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Asian Immigrant Parents' Language Use and Perceptions of Parent-Child Relationship Quality
Cindy J Huang1, Kailee Kodama Muscente2, Nolan Zane3
1Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Family Process
|February 18, 2026
Summary
Parental language use impacts Asian immigrant families. English-speaking parents reported more parent-child conflict than heritage language or bilingual speakers, highlighting language
Area of Science:
- Sociolinguistics
- Family Studies
- Immigrant Psychology
Background:
- Traditional research on Asian immigrant families emphasizes acculturation's role in parent-child relationships.
- Emerging evidence suggests language use, including heritage language (HL) and English, is critical in parent-child communication.
- Understanding the interplay of language and relationship quality is vital for this demographic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the association between parental language use and perceived parent-child relationship quality in Asian immigrant families.
- To investigate differences in parent-child conflict and positive relationships based on parents' primary language.
- To examine language as a factor influencing family dynamics beyond acculturation.
Main Methods:
- Exploratory study involving 90 Asian immigrant parents of early adolescents (ages 9-13).
- MANCOVA analysis was employed to assess associations between parent language use and relationship quality.
- Sociodemographic factors of parents and children were controlled for in the analysis.
Main Results:
- Parental language use was significantly associated with parent-child conflict (p=0.021).
- English-speaking parents reported higher conflict levels compared to heritage language (HL)-speaking and bilingual parents.
- No significant association was found between parental language use and perceived positive relationships.
Conclusions:
- Parental language use is a significant factor in shaping parent-child conflict within Asian immigrant families.
- Language dynamics, specifically English use, may contribute to increased conflict, independent of acculturation.
- Future research and interventions should consider language use to enhance parent-child relationships in immigrant families.
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