UC Irvine

This chapter defines Asian and Latinx immigrant children in the United States and discusses the family structure and cultural values of these two groups as may be pertinent to these children's social and emotional development, and highlights some unique challenges for their social development. Despite the within-group heterogeneity, Asian immigrants share some common traditional cultural values, including a strong focus on connectedness and interdependence among family members, social harmony, filial piety, and obedience to elders that can be reflected in their family system, parent-child relationship, parenting practices, and children's social development. The Covid-19 pandemic posed significant challenges to the social development of US Asian and Latinx children. Children's basic understanding of ethnic identity further develop through interactions with their peers in various social contexts. The chapter concludes with some directions for future studies towards understanding and supporting the diverse experiences and social development of Asian and Latinx immigrant children in the United States.