Parental Involvement to Promote the Social-Emotional Well-Being of Asian Immigrant Youth: A Cultural Mismatch of Teachers and Parents’ Perspectives

Abstract

This conceptual paper applies the theory adaptation approach to integrate the literature concerning barriers experienced by Asian immigrant families in parental involvement, with a specific focus on comparative analysis of perspectives from Asian immigrant families and their teachers in the United States. The mismatch in the perceptions of parental involvement held by teachers and Asian immigrant parents supports the refinement and applications of the cultural mismatch theory of inequality. The theory provides a comprehensive understanding of how the misalignment between the prevailing school culture and the cultural background of practices of Asian immigrant families contribute to the barriers of parental involvement experienced by Asian immigrant families. The paper outlines implications for reducing the barriers in the communication and collaboration between schools and Asian immigrant families, improving parental involvement in schools, and promoting the social and emotional well-being of Asian immigrant youth.

Impact Statement

The conceptual paper is one of the first applications of the cultural mismatch theory of inequality in conceptualizing the barriers of parental involvement faced by Asian immigrant youth’s parents and teachers. It provides research and practical implications for school psychologists and other educators on improving their practices to address parental engagement barriers to promote social-emotional well-being of youth in communities of immigrants and other marginalized groups.

Keywords:

• parental involvement
• Asian immigrant families
• cultural mismatch theory
• barriers

ASSOCIATE EDITOR:

• Eui Kyung Kim

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Table 1. Summary of Major Findings of Perceptions and Barriers of Parental Involvement by Asian Immigrant Parents

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Xueqin Lin

Xueqin Lin is a doctoral candidate in School Psychology of the University of California Berkeley. Her research endeavors aim to answer (1) how to establish individual and collective resilience for our educators and students in the face of challenges? (2) how diverse social-cultural and demographic backgrounds contribute to students’ perceptions of their school experiences? (3) how school personnel, educators, and families collaborate in promoting students’ social-emotional development?

Chunyan Yang

Dr. Chunyan Yang is an Associate Professor in School Psy­chology in the Department of Counselling, Higher Education, and Special Education at the University of Maryland, College Park (currently on leave of absence from UC Berkeley). Dr. Yang’s research focuses on examining the roles of school-wide practices, including school-wide social and emotional learning and disciplinary practices, cultural norms, and technology in shaping the risk and resilience trajectories of students and adults in school settings.