Changes in familial discussions among East Asian American families during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: We examined the degrees of change in familial discussions about racial issues (i.e., race, ethnicity, racism, and discrimination) due to the surge of anti-Asian discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Background: Asian American family racial–ethnic socialization that teaches the values, information, and perspectives about racial–ethnic group membership and race relations carry great implications for youth development. However, little is known about how anti-Asian sentiments may have contributed to the degrees of change in racial issues. Method: The participants included 143 second-generation East Asian American youth (e.g., Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese) ages 11–18 years (M = 14.96, SD = 1.98). Youth were attending middle (38%) or high (62%) schools in the United States. Results: Latent profile analysis identified four profiles of degrees of change in familial discussions: (a) moderate change in racial discussions about other ethnicities, (b) much change in racial discussions, (c) moderate change in racial discussions about own ethnicities, and (d) little change in racial discussions. Conclusion: Our findings provide a snapshot of the ways East Asian American families' racial discussions are changing, which in turn shape youth's experiences in navigating their social contexts. Implications: The findings provide valuable directions for research and interventions to promote important racial discussion among East Asian American families.