Cultural orientation, parental nurturance, and parent-child conflict among Asian American parents in New York City

Although a growing number of studies in recent years have examined the cultural values and practices as well as family relationships of Asian Americans, few have focused on Asian Americans in the East Coast, the most populous and fastest growing place of Asian Americans in the U.S. Using data from the Study of Asian American Families with a sample of 572 Asian American parents from 11 ethnic subgroups in New York City, this study examined whether parents' cultural orientations (e.g., cultural values and practices on family priority and parental authority) were associated with parental nurturance (e.g., attitudes and behaviors related to warmth, affection, and support toward their children) and conflict with their children. The results showed that parents who endorsed and engaged more toward their own cultural values and practices tended to have less parental nurturance and more conflicts with their children. These associations varied across the ethnic subgroups of Asian American parents. The mediation analyses found that parental nurturance played a significant buffering role in helping parents who adhered strongly to their own cultural values and practices reduce the conflicts with their children. The findings provide implications for culturally sensitive services and interventions, including helping Asian American immigrant parents increase intercultural interactions and parenting skills.