UCLA

Examining racial-ethnic socialization (RES) during middle childhood and early adolescence (ages 6-12) is critical because, during this period, Asian American children are developing a sense of racial-ethnic identity (REI) and awareness of racial bias. This dissertation includes two studies that qualitatively examined children’s REI development and awareness of racial bias, and how Asian American parents’ RES efforts informed these developmental processes. Both studies draw from a diverse sample of 68 Asian American parents (Mage = 43.4 years, SD = 5.0, age range = 28-56) and 68 Asian American children (Mage = 8.9 years, SD = 1.9) who completed parent and child interviews. Data were analyzed using a thematic coding process.Study 1 examined how Asian American parents’ beliefs and motivations informed the way they engaged in conversations about race and racism with their children. Two-thirds of parents shared that they had engaged in conversations about race and racism, using approaches like preparation for bias, proactive racial socialization, and collective racial socialization. A third of parents shared that they were waiting to talk about race and racism with their children because they wanted to shield their children from knowing about racism or wanted to de-emphasize racism to protect their children’s well-being. Qualitative differences in approaches by generational status and family racial-ethnic make-up (i.e., monoracial, multiracial) are discussed. Study 2 focused on Asian American children’s developing REI and awareness of racial bias, and how parental RES supported these developmental processes. Children were making sense of their REI through both tangible and social meanings, and many were aware of racial bias. Parents’ RES approaches were reflective of their children’s proximal contexts and macro-level events. Concordance was common among children’s REI meaning-making and parents’ cultural socialization practices, and examples of concordance and discordance between children’s awareness of racial bias and parents’ racial socialization practices were evident. The two studies highlight the diversity of beliefs and motivations that inform Asian American parental RES approaches, and the importance of parental RES to inform children’s developing REI and understanding of racial bias during middle childhood and early adolescence. Implications for policymakers, schools, and practitioners are discussed.