Supporting Asian Parents and Children Talking about Race and Racism (ACTRR): A Pilot Ethnic Racial Socialization Intervention Study for Chinese and Vietnamese Families

PI: Judith Scott, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work
Co-PIs: Catherine Vuky, Clinical Supervisor, South Cove Community Health & Assistant Professor, William James College; Yoyo Yau, Chief Program Officer, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center

Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Americans have experienced a significant increase in racism across the U.S., including in Boston. They may experience racism directly and/or are indirectly affected by highly publicized anti-Asian incidents across the U.S. Direct and indirect exposure to racism may increase the risk of mental health issues among Asian individuals including children. Prior research by Judith Scott and Yoyo Yau indicates that Asian elementary aged children may experience racism in schools and in public spaces in the Greater Boston area, but similar research is limited. Also, there is even less information on how anti-Asian racism, especially the recent increase, is affecting the mental health of elementary aged Asian children. Parental engagement in ethnic-racial socialization (ERS), which are the ways in which families transmit information to children about race, ethnicity, cultural heritage, and group social status, may protect young children against negative racism-related mental health effects. With this recent increase in racism, Asian parents are seeking guidance on how to discuss racism with their children. Some may hesitate to talk to their elementary aged children about racism because of the children’s age or they are uncomfortable discussing racism. ERS guidance and support for Asian families is difficult to find because research on Asian families’ ERS engagement in the face of racism is very limited. Furthermore, existing research rarely considers ethnic variation in racist experiences and ERS engagement among Asian families with elementary school aged children.

This project aims to provide important information on racist experiences and ERS among Chinese and Vietnamese immigrant families with elementary school aged children. This data will be used to engage educational systems in the Boston area with the purpose of reducing racism within the institutions and informing supports for these families related to racism. This project will also pilot an ERS intervention to help Chinese and Vietnamese parents prepare their children to cope with racism, increase their children’s cultural pride, and empower their children in the face of racism. The long-term goal of the intervention is to mitigate the effects of anti-Asian racism on children. The pilot data will be used to adapt the intervention for the broader Chinese and Vietnamese communities.

See more of our 2022 Early Stage Urban Research award recipients here!