Huang 1

YuHsuanHuang(Christina)
ProfessorCarlisi
ESL033B
13December2016
AsianimmigrantschildrenslifeinUS
MoreandmoreAsianfamilyimmigratestoUnitedStatesaftertheimmigrationlaw
wasabolishedin1965(MoandChen175).Theyhavealsobeenrecognizedasoneof
thefastestgrowingethnicgroupsintheUS(Thompson754).Asthedecisionof
immigratestoUnitedStatesthatmadebyparents,hasalsoaffecttheirchildren.
AlthoughtheimmigrantsparentsimmigratetotheUnitedStates,thewaythey
educatetheirchildrenisstilltraditional.Also,theirskincolorortheirethnicwill
makesthechildrenhaveproblematschool.Therefore,mostofthepressuretoAsian
immigrantschildrensistofacetheirselfidentityproblemamongtheirparentsand
peersfromschool.
FrommanyAsianfamilies,parentswillchoosetogowiththetraditionalwayto
teachtheirchildren.Theywillalwayshaveahighlevelrequirementtoforcetheir
childtolearnandachievetheiracademicqualification.Inaddition,parentsaspiration
willmakestheirchildrencaringheavypressureduringtheireducation.Ontheother
hand,thepeersthattheymeetatschoolwillseparatedintodifferentgroup.According
tothearticle,Home:AFeelingRootedintheHeart,Becauseoftheirdistinctive
phenotype,theyareoftentreatedasforeverforeigner(MoandShen).Phenotypeis
themeaningthatanindividualthataredifferentthanotherandappearclearly.
Therefore,Asianimmigrantchildrenareaphenotypeinschool.Theirskincolorand
theirbirthplacemakesthemappeartheirdifferentinschool.Thisproblemhasmakes
themfeelsnotapartoftheirpeers(becauseoftheirskincolor)butalsoapartofit
(theythinktheyareAmerican).
Differentfamilieswillhavetheirownwaytoeducatetheirchildren.Inaddition,
parentsplayaveryimportantroleinthechildrenseducation.Inspecifically,theway
thattheAsianfamilyhaseducatedtheirchildrenmakesthemturntothinkthatthey
areAsian.Asianparentshadseemedtobemoreproactiveabouttheirchildrens
education.Theydesiretheirchildrentostudyinahighcompetitionschoolsothat
theirchildrenwillneverfallbehindotherstudents.Theywillalsochoosetolivenear
theschoolthathasabetterreputationandtomakesuretheirchildrenhavea

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successfuleducationinschool;consequently,theparentingwayhadalreadyaffected
theirchildrentothinkofbeinganAsian.
Asianparentsalwayshavemoreexpectationsoftheirchildrenandwillingdo
anythingtosupporttheirchildrenseducation.AccordingtoGong,Marchantand
Chengresearch,inFamilyFactorsandImmigrantStudentsAcademic
Achievement,theyexplainedtheimmigrantchildrenthatborninaricherfamilywill
havemoreresourcestosupporttheireducation,butitalsomeansthattheyhave
carriedahigherexpectationthanotherlocalstudenttosuccessthegoal.(Gong,
MarchantandCheng450).Theirparentswillalsoliketoseetheirchildrenachieve
thelevelthattheyhadexpectedandinvested.
Inordertoachievethegoal,Gong,MarchantandChenghavementionedthatmost
oftheAsianparentswouldliketosendtheirchildrentoanafterschoolclasstoobtain
educationaladvantageoverpeer(Gong,MarchantandCheng449).Theparenting
wayofAsianparentshasalsobeenexplainedAsianAmerican,referredasthe
modelminorityinpartbecauseoftheirhigheducationalperformance,showhigher
levelofeducationalattainmentthanotherethnicgroups(Gong,MarchantandCheng
449).Theirhigheducationalperformanceisallbecauseofthewaytheirparent
educatethem.Theyhadalreadybeentaughttolearnharderandstudyhard.Even
thoughthewaytheparentseducatetheirstudentcanbeknownasagoodadvantage,
aninvisiblepressureofselfidentityhadalreadygrowninsidetheirchildrensmind.
BeforetheAsianAmericanchildrenhavenotbeentoschool,theywillthinkthat
theyareAsianbecauseoftheirskincolorandthewaytheirparentstreatthem.After
theygrowupandhasspendmostoftheirtimeinschoolwithpeer,theirselfidentity
starttochanged.TheyfoundoutthemselvesasAsianchildrenthathavebeentaught
inAsiantraditionalwayathomebutanAmericanstudentthatspeakfluentEnglishin
school.AccordingtotheKiang,PetersonandThompsonsanalysis,Adolescence
withastrongsenseofethicidentityhaveindeedreportedpositiveattitudestoward
sameethnicindividuals,andethnicidentityishigherinsameethniccontextsversus
differentethniccontext(Kiang,PetersonandThompson755).Infact,thepeersfrom
schoolhavebecometheonethatinfluencetheirdecisioninmostofthetime.
Studentfromschoolwillalsobeseparatedintodifferentethnicgroupandit
becomesadifferentpressurethatrelatedtotheirselfidentity.Adolescentsmayfeel

