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Knowledge of the special education process has been found to enhance parental involvement with collateral effects of positive school outcomes for students with disabilities. Although research on immigrant families with children with disabilities has increased in recent years, there is limited research specific to Southeast Asian American (SEAA) families, and that of Cambodian American families, in particular. In this study authors examined the perspectives and knowledge of Cambodian American parents regarding disabilities, special education services and supports provided to their children with disabilities, and the extent to which these perspectives and their knowledge impacted their level of engagement in their children’s education and schools. Eleven Khmer-speaking Cambodian American parents participated in semi-structured Interviews and data were analysed using interpretive thematic analysis. Three themes emerged that included (1) divergent perspectives on meaning and cause of disability, (2) access to community and social supports, and (3) challenges associated with language and cultural differences. Authors discuss several implications related to research and practice.

Aims and objectives: The existing literature indicates that shared book reading is associated with benefits in children’s home language development. Parents play a significant role in shaping children’s language outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relations among the quality of parents’ shared book reading, children’s language output, receptive vocabulary, and expressive vocabulary outcomes in the home language of dual language learners (DLLs) to inform book reading practices that can support DLLs’ early home language development. Methodology: 36 Mexican American (43–67 months) and 31 Chinese American (38–70 months) DLLs and their mothers, who were home language dominant, were recruited from Head Start programs, which are federally funded programs that provide early childhood education to low-income children, in Northern California. Data and analysis: Utterances produced by the parents during parent–child shared book reading were coded for cognitive demand levels. DLLs’ home language expressive vocabulary and receptive vocabulary and information about parents’ demographics and parent–child shared reading frequency were collected. Correlations and hierarchical regression analyses were computed. Findings/conclusions: The findings demonstrated possible cultural differences in mothers’ book reading quality regarding cognitive demand. Although maternal statements and questions were not significantly associated with DLLs’ home language receptive and expressive vocabulary for both groups, asking yes/no, referential, and inferential questions were more likely to evoke more language output from DLLs. Originality: This study extends the literature on home language development of low-income DLLs during parent–child shared reading, as only a few studies have investigated the significance of shared reading in the home language. Significance/implications: The findings of this study yield important implications for parents’ shared reading practices with low

Restrictive immigration policies harm the mental health of undocumented immigrants and their U.S. citizen family members. As a sociopolitical stressor, threat to family due to immigration policy can heighten anxiety, yet it is unclear whether political engagement helps immigrant-origin students to cope. We used a cross-sectional survey of college students from immigrant families (N = 2,511) to investigate whether anxiety symptomatology was associated with perceived threat to family and if political engagement moderated this relationship. We stratified analyses by self/parental immigration statuses-undocumented students, U.S. citizens with undocumented parents, and U.S. citizens with lawfully present parents-to examine family members' legal vulnerability. Family threat was significantly associated with anxiety; higher levels of political engagement reduced the strength of this relationship. However, this moderation effect was significant only for U.S. citizens with lawfully present parents. These findings emphasize the importance of the family immigration context in shaping individuals' mental health outcomes.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences for immigrant families in the United States who have a child with disabilities. The central question guiding this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study is: What is the lived experience of immigrant families who have a child with disabilities? The theory guiding this study is Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory as it provides a lens to examine the influence and impact the ecological systems have on immigrant families' perceptions of raising a child with disabilities. This study included ten participants who immigrated to the United States from around the world. Data was collected through individual interviews, creation of timelines, and through collecting questionnaires to create triangulation. Coding was used to analyze the data in an organizational analysis to look for patterns and themes to emerge from the data. Qualitative data analysis resulted in the development of four main themes: the value of connection, parent perspective and experiences, the advocacy process, and challenges and barriers faced by immigrant parents. The significance of this study was found to be the importance of connection and education in developing a collaborative partnership with schools. Future research is recommended to examine the views and perspectives of both immigrant parents and special education teachers in building a collaborative partnership.

