Summary of Chapter 16
I. Introduction
a. The number of Asian Americans in the U.S. stands at approximately 10,171,820
b. It is a very heterogeneous group (e.g. East, South, Southeast)
c. Many Asian Americans speak another language
d. Asian Americans differ with respect to acculturation and immigration status
II. Asian Americans: A Success Story?
a. Of those over the age of 25, 44% of Asian/Pacific Islanders had at least a
bachelor’s degree versus 24% by their White counterparts
b. The median income of Asian American families was $59,300 versus $50,000 for
the U.S. population
c. However, in terms of economics, references to the higher median income of Asian
Americans do not take into account:
i. the higher percentage of Asian American families having more than one
wage earner
ii. a higher prevalence of poverty despite the higher median income (14% vs.
8% for the U.S. population)
iii. the discrepancy between education and income. For example, high rates of
poverty exist among Hmong, Guamanian, Indonesian, and Cambodian
populations in the United States (Iwasaki, 2006)
d. In the area of education, Asian Americans show a disparate picture of
extraordinary high educational attainment and a large undereducated mass (e.g.
Hmong, Laotians)
e. Chinatowns, Manilatowns, and Japantowns represent ghetto areas with prevalent
unemployment, poverty, health problems, and delinquency
f. Asian Americans underutilize mental health services (potentially because of
shame, mistrust, etc.).
g. Asian Americans have been exposed to discrimination and racism throughout
history and continue to face anti-Asian sentiments
III. Collectivistic Orientation
a. Instead of promoting individual needs and personal identity, Asian families tend
to have a family and group orientation
b. Children are expected to strive for family goals and not to engage in behaviors
that would bring dishonor to the family
c. Asian American parents tend to show little interest in a child’s viewpoint
regarding family matters
d. Because of a possible collectivistic orientation, it is important to consider the
family and community context during assessment and problem definition
e. Do not automatically consider interdependence as a sign of enmeshment
f. To assess the degree of collectivism and acculturation, one might ask a client
about how important family is in his/her decision making
IV. Hierarchical Relationships
a. Traditional Asian American families tend to be hierarchical and patriarchal in
structure, with males and older individuals occupying a higher status
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
b. Communication flows down from the parent to the child, who is expected to defer
to the adults
c. Sons are expected to carry on the family name and tradition (even when married,
their primary allegiance is to the parents)
d. However, between group differences do exist
e. It is important to determine whether the client’s family is egalitarian or
hierarchical in structure
Parenting Styles
a. Asian American students report a somewhat higher level of physical and
emotional punishment from their parents than did their Euro-American
counterparts
b. Also, parenting styles tend to be authoritarian and directive
c. Egalitarian or Western-style parent effectiveness training strategies may run
counter to traditional rearing patterns
d. Traditional Asian American families may feel that their parenting skills are being
criticized when exposed to Western techniques or styles
Emotionality
a. Strong emotional displays, especially in public, are considered to be signs of
immaturity or a lack of control.
b. In many Asian families, there is generally less open display of emotions
c. Shame and guilt are used to control and train the children
d. Counseling microskills that focus directly on emotions may be uncomfortable and
produce shame for traditional Asian Americans
e. Emotional behavior can be recognized in a more indirect manner
Holistic View on Mind and Body
a. Because the mind and body are considered inseparable, Asian Americans may
present emotional difficulties through somatic complaints
b. Physical complaints are a common and culturally accepted means of expressing
psychological and emotional stress
c. Develop a counseling approach that legitimizes the physical complaints but
allows an indirect way to assess psychosocial factors
Academic and Occupational Goals
a. As a group, Asian Americans perform better academically than do their EuroAmerican counterparts
b. They also have more fear of academic failure compared to their Euro-American
peers
c. Asian American adolescents report feeling isolated, depressed, and anxious and
reported little praise for the accomplishments from their parents
d. Parents often have specific career goals in mind for their children
e. Discuss the conflict between academic goals defined by the parents and individual
desires
Racism and Prejudice
a. Asian Americans continue to face issues of racism and discrimination
b. This group reports significantly more workplace discrimination than do their
Caucasian
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
XIV.
c. One must assess the effects of possible environmental factors such as racism on
mental health issues in Asian Americans
d. Intervention may have to occur at a systems level, and the therapist may have to
be an advocate for the client
Acculturation Conflicts between Parents and Children
a. Children with Asian parents encounter a unique challenge because they must deal
with cultural differences
b. Children are raised with two conflicting viewpoints—an American culture that
calls for active parental involvement, and a home life that demands individual and
community responsibility
c. To prevent interpersonal exchanges between parents and their children, the
problem should be reframed or conceptualized as acculturation conflicts
Identity Issues
a. Individuals undergoing acculturation conflicts may respond in the following
manner:
i. Assimilation--seeks to become part of the dominant society to the
exclusion of his or her own cultural group
ii. Separation--identifies exclusively with the Asian culture
iii. Integration/biculturalism--retains many Asian values but adapts to the
dominant culture by learning necessary skills and values
iv. Marginalization--perceives one’s own culture as negative but is unable to
adapt to majority culture
b. Assessing the ethnic identity of clients is important because it can impact problem
definition and the choice of techniques used in therapy
Expectations of Counseling
a. Explain the nature of the counseling and therapy process and the necessity of
obtaining information
b. Describe the client’s role
c. Indicate that the problems may be individual, relational, environmental, or a
combination of these and that you will perform an assessment of each of these
areas
d. Introduce the concept of co-construction—that the problem and solutions are
developed with the help of the client and the counselor
e. Asian clients expect the counselor to take an active role in structuring the session
and guidelines on the types of responses that they will be expected to make.
Family Therapy
a. Assess the structure of the Asian American family--is it hierarchical or more
egalitarian
b. Focus on the positive aspects of the family and reframe conflicts to reduce
confrontation
c. Expand systems theory to include societal factors such as prejudice,
discrimination
d. Function as a culture-broker in helping the family negotiate conflicts with the
larger society
Guidelines for Clinical Practice
a. Be aware of cultural differences between the therapist and the client as regarding
counseling, appropriate goals, and process
b. Build rapport by discussing confidentiality and explaining the client role and the
need to co-construct the problem definition and solutions
c. Assess not just from an individual perspective but include family, community,
and societal influences on the problem
d. Conduct a positive assets search
e. Consider or reframe the problem when possible as one in which issues of culture
conflict or acculturation are involved
f. Determine whether somatic complaints are involved and assess their influence on
mood and relationships
g. Take an active role but allow Asian Americans to choose and evaluate suggested
interventions
h. Use problem-focused, time-limited approaches that have been modified to
incorporate possible cultural factors
i. With family therapy, the therapist should be aware that western based theories
and techniques may not be appropriate for Asian families--focus on positive
aspects of parenting such as modeling and teaching and use a solution-focused
model
j. In couples counseling, assess for societal or acculturation conflicts
k. With Asian children and adolescents, common problems involve acculturation
conflicts with parents, feeling guilty or stressful over academic performance,
negative self-image or identity issues, and struggle between interdependence and
independence
l. Among recent immigrants or refugees, assess for living situation, culture conflict
and social or financial condition
m. Consider the need to act as an advocate or engage in systems-level intervention in
cases of institutional racism or discrimination