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weakertiestotheirethnicheritagegroupandstrongeraffiliationwiththemainstream
culture(Kiang,PetersonandThompson759).Inotherwords,childrenalwaysneed
theirownethnicgroupinordertofitthemselvesinschool.Theyafraidthatifthey
werenotbeingapartofthegroupthentheymightbecomeaninvisiblestudentin
school,whichmakesthemurgenttodefinetheiridentity.ToAsianAmerican
children,becauseofthepeersinfluencedandtheenvironmentinschool,theyhad
alreadythoughtthemselvesasanAmerican.Butbecauseoftheirappearance,they
werehardertoblendintothegroupthattheythinktheyare.BasedonMoandShens
research,Theytrytostayawayfromthenewlyarrivedcoethnicsbecausetheyare
ablatantandglaringreminderofthenegativestereotypeofforeverforeigner(Mo
andShen179).IthasexplainedthatAsianAmericanchildrenmightbediscriminated
becauseofthestereotypeofAsian.Theyweredesiredtobreakawayfromtheirethnic
andstaywiththegrouptheythinktheybelongsto.
Meanwhile,someoftheAsianAmericanchildrenwillstayinagroupwiththe
sameappearance.Theyhadtrysohardtofitintotheschool,butsometimesother
peerscannotaccepttheirappearance.AccordingtoKiang,PetersonandThompsons
analysis,Racialintension,inturn,maydriveyouthtowardsameethnicfriendships
tocope(Kiang,PetersonandThompson755).Theraceandtheappearanceisa
straightforwardwaytofindtheirowngroupbeforetheywerealoneinschool.
However,eithertheychoosetostayinthegroupthattheythinktheyareoraffiliate
intothegroupthatacceptthem,ithasgraduallyforcethechildrentomakeadecision
ofidentitythemselves.Thus,parentsneedtobemoreconcernedabouttheirchildren.
Also,someoftheAsianAmericanadolescenthasbeenignoredandexperiencedto
dividepeopleintodifferentgroup(Kiang,PetersonandThompson758);thatis,base
ontheirexperienceandwhattheyhadbeenthrough,theyhaddistributedthemselves
totheethnicthatpeopleexpectthemtobe.
ParentsandthepeersfromschoolhavealwaysaffectedAsianAmericanchildren.
Thesehavecausedthemconfusingabouttheirselfidentity.Itisapainfulfactthat
theycantidentitythemselves.AccordingtoMoandShensresearch,theyhad
mentionedAsianAmericanchildrenhaveconflictswithparentsorethnic
communitiesbecausetheirAmericavaluesandbeliefsdontalwaysgowiththe
traditionsoftheirancestry(MoandShen174).Theyfeelconfusedofthemselves