Dual language learners (DLLs), especially those from immigrant families in the United States, risk losing their home language as they gradually shift to speaking English as they grow up. Given the potential benefits of bilingualism on children's cognitive, linguistic, and social-emotional development, it is crucial to maintain children's home language to foster bilingual development. The current literature suggests that parental beliefs toward bilingualism and the language and literacy environment are linked to children's language development. With the growing number of DLLs living in the United States, little is known about what parental beliefs about bilingualism of their children are integrated into these bilingual households and parents' role in home language maintenance. The present study addresses the gap in the literature by investigating low-income immigrant families, specifically Chinese American and Mexican American families, and exploring the parental perceptions of children's bilingual language learning. Further, the present study examines the relations among parental perceptions of bilingualism, home language and literacy practices, and home language oral proficiency. Data were collected from a total of 41 Mexican American and 91 Chinese American low-income immigrant families with DLLs ages 50-88 months who had been recruited from Head Start programs and state-funded preschools in Northern California when the children were 3-4 years old. Information about shared reading frequency, home language exposure and usage, and parental perceptions of bilingualism was collected through parental interviews, and DLLs' home language oral proficiency was individually assessed. No significant difference in home language oral proficiency was observed between the two groups. Principal Components Analysis on the parental perceptions of bilingualism measure revealed two components, "Importance of Being Bilingual" and "English over Bilingualism." Stepwise regression analys

Drawing from two waves (∼1.5-2.5 years apart) of longitudinal data, the current study investigated the bidirectional associations between self-regulatory skills and mathematics achievement among a socioeconomically diverse sample of school-age Chinese American children from immigrant families (N = 258; 48.1% girls; ages 5.8-9.1 years; first to third grades at Wave 1). Childrens self-regulatory skills were assessed with task-based measures of attention focusing, inhibitory control, behavioral persistence, and comprehensive executive function as well as parent- and teacher-reported effortful control. Multiple regressions showed that behavioral persistence and parent-reported effortful control positively predicted math achievement over time. Math achievement positively predicted comprehensive executive function over time. These effects were found when controlling for child age, sex, generation status, family socioeconomic status, parents cultural orientations, and prior levels of math achievement or self-regulation. The prospective relation of math achievement predicting comprehensive executive function remained significant after a false discovery rate correction.

The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to highlight a problem that is very relevant for young adults of foreign-born parents in Sweden. By conducting in-depth interviews with young adults who have experience of brokering during their childhood, we get a better understanding of how the role impacts immigrant families. In our analysis we use sociopsychological theories to illustrate on how the role of brokering contributes to an inner conflict, conflicts between parent and child, and changes in family dynamics. Conflicts arise from the child trying to define him-/herself from being seen as a child while also having increased responsibilities compared to its peers. These responsibilities increase with time, and as such lead to conflicts between the parent and the child, as the role dissolves traditional power hierarchies in families. The child however is not limited to only brokering for their own parents. They also act as brokers for other family members. Our central analysis is that while children act as brokers, they are progressively assigned more tasks by the parents. With time, these tasks lead to increased power for the child and makes the parents more dependent on the child. We define this process as spiral of power.

In the field of education and health care, researchers and educators attempt to close the diagnosis/identification and service gaps that persist for low-resourced, underrepresented families with children with autism. One group of families particularly difficult to engage in research and interventions is undocumented immigrant families. We know little about whether these families are obtaining a timely diagnosis or services for their children with autism. This study addresses how undocumented Mexican immigrant mothers of children with autism navigate the special education and health care systems, challenges they face in doing so, and the helpers who assist in navigating the process. Six undocumented Mexican immigrant mothers of children with autism participated in one-on-one interviews. Participants were interviewed in a semi-structured format and transcription, coding, and final analysis were conducted in Spanish using analytic software. Three broad themes emerged during the content analysis process: (1) immigration driving force and experience, (2) autism-specific challenges, and (3) autism-specific helpers. Additionally, a case study of each participant is presented and discussed.

