Korean American Parents' Socialization Beliefs and Practices Around Children's Experiences of Racism

Background and Purpose. The US has a long and ongoing history of anti-Asian racism. Since the onset of COVID-19, anti-Asian hate crimes have increased. Yet research is limited on how parents socialize their children to respond to anti-Asian racism. This study’s objective was to examine how Korean American parents socialize their children around experiences of racism. I approached my dissertation research sensitized by research on ethnic racial socialization (ERS), Critical Race Perspective, and Asian Critical Perspective. My primary research questions were, 1. How do these Korean American children describe any personal experiences of racism? 2. What are these Korean American parents’ ethnic racial socialization beliefs? In particular, how are these Korean American parents’ beliefs and practices shaped by Christianity? 3. How do these Korean American parents and children co-construct an understanding of anti-Asian racism?

Methods. My dissertation uses an emergent, embedded, case study design. I used purposive snowball sampling. Participants were 10 families totaling 19 first, 1.5, and second generation parents and 16 children between the ages of 5 and 11. Given the emergence of Christian beliefs and practices in guiding parents’ socialization, 3 pastors from Korean American Christian churches also participated. I conducted cross-case, inductive analysis. I induced and refined emic codes as I read each case. Various methods of establishing trustworthiness were used.

Results. Children were frustrated, saddened, and angry at discriminatory experiences. Perpetrators were in all cases peers. Children further seemed frustrated with the absence of supportive adult responses. Parents expressed the beliefs that parents can interpret racism for children through a faith-based lens; teach their children specific behavioral responses; proactively monitor and support children; and trust in children’s judgement. Children, however, responded in various ways, sometimes accepting parents’ explicit teachings, and sometimes resisting them. During these latter, co-constructed themes, the understandings of both parents and children shifted. There also were negative cases; parents from two families refused to participate in the parent-child interaction task. I then provided a case study of the Jeong family because they provided rich data of Korean immigrant ethnic-racial socialization practices and beliefs. Finally, the pastors elaborated on Christian themes particularly resonate with Korean immigrants.

Conclusions and Implications. Limitations: the data did not reach saturation; contact with each family was relatively limited; I did not conduct systematic observations of children at school or during their interactions with peers; and more time was needed for me to build rapport with the children. Implications: First, future research should examine the role of faith in ethnic-racial socialization, especially in how Christianity is elaborated and understood in the context of the Korean immigrant experience. Further, when dealing with racial discrimination against Korean children in schools, social workers and educators must remember that some Koreans may avoid talking about racism including with their children. Another implication for professional practitioners is that immigrant Korean parents who have not experienced the US school system might need assistance in supporting children. Finally, policy makers may mandate interventions through curriculum development about anti-Asian racism.