“Race was something we didn't talk about”: Racial Socialization in Asian American Families

• Published in: Family relations 2021-10, Vol.70 (4), p.1027-1039
• Main Authors: Young, Jennifer L., Kim, HaeDong, Golojuch, Laura
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: African Americans; Asian American families; Asian Americans; Community Relations; Cultural Background; Cultural heritage; Developmental Stages; Discrimination; Ethnicity; Families & family life; Family Relationship; Identity formation; intergenerational communication; Korean Americans; Minority groups; Parents; Police; Qualitative research; Race; Race relations; Racial Bias; Racial Identification; Racial identity; Racial Relations; Racial socialization; Racism; Self Actualization; Semi Structured Interviews; Socialization; Systems Approach; Young adults
• ISSN: 0197-6664; 1741-3729; 0197-6664
• DOI: 10.1111/fare.12495

Objective Our goal was to explore racial socialization practices in Asian American families during a time of heightened racial tension. Background Asian Americans hold a complex racial position in the United States, made even more complicated by an increase in public protests regarding socioracial injustices in the United States experienced by racial minority groups. Discussions about race and ethnicity occur within Asian American families but often focus on cultural heritage rather than awareness of discrimination and the historical roots of racism. Method Our study used an inductive–deductive thematic analysis to collect data from 12 Asian American young adults. Semistructured interviews queried participants' experiences with racial socialization in their nuclear families and their own racial identity. Findings Qualitative analysis revealed the following themes: (a) Participants received limited messages regarding racial issues, (b) participants engaged in “bottom‐up” racial socialization and taught their parents about race, and (c) participants felt left out of society's racial dialogue. Conclusion During this time of heightened racial tension, Asian American young adults struggle to find their place, despite wanting to participate in community building. Implications Without strong Asian American racial socialization practices in families, young adults must educate themselves and initiate racial meaning‐making in their families.