The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to highlight a problem that is very relevant for young adults of foreign-born parents in Sweden. By conducting in-depth interviews with young adults who have experience of brokering during their childhood, we get a better understanding of how the role impacts immigrant families. In our analysis we use sociopsychological theories to illustrate on how the role of brokering contributes to an inner conflict, conflicts between parent and child, and changes in family dynamics. Conflicts arise from the child trying to define him-/herself from being seen as a child while also having increased responsibilities compared to its peers. These responsibilities increase with time, and as such lead to conflicts between the parent and the child, as the role dissolves traditional power hierarchies in families. The child however is not limited to only brokering for their own parents. They also act as brokers for other family members. Our central analysis is that while children act as brokers, they are progressively assigned more tasks by the parents. With time, these tasks lead to increased power for the child and makes the parents more dependent on the child. We define this process as spiral of power.

Although there are many years of research and practice for the fields of family therapy and expressive arts therapy, there have been few times when the two integrated. In this Literature Review, the intersection between expressive arts therapy and family therapy is explored to further envision how it could benefit families who are Latinx/Latine immigrant. These families often experience traumatic poverty and violence in their home countries which leads them to decide to migrate. The journey to migrate to the United States, acculturate to a new culture, a new language, grapple with being undocumented or having temporary legality, and discrimination are some of the experiences they face. It is possible parents sometimes leave the country by themselves and bring their children years later, and more recently there has been an increase in deportations and family separations, which can cause a rupture in the parent-child bond. It is concluded Latinx/Latine families can benefit from expressive arts therapy and expressive therapies. These forms of arts therapies can be flexible and adaptable to different ages, and provide a non-verbal space for all members to express complex and hard-to-put into words emotions and thoughts, therefore being able to process their trauma.

Parent-Child Conflict in Chinese American Immigrant Families: A Longitudinal Study Examining Parental Communication Strategies During Conflict and Outcomes in AdolescencebySara Chung Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology University of California, Berkeley Professor Qing Zhou, ChairEvidence-based behavioral parent training (BPT) has shown high efficacy in decreasing parent-child conflict and related family distress in studies with majority White American samples. Asian American youth from immigrant families are at heightened risk for the detrimental effects of parent-child conflict, yet are less likely to utilize mental health services compared to other racial/ethnic groups in part due to low perceived cultural relevance of existing interventions. To increase the cultural relevance of BPT, the current study aimed to identify and contextualize protective conflict communication strategies used by Chinese immigrant parents. This study used two waves of data from a longitudinal study of parents and children (Wave 2: N = 216, M age = 9.2 years, age range = 7.5-11.0; Wave 3: N = 139, M age = 16.66 years, age range = 15.4 to 18.1) in Chinese American immigrant families. A verbal coding scheme was developed through a three-phase iterative process to code ten communication strategies used by parents. At Wave 2 (W2), parent-child verbal interactions during a conflict discussion task were transcribed and coded, and all codes achieved high interrater agreement. First, I examined descriptive characteristics of parental communication strategies as well as concurrent associations between parents’ communication strategies and family sociodemographic and cultural factors (e.g., child age, socioeconomic status, cultural orientations) and parenting styles. The most commonly used communication strategies were acknowledgement/validation and eliciting the child’s opinion (used by 66.8% and 59.4% of parents in the sample, respectively), which in turn were negatively associated with au

