The Influence of Immigration on Parental Behavior and Adolescent Distress in Chinese Families Residing in Two Western Nations

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Abstract
Two binational, cross-sectional studies investigated how immigration influences parental behaviors, adolescent distress, and the relationship between these two variables. Chinese adolescents from first- and second-generation immigrant families in the U.S., together with non-immigrant peers from the host culture (Euro-American) and the culture of origin (Hong Kong) rated parental warmth, control, and involvement, as well as their own emotional distress and psychosomatic symptoms. A second study compared first- and second-generation Chinese Australians, Anglo-Australians, and the same group of Hong Kong Chinese. Results indicated that the experience of immigration influenced perceptions of parental control and involvement but not warmth. Moreover, non-immigrant youth reported at least as many emotional and physical symptoms as immigrant youth. There were no differences between immigrant and non-immigrant groups in the relationships between parental behaviors and adolescent distress. These findings are inter...