Depth in Cultural Socialization in Families with Children Adopted from China

• Published date: 01 March 2019
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12355
• Date: 01 March 2019
• Author: Ellen E. Pinderhughes,Xian Zhang

Depth in Cultural Socialization in Families with

Children Adopted from China

XIAN ZHANG*

ELLEN E. PINDERHUGHES*

Parents raising children adopted from a different racial/ethnic group usually engage in

cultural socialization—providing activities in adoptees’ birth culture—hoping to instill

pride and help adoptees develop a positive identity. Adoptive parents engage in a wide vari-

ety of socialization activities, yet adult adoptees have reported not having deep enough

exposure from their parents. The present study explored the depth of cultural socialization

in transracial adoptive families. Informed by Pinderhughes’ Ethnic-Racial Socialization

model, this study developed a continuum examining the depth in cultural socialization

with three indicators: (1) the depth of cultural activities, (2) parents’ motivation for cul-

tural socialization, and (3) parental cultural attitudes. Qualitative analyses of 41 White

parents raising children adopted from China found that parents’ motivation and acknowl-

edgement of cultural differences reflected deep appreciation of adoptees’ birt h culture, how-

ever, activities they provided were not as deep. Activities that facilitated close relationships

with people who shared adoptees’ background in a natural context appeared to provide the

deepest cultural connection. Despite limitations, the study demonstrated that the depth

continuum was able to capture variations and nuances in cultural socialization. Sugges -

tions for future research and recommendation for practice were also included.

Keywords: Transracial Adoption; Cultural Socialization; Culture Keeping; Cultural

Tourism

Fam Proc 58:114–128, 2019

The United States is the largest receiving country of international adoptions, and

China has been the top sending country since 1995 (US Department of State, 2015).

Parents who adopt from China are usually White middle and upper-middle income Ameri-

cans. These adoptive families will be referred to in this paper as transracial adoptive

(TRA) families.

1

Like all families, transracial adoptive parents face the task of helping their children

develop a healthy identity. Ethnic-racial socialization refers to the mechanisms through

which parents transmit information, values, and perspectives about ethnicity and race to

their children (Hughes et al., 2006). Ethnic-racial socialization comprises cultural social-

ization (CS)—fostering cultural pride and skills that enable children to function in a

*Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development, Tufts University, Medford, MA.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Ellen Pinderhughes, Eliot-Pearson

Department of Child Study and Human Development, Tufts University, 105 College Ave, Medford, MA

02155. E-mail: ellen.pinderhughes@tufts.edu.

Funded by William T. Grant Foundation Faculty Scholar Award & Tufts University.

1

Adoption by White parents of children of a different race from another country is sometimes referred to

as intercountry-, transnational-, transracial-, transethnic-, or transcultural-adoption (e.g., Dorow, 2006;

Hollingsworth, 1997; Huh & Reid, 2000; Kim, 1978). In this paper, we use the term transracial adoption.

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Family Process, Vol. 58, No. 1, 2019 ©2018 Family Process Institute

doi: 10.1111/famp.12355