Doctor of Ministry (DMin), Parents and their adolescent children are divided at church. They are not only physically divided by going to different congregations, but they are relationally and spiritually divided as well. Adolescent families have little to no engagement on matters of faith at home or at church. This issue has led to a superficial faith for many children, which is exposed when they leave home for college and choose to abandon their faith altogether. Therefore, the purpose of this project is to analyze the various gaps that are keeping Chinese immigrant parents at Harvest Evangelical Church of San Diego from leading and practicing faith with their American-born adolescent children, to offer solutions for reconciling their relationships, and to suggest family faith practices. This project is divided into three parts. Part one describes the context at Harvest Evangelical Church of San Diego and explores the factors that have led to immigrant parents having a segregated faith experience from their American-born children. Part two identifies the theological framework for having parents lead and share in faith experiences with their children. It also reviews adolescent development theory as context for best practices in supporting adolescents in the journey of faith. Part three highlights the plan to exhort, educate and equip parents so they can assume their roles as faith leaders for their families. This section also includes details for implementing two classes: Bridging the Gap and Faith with the Family. Bridging the Gap will examine the gaps that have led to fractured relationships between immigrant parents and their children and consider a way forward for families. Faith with the Family will explore different practices that will allow immigrant parents and their adolescent children to practice faith together.

Parent-Child Conflict in Chinese American Immigrant Families: A Longitudinal Study Examining Parental Communication Strategies During Conflict and Outcomes in AdolescencebySara Chung Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology University of California, Berkeley Professor Qing Zhou, ChairEvidence-based behavioral parent training (BPT) has shown high efficacy in decreasing parent-child conflict and related family distress in studies with majority White American samples. Asian American youth from immigrant families are at heightened risk for the detrimental effects of parent-child conflict, yet are less likely to utilize mental health services compared to other racial/ethnic groups in part due to low perceived cultural relevance of existing interventions. To increase the cultural relevance of BPT, the current study aimed to identify and contextualize protective conflict communication strategies used by Chinese immigrant parents. This study used two waves of data from a longitudinal study of parents and children (Wave 2: N = 216, M age = 9.2 years, age range = 7.5-11.0; Wave 3: N = 139, M age = 16.66 years, age range = 15.4 to 18.1) in Chinese American immigrant families. A verbal coding scheme was developed through a three-phase iterative process to code ten communication strategies used by parents. At Wave 2 (W2), parent-child verbal interactions during a conflict discussion task were transcribed and coded, and all codes achieved high interrater agreement. First, I examined descriptive characteristics of parental communication strategies as well as concurrent associations between parents’ communication strategies and family sociodemographic and cultural factors (e.g., child age, socioeconomic status, cultural orientations) and parenting styles. The most commonly used communication strategies were acknowledgement/validation and eliciting the child’s opinion (used by 66.8% and 59.4% of parents in the sample, respectively), which in turn were negatively associated with au

Doctor of Ministry (DMin), Parents and their adolescent children are divided at church. They are not only physically divided by going to different congregations, but they are relationally and spiritually divided as well. Adolescent families have little to no engagement on matters of faith at home or at church. This issue has led to a superficial faith for many children, which is exposed when they leave home for college and choose to abandon their faith altogether. Therefore, the purpose of this project is to analyze the various gaps that are keeping Chinese immigrant parents at Harvest Evangelical Church of San Diego from leading and practicing faith with their American-born adolescent children, to offer solutions for reconciling their relationships, and to suggest family faith practices. This project is divided into three parts. Part one describes the context at Harvest Evangelical Church of San Diego and explores the factors that have led to immigrant parents having a segregated faith experience from their American-born children. Part two identifies the theological framework for having parents lead and share in faith experiences with their children. It also reviews adolescent development theory as context for best practices in supporting adolescents in the journey of faith. Part three highlights the plan to exhort, educate and equip parents so they can assume their roles as faith leaders for their families. This section also includes details for implementing two classes: Bridging the Gap and Faith with the Family. Bridging the Gap will examine the gaps that have led to fractured relationships between immigrant parents and their children and consider a way forward for families. Faith with the Family will explore different practices that will allow immigrant parents and their adolescent children to practice faith together.

