Asian American Families Similarities and Differences Among Asians American Family Groups

Asian American Families Similarities and Differences Among Asian American Family Groups James L. Primus SWK 820-01 Dr. Rowena G. Wilson September 14, 2010 Similarities Among Asian Family Groups Similarities among the Chinese American Families, Japanese American Families, Vietnamese American Families, Korean American Families and Indo-American Families is basically traditional/patriarchal in that women and children are taught to have respect for their elders and are raised in home were strict discipline is carried out by the father. The traditional role of the mother is to provide nutrients and support. The father’s role is to discipline. ” (McGoldrick, Giordano and Pearce 1996, p. 231). “Asian American Families are traditional in structure and hold onto rituals and customs. ” (McGoldrick,). “Family structure varies greatly among Asian American families; many are still strongly influenced by the male-dominated patriarchal Asian family traditions. ” (Hildebrand, Phenice, Gray, and Hines 2008, p. 115). The majority of Asian families has suffered some kind of trauma related to war.

This is one similarity that Asian families are burden with resulting in massive migration of the populace. “Most Asians countries have suffered years of war and political turmoil, the stress of which compounds the migration strain that all immigrants experience. Many immigrants and refugees experienced unwilling separations and exposure to trauma, both in the home country and in search the search for sanctuary . ” (McGoldrick et al p. 235). Asians families have a low divorce rate this can be attributed to, “the valuing of family over the individual - is credited for the rarity of divorce. (Taylor, 2002). The Asian American family has close parental control over their children, resulting in low crime. Pg. 1. Differences Among Asian American Families Asian American groups differ in terms of migration history, population, language, religion, education level, occupation, income, degree of acculturation, preferred residential location, political involvement, and so forth. (McGoldrick et al). According to the 1990 U. S. Census, the six largest Asian American groups are Chinese (23% of the Asian American populations), Pilipino (19%), Japanese (12%), Asian Indian (11%), and Vietnamese (9%).

Groups with less than 2% include Thai and Hmong. (McGoldrick). Among Asian American groups, there are at least 32 different primary languages spoken. Within each group (such as Chinese and Pilipino), there are some-times many dialects. Proficiency and the command of English vary greatly among the different groups. While American-born Asians speak English fluently with no accent, the majority of foreign-born Asians struggle with the English language and continue to speak their primary language at home. McGoldrick, 1996, p. 229). “As compared to the overall American population, several Asian American groups stand out in their college-graduation rates and postgraduate training, for instance, Asian Indians, Chinese, and Japanese. On the other hand, only 27% of Laotians and 38% of Cambodians are high school graduates. ” (McGoldrick, 1996, p. 229). “Although data suggest that Asian Americans as a groups have the highest average family in the United states, Southeast Asians are among the poorest.

Those living below the poverty level include 66% of Laotians, 49% of Cambodians, and 34% of Vietnamese. ” (McGoldrick. 1996, p. 229). Pg. 2. References Hildebrand, V. , Phenice, L. A. , Gray, M. M. and Hines, R. P. (2008). Knowing and Serving Diverse Families (Third Edition). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. McGoldrick, M. (1996). Ethnicity & Family Therapy (Second Edition). New York: The Guilford Press. Taylor, R. L. (2002). Minority Families in The United States A Multicultural Perspective. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Pg. 3. Asian American Family

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