Parenting Under Cultural Strain: Acculturation Conflict, Stress, and Social Support Among Asian American Immigrant Families

Background/Purpose

Parenting stress has been identified as a growing public health concern by the U.S. Surgeon General, with first-generation immigrant parents facing heightened challenges due to cultural dissonance and limited culturally responsive support. While acculturation conflict has been examined in relation to youth outcomes, its impact on parents’ psychological well-being is less understood. This study addresses this gap by examining the psychosocial consequences of acculturation conflict on parenting outcomes among Asian American immigrant families, and the buffering role of social support. We hypothesize that acculturation conflict increases parenting stress and dissatisfaction, with parenting efficacy mediating these relationships and social support playing a protective role. Findings aim to inform culturally responsive social work interventions to promote family well-being in immigrant communities.

Methods

Data and Sample

Data were drawn from the Survey of Asian American Families (SAAF), conducted from 2011 to 2014 among first-generation immigrant parents in New York and New Jersey. Participants (N = 669) were recruited using a convenience sampling method, with most being mothers (75.8%). The sample included Chinese (33.5%), Indian (30.9%), Korean (13.3%), Japanese (6.0%), Hong Kong (5.8%), and other Asian backgrounds (10.5%). Nearly half of children were girls (46.5%), and 57.5% of parents had a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Measures

A confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling (SEM) assessed six latent constructs: acculturation conflict (9 items), parenting stress (10), parenting dissatisfaction (5), parenting efficacy (5), social support (12), and acculturation level (4). The model showed acceptable fit: RMSEA = 0.055, CFI = 0.892, TLI = 0.885, SRMR = 0.047.

Results

Acculturation conflict was significantly associated with higher parenting stress (β = 0.23, p < .001) and dissatisfaction (β = 0.44, p < .001). The indirect path through parenting efficacy was not significant (β = 0.004, p = .812). Social support reduced parenting stress (β = −0.25, p < .001) and enhanced efficacy (β = 0.32, p < .001). Parenting stress was the strongest predictor of dissatisfaction (β = 0.89, p < .001), followed by parenting efficacy (β = −0.29, p = .004). Lower parental education and certain ethnic groups (Chinese, Chinese–Hong Kong, Japanese, Korean) reported higher stress and lower efficacy. Japanese parents had the lowest efficacy (β = −1.08, p < .001). No significant effects were found for parent gender, child gender, or age group.

Implications

Findings highlight the impact of acculturation conflict on parenting stress and dissatisfaction. Social support buffered these effects indirectly by reducing stress and enhancing efficacy. Differences by ethnicity and education support disaggregated culturally tailored approaches. This study offers actionable insights for social work practice aimed at improving immigrant family mental health.