Parental influences on children’s ethnic identity among middle-income Korean-American families (N = 52), including fathers, mothers, and their children were examined. The sample was comprised of 23 boys and 29 girls (M = 7 years and 3 months) and their parents. Mothers and fathers were asked to respond independently to a parent's ethnic identity questionnaire; children were interviewed using a children’s ethnic identity questionnaire. Results revealed the most important predictors of children’s ethnic identity were parental teaching behaviors regarding Korean culture and history. Among the three domains in children’s ethnic identity, Korean language fluency was most affected by parental ethnic identity variables. Results indicated that mothers and fathers generally share the same attitudes toward ethnic matters; thus, it was concluded that children receive a congruent ethnic message from their parents.

The Immigration Act 1987 fundamentally transformed New Zealand’s immigration policy from one that was race-based to one based on economic needs of New Zealand society. It opened the borders to immigrants from much wider regions. As a result of this “open-door” immigration policy, a substantial new Chinese immigrant community from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was established in New Zealand. Building a closely-tied multigenerational family is an important feature of family life for this immigrant group. Often, multiple generations live together or within close proximity with one another in highly interdependent relationships. However, a growing number have also started to maintain their family lives transnationally, with different family members across generations living apart but maintaining close ties, with frequent interactions across national borders. Given this transnational family arrangement is very different from Chinese traditional practices of family maintenance, the impact of this change on the wellbeing and functioning of these families and their individual family members is an issue of increasing academic interest. This thesis responds to these concerns and explores the relationship between people’s experiences of transnational migration and their multigenerational family dynamics. Through engaging with individual life stories and perspectives of 45 participants across generations from new PRC immigrant families living in New Zealand, this thesis seeks to understand how those families with closely-tied multiple generations cope with dislocation and relocation during the process of transnational migration. It also investigates how transnational migration experiences contribute to new emergent domestic dynamics, including the development of new strategies and practices to maintain family traditions, interests and coherence across national borders, as well as shifting intergenerational relationships. The empirical data demonstrates that despite the i

This two-wave (1.5 years apart) longitudinal study examined the bidirectional relations between measures of executive function (EF; working memory, attention focusing, inhibitory control, and a comprehensive EF measure) and two types of English word-level reading (pseudoword reading and word reading) among 258 school-aged children (52.6% boys, age = 5.8-9.1 years, in 1st to 3rd grades at Wave 1) from Chinese American immigrant families. Cross-lagged panel analyses were conducted to test whether the four EF measures and English word-level reading proficiency predicted one another controlling for prior levels of EF or word reading, as well as demographic characteristics and children's English and Chinese language proficiency. We found a positive bidirectional association between the comprehensive EF measure and pseudoword reading. By contrast, although the comprehensive EF measure positively predicted word reading over time, word reading did not predict comprehensive EF. Additionally, both word reading and pseudoword reading positively predicted working memory over time. The results provided partial evidence that English word-level reading is bidirectionally related to EF among early elementary school-age dual language learners.

Parental influences on children’s ethnic identity among middle-income Korean-American families (N = 52), including fathers, mothers, and their children were examined. The sample was comprised of 23 boys and 29 girls (M = 7 years and 3 months) and their parents. Mothers and fathers were asked to respond independently to a parent's ethnic identity questionnaire; children were interviewed using a children’s ethnic identity questionnaire. Results revealed the most important predictors of children’s ethnic identity were parental teaching behaviors regarding Korean culture and history. Among the three domains in children’s ethnic identity, Korean language fluency was most affected by parental ethnic identity variables. Results indicated that mothers and fathers generally share the same attitudes toward ethnic matters; thus, it was concluded that children receive a congruent ethnic message from their parents.