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withtwoidentities,butiftheywantedtofitininsociety,theyneedtofacethisreality
bydecidetheirethnic.
ThetwoidentitiescanbedefinedasAsianorAmericantotheimmigrantschildren
inUS.ThepartoftheimmigrantschildrenthatthinktheyareAmericanhasbeen
assimilatedintheUSculturebuttheyhavemoreproblemoffindingthemselvesina
rightplace.Fromthearticles,ThestruggletoBeanAmericanGirl,writtenby
ElizabethWong,hadexpressedthatAtlastIwasoneofyou;Iwasnotoneofthem.
Sadly,Istillam(Wong2).Itisacommonbutseriousproblemthathappenedto
everyimmigrantschildren.Theydesiretobewhattheywant,buttherealityalways
pullsthembacktothinkofwhattheyreallylookslike.Incontrast,theotherpartof
theimmigrantschildrenhasidentitythemselvesasAsian.Culturalinfluencecan,
sometimes,strangelyhibernateindeeplayersofourconsciousnessleavingan
unsettlingfeelingthatmaysomedayresurfacevigorouslyintherightclimate(Mo
andShen180).Theybelievethattheirbirthplaceortheplacetheirparentshas
immigratesfromistheplacetheycalledhome.Inaddition,theyhaveabetter
insistenceoftheirownidentity.
TheAsianimmigrantschildrenhasfacedepressivesymptomsbecauseof
recognizingtheirownidentity.Thispressurehasbecomemoreseriouslyissuethat
parentsneedtobeaware,especiallythechildrenthatborninU.S.Accordingtothe
paper,EthnicIdentity,PerceivedSupport,andDepressiveSymptomsAmongRacial
MinorityImmigrantOriginAdolescents,writtenbyTummalNarrahasemphasized
thesymptomsimmigrantschildrenhasfacethisperiod.Thesecondgeneration(U.S.
born)hasbeenfoundtobeatahigherriskformentalhealthconcerns,suchas
depression,anxiety,substanceabuse,eatingdisorders,andsuicidalideationand
behaviors(TummalaNarra24).Hestudiedadolescentsemotionandalsomeasures
thesymptomsamongdifferentimmigrantschildren.Fromhisresearchandbaseon
histable,U.S.bornstudent(0.73)hasthehighestdepressivesymptomsthanthe
foreignborn(0.68).TheAsianthathavebeeninterviewhastotalof162,theU.Sborn
hasvariantof94people,butForeignbornhasonly69people.Thecommonpartof
themisthattheirthinkingofethnicidentitydidntseemtoodifferent.Thisresearch
hasprovethatAsianAmericanchildrenthatborninU.S.hasmorepressureof
identitythemselvesinschool.

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Inordernottostressoutinschool,tryingtofitinorintegratetheirethnicbecome
theonlywaythattheimmigrantschildrencando.Thestrongerethnicidentityseems
toprotectagainstacculturativestressandisassociatedwithfewermetalhealth
problemsincludingdepressionamongimmigrantyouth(TummalaNarra24).It
mightbehardfortheAsianAmericanstudenttoidentitythemselvesinschool,but
aftertheysettlethemselvesinagrouptheyarewillingtobein,thepressureandthe
worriedwillstarttodecrease.Onthecontrary,Whileethnicidentitycanserveasa
protectivefactorforimmigrantoriginyouth,arelatedbutdistinctconstruct,perceived
socialsupport,ortheabilitytoturntoothersforhelpwhenfacingproblemhasbeen
foundtobecriticaltoadolescentswellbeing.(TummalaNarra25).
TounderstandtheAsianAmericanstudentsmostimportantproblemthattheyare
facingnow,parentseducatingwayandtherelationshipsamongpeershastobeaware
themost.Parentingtheirchildreninthetraditionalwaymighthelpthechildrengeta
greatachievementinacademicbutconfusingthemoftheirselfidentityisanbigissue
thatparentsshouldneedtonoticemore.Also,thepeersfromschoolcanalwaysaffect
thechildrensthoughtandhasmostofthetimeidentifythemselvestofitininwhich
ethnicthattheyreallybelongto.

WorksCited

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Elizabeth,Wong.(1980,September7).TheStruggletoBeanAllAmericanGirl.Los
AngelesTimes
Kiang,Lisa,JamieLeePeterson,andTaylorL.Thompson."EthnicPeerPreferences
AmongAsianAmericanAdolescentsInEmergingImmigrantCommunities."
JournalOfResearchOnAdolescence(WileyBlackwell)21.4(2011):754761.
AcademicSearchPremier.Web.14Nov.2016.
TummalaNarra, Pratyusha. "Ethnic Identity, Perceived Support, And Depressive
SymptomsAmongRacialMinorityImmigrantOriginAdolescents."American
Journal Of Orthopsychiatry (American Psychological Association) 85.1
(2015):2333.AcademicSearchPremier.Web.8Nov.2016.
Weimin,Mo,andShenWenju."Home:AFeelingRootedInTheHeart."Children's
Literature In Education 38.3 (2007): 173185. Academic Search Premier.
Web.7Nov.2016.
Xiaopeng, Gong, Gregory Marchant, and Yinsheng Cheng. "Family Factors and
Immigrant Students' Academic Achievement." Asian Education and
DevelopmentStudies,vol.4,no.4,2015.,pp.448459