental respect and obedience. Third, many Chinese parents stress education as the path to social mobility (Chao in Gorman, 1998). Fourth, Chinese parents “emphasize psychological discipline” (Fivush & Wang, 2005, p. 490). Under such parenting styles, Chinese students, including Chinese Americans, are more willing to accept their parents’ advice and fulfill parents’ academic expectations, compared to other ethnic groups in the United States (Chen & Lan, 1998). However, does this mean that Chinese American families never experience any parent–child conflict and are always portrayed with harmony? How do Chinese parents guide their children today? Parenting styles and family dynamics regarding parenting need to be explored and examined as one of the vital factors in Chinese American students’ academic performance. In this chapter, we will examine the parenting styles of second-generation Chinese Americans’ parents based on a case study of five Chinese professional middle-class families in the United States. This case study will illuminate the similarities and differences of the parenting styles among these parents, which may help educators to develop a deeper understanding of this ethnic socioeconomic group.
