Research on Chinese Americans Compared to Americans

Cara Grenham

Research Methods

Finale Exam

Why do Chinese and Asian American Students achieve better in Academics than Caucasian Americans. Is it because their schooling is different or how they are raised. Many studies have indicated that Asian American parents endorse a more authoritarian style and Asians do well with the academically parent style ( Lamborn, Mounts, Steingberg and Dornbusch 1991). The Asian Americans teaches their children to act in a socially appropriate behavior. They say their culture is what helps their parenting and they can be broken down into three variables, Ethnic identity, Self construal and Acculturation (Barry and Garner 2001). Ethnic identity is family values and interpersonal relations. Self-construal is what makes a distinction between individuals and working with groups. Acculturation is when one comes first hand when dealing with other cultural groups. In Asia the Asian's are very quiet about their lives and would never talk back to their parents, even if their parents insulted them. They are very into their native language and would never disobey their parents. The Asians would want their children to feel guilty when they do badly in school or if they do anything bad in general. They handle it in a private family matter and it cannot be talked about outside their home. The reason why they are like this is because they care a lot what other people think. The most important thing for the Asian and Chinese American culture is for their children to succeed in school and live their lives only worrying about how to succeed and become above average in their academics. Compared to Caucasian American they do want their children to succeed in school but they are more focused on work and making money. This topic is interested to me because I am interested in why the Asian American Culture and Chinese culture achieve so well in their academics compared to the United States. Maybe we could benefit from learning how they are parents raise them as well how they are educated.

There is a difference between Asian and Chinese American compared to Caucasian Americans and their achievement. Parenting techniques play a huge part in how their children succeed so well in academics. According to Baumrind she classifies parenting in three different styles, Authoritative, permissive and authoritarian. Authoritative parenting is above and beyond, has high standard. For example, the parents are willing to listen to their children and are more responsive. They want their children to be assertive and cooperate. Authoritarian parents tend to get standards, and shape, control and evaluate the attitudes of children. For example, the parents are very strict if they said something it has to be done right away. Most responses from the parents are" Because I said so". They set orders and expect their orders to be obeyed with explanation. Permissive parents are not as strict; they make fewer demands and allow their children to regulate themselves as much as possible. For example, they are very loving and nurturing. They communicate with their children and often take the status of a friend rather than a parent. Cultural values are the core conceptions of what is desirable within the individual and the larger society of a given group of peoples (Gollnick & Chinn, 1990); they are a major factor in contributing to a sense of identity and characteristic ways of perceiving, thinking, feeling, and behaving. An often-cited cultural value for North Americans, for example, is the importance of individualism, while in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific, the collective is more important than the individual (Triandis, Brislin, & Hui, 1988).

Research shows that the authoritarian parenting style is endorsed more by Chinese or Asian Americans than Americans. ( Chao, 1994,2000: Dornbusch, 1987, Steinberg, and Brown 1992) The cross cultural study done by ( Leung et.), showed that the academic achievement was higher in Chinese than in U.S. Adolescents who get higher grades in school were more self-reliant and had less depression. A study done by ( Dornbush et. al. 1087) showed that Asian Americans scored higher on authoritarian style and also scored highest on academics. Steinberg believing that it is not so much the parenting styles it is the Asian American students that have a strong belief in education and succeeding in life. He also found that the Asian groups reported the highest level of peer support for academics. Chinese mothers set high expectations for their children starting when they are very young age. They were also very involved in their child's schooling.

Studies also showed that parenting styles and what one child is based around can affect their schooling (Chan 1978). Chinese parenting is based on more controlling and to succeed where as Americans is more nurturing styles. Americans parents that have so much control over their children and their decision making, in time may lead you the child not wanting anything to do with their parents and push them away. But for Asian American's it can be piety. Chinese American children struggle and tend not to feel loved from their parents because they are distant and very to the point. Chinese parenting is very strict. They have a set of rules and follow them day in and out. A study took place in Chinese and it was testing the effects of two kinds of parenting. One was dominating and the other was all about coordination and order in the family. The study found that greater organization was associated with less cohesion and more conflict. Chinese parents scored high on control.( Lou and Cheung) Chinese parents are also stricter than Caucasian American parents. ( Chao and Sue 1996) explored the Chinese American culture and saw that the Chinese and how they parent is very different from other groups. Chinese have great control over their children but it is good control. They focus their control on their schooling and how important it is to succeed. Success is defined as getting good grades and having a amazing future in their minds and making sure they will do well for themselves when on their own. Chinese parenting is very different from the Americans. It is more demanding, and it they have control of what their