" Association between Parenting Goals and Parenting Practices among Chinese Immigrants”

Culture plays a significant role in shaping parental values regarding desirable and undesirable long-term socialization goals and child behaviors, as well as optimal parenting practices. However, there is limited research on Chinese American parents’ long-term parenting goals for their children’s development and their parenting practices. Thus, the present study aims to examine: (1) the major themes and the content of the long-term parenting goals for their preschool children reported by immigrant Chinese mothers, (2) mothers’ endorsement of Chinese indigenous parenting practices, (3) and the associations between the parenting goals and parenting practices of these mothers. Seventy immigrant Chinese mothers will be interviewed regarding their long-term socialization goals and asked to complete questionnaires about their parenting practices. The findings from this study will enhance our understanding of how these mothers achieve their long-term socialization goals for their children in the U.S. and contribute to our promotion of the successful development of these families.

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• People always respond to the entire context of a communication, not just to the words it contains.

• Criticism reveals and reflects upon the critic.

• In-the-moment negative emotions such as guilt or fear can be extremely useful in illuminating a situation. They can provide clues about the motives, understandings, insecurities and emotional states of other people, especially those whose behavior is sparking the negative emotions. They can deepen self-understanding. The trick is to learn to read the emotions without either suppressing or being overwhelmed by them.

• Sometimes the hardest thing in the world to see is what is right in front of you.

• People sometimes view choices you make for yourself, but which they would not (or did not) make for themselves, as judgments against them. This is all the more true if the path you choose is one which, at some level, they regret not having chosen. It is easy to be confused by their resulting hostile reactions, but it would be a mistake to be deterred by them.

• Every new insight subtly alters your knowledge and perspective about everything you thought you already knew. Each new experience subtly alters your perspective on every aspect of your past.

• You aren’t really from somewhere until you go somewhere else.

• Changing the world for the better does not mean seeking a stable point beyond which the world stops changing. People need to be involved in ongoing, challenging, cooperative work to advance the common good. An essential aspect of being human is confronting and contributing to the mitigation of life’s imperfections.

• Love involves giving and receiving permission to be who you truly are.

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• Knowledge derived from breaking things or processes down into their smallest component parts is incomplete. It excludes the broadest patterns, most subtle and profound connections and deepest meanings.

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• True teaching transforms the teacher. True leadership transforms the leader. True love transforms the lover. True life is transformation.