Behaving Well but Unhappy? Differential Determinants of Filipino and Korean American Youth Outcomes

Purpose: Asian American youth exhibit a mixed pattern of development, i.e., less externalizing problems and good grades, but more internalizing problems compared to other groups. To date, only a handful studies have empirically examined this paradox but previous efforts were hampered by aggregating diverse Asian American subgroups, small sample sizes or a dearth of measures that can accurately capture Asian American family process. The study examined a set of internalizing (e.g., depressive symptoms) and externalizing (substance use, antisocial behaviors) problems and academic performance (GPA) as outcomes. We included predictors to encompass (1) universal factors of youth problems (e.g., youth antisocial belief, peer antisocial belief, parent-child conflict), (2) acculturation factors (e.g., heritage and host culture language and identity), and (3) family process that includes both indigenous and conventional elements (e.g., gendered norms, academically oriented control, family obligation, rules and regulations, parent-child bonding). We further examined whether the associations vary by ethnicity.

Methods: This study used data from the Midwest Longitudinal Study of Asian American Families Project that survey-interviewed 410 Korean and 379 Filipino American youth, N = 789, in 2014 (Wave 1, M_AGE=15.01) and followed them in 2016, N=613 (Wave 2). Their parents were interviewed as well but this study used only youth data. The outcome variables include both Wave 1 and Wave 2 data. Three clusters of predictors were regressed as a block first, then added one block at a time in a hierarchical regression analysis. The final model included all three clusters to explain the outcome variables.

Results: As expected, universal factors were extensively predictive of more problems, after accounting for acculturation and family process. English proficiency was a protective factor of GPA and depressive symptoms. In regard to family process, the overall pattern was that parental controls decreased externalizing problems but increased depressive symptoms. Specifically, academically oriented control was associated with lower substance use but higher depressive symptoms. Parental monitoring also was significantly associated with lower antisocial behaviors but higher depressive symptoms. Gendered norms were associated with more depressive symptoms while parent-child bonding was with less depressive symptoms. Family obligation predicted less antisocial behaviors at Wave 1, Wave 2, and at Wave 2 while accounting for Wave 1 outcome, showing a lasting influence. The interaction terms were not statistically significant.  

Conclusions and Implications: The findings of this study provide several important sets of empirical evidence that can meaningfully inform social work practice. First, the results show the importance of universal factors, regardless of one’s background. The study also demonstrates how the similar parenting behaviors can lead to less externalizing problems, but poor mental health. This finding is in particular notable, given the paradoxical pattern of youth behaviors among Asian Americans. The findings also provide how internalizing vs. externalizing problems are determined by different set of predictors and that there are certain cultural aspects (i.e., gendered norms) that parents should consider shedding in the process of cultural adaptation. Family obligation was a powerful factor that showed a longitudinal and robust impact on antisocial behaviors and warrants further examination.