Shared Language Erosion Among Chinese Immigrant Families

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Project Summary/Abstract Accusations regarding the origins of COVID-19 and ongoing anti-China rhetoric have provoked increases in mental health problems (MHPs) such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among Chinese American immigrant (CAI) families. Yet, little is known about how CAI families cope with discrimination. Additionally, there is a well-documented increase in the prevalence of MHPs from the 1st to the 2nd and 3rd generations of CAIs. However, little is known about what might be driving this increase. A growing literature shows that upon entering school, immigrant children in general, and Chinese-heritage children in particular, quickly acquire proficiency in English while exhibiting significant declines in their heritage language (HL). Over the same time period, their parents show only modest gains in their English proficiency. The combination of child HL loss and low parental EL acquisition creates a situation in which immigrant children and their parents increasingly do not speak the same language, which we call shared language erosion (SLE). This dynamic creates a growing barrier for Chinese parents and their children to communicate effectively. When communication falters, misunderstandings, frustrations, conflict, and feelings of rejection grow, causing disharmony in the family. Parental competencies that normally would buffer against environmental risks become increasingly ineffective leaving youth vulnerable to the negative impact of discrimination and stress. This may help explain why 2nd and 3rd generation Chinese immigrants are 2~3 times more likely to develop a mental illness and/or attempt suicide relative to their 1st generation counterparts. Because language is the mechanism through which meaning, identity, and relationships evolve and are strengthened, SLE may also impede the development of other protective factors against MHPs such as ethnic identity, engagement with extended kin, and a sense of belonging to an ethnic community. However, these mediated paths from SLE to youth MHPs have not been tested. To assess these linkages the current study aims to: 1) Examine the extent to which the association between SLE and Chinese American immigrant youth's MHPs is mediated by parental efficacy (e.g., monitoring, low conflict, closeness), and whether this path is moderated by youth gender; 2) Examine whether the path from perceived discrimination to MHPs through youth stress is moderated by SLE among CAI youth. We hypothesize that SLE will be positively associated with MHPs, that this association will be mediated by parental efficacy, and will be stronger for females. We also hypothesize that high SLE will exacerbate the negative effects of discrimination on youth MHPs by increasing the indirect effect through youth stress. To accomplish these aims we will sample 167 Chinese immigrant parents (1st generation) whose preferred language is Mandarin and their 1st or 2nd generation youth children (ages 12-17; N=167 parent-child dyads) who have resided in the US for 6 or more years.