This study examined the daily routines and activities of Mexican-heritage mothers and their children with autism spectrum disorder. Experienced sampling methods were used to capture families' current daily routines and activities, how parents valued those activities, and whether the activity was part of the child's autism spectrum disorder intervention. A total of 32 mothers were texted five times per day over five consecutive days for a total of 721 observations. Mothers frequently engaged in Self-Care (e.g. showering), General Caregiving (e.g. cooking), and House Chores (e.g. laundry). Children engaged in activities in which interventions could easily be integrated (e.g. Academics, Self-Care, and Playing with Others). Families spent less than one-third (26.1%) of their activities participating in interventions. Mothers and children jointly spent time in General Caregiving, Playing with Others, and Using Electronics. Practitioners should focus on integrating evidence-based interventions into daily joint routine activities.

Introduktion: Föräldrar spelar en viktig roll när det handlar om utvecklingen av barns fysiska och psykiska hälsa, deras sociala kompetens, hur de klarar sin skolgång och vilka levnadsvanor de själva får i vuxenlivet. För att stötta föräldrar i att bli trygga i sitt föräldraskap så erbjuds föräldrastöd. Studier visar att asylsökande och nyanlända föräldrar i Sverige deltar i mycket lägre grad än vad svenskfödda föräldrar gör. Många rapporterar psykisk ohälsa och upplever svårigheter i sitt föräldraskap efter ankomsten till Sverige. Det finns en ideell förening som lyckats inkludera denna målgrupp och det är därför av intresse att undersöka hur de upplever det arbetet. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka kursledares erfarenheter av att arbeta med föräldrastöd till nyanlända och asylsökande föräldrar. Metod: I studien genomfördes individuella intervjuer med sex ledare från en ideell förening i Västra Mellansverige. Resultat: Resultatet visar att föreningen har anpassat verksamheten på en kulturell nivå för att kunna inkludera denna målgrupp. Många av ledarna har exempelvis liknande bakgrund som föräldrarna och kurserna erbjuds på föräldrarnas modersmål. Ledarna har vidare kunnat identifiera vissa behov och utmaningar som nyanlända och asylsökande uttryckt. Det handlar framför allt om hur det upplevs att komma till Sverige som förälder och hur man kan hantera föräldrarollen i det nya landet. Bland annat uttrycks ett behov att få veta mer om normer kring föräldraskap och barnuppfostran i Sverige eftersom det skiljer sig från hur det sett ut i deras hemländer. Slutsats: Föräldrastöd kan vara betydelsefullt för målgruppen nyanlända och asylsökande föräldrar. Genom att de får prata sitt eget modersmål kan de uttrycka sig på ett annorlunda sätt än vad de hade kunnat göra i en svensk kurs. Det är en trygghet för föräldrarna att möta en ledare som har förståelse för deras kulturella bakgrund och det gör det möjligt att diskutera känsliga frågor som exempelvis barnuppf, Introduction: Parents play an important role when it comes to the development of children's physical and mental health, their social skills, how they manage school and what living conditions they get as adults. To support parents in their parenting, parental support is offered. Studies show that asylum seeking and newly arrived parents in Sweden participate to a much lesser extent than Swedish-born parents do. Many people report mental illness and experience difficulties in their parenting after arriving in Sweden. There is a non-profit association that has managed to include this target group and it is therefore of interest to investigate how they experience this work. Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate the course leader's experience of working with parental support for newly arrived and asylum seeking parents. Method: Six individual interviews were conducted with leaders from a non-profit association located in the middle west of Sweden. Result: The result shows that the association has adapted the support on a cultural level to be able to include this target group. For example, many of the leaders have similar backgrounds to the parents and the courses are offered in the parents' native language. The leaders have also been able to identify certain needs and challenges expressed by newly arrived and asylum seekers. It is primarily about how it feels to come to Sweden as a parent and how to handle the parent role in a new country. More information is required about norms regarding parenting in Sweden as it differs from their home countries. Conclusion: Parental support can be important for newly arrived and asylum seeking parents in Sweden. By being able to speak their native language, they can express themselves in a different way than they could in a Swedish course. It feels safe for parents to meet a leader who understands their cultural background. It makes it possible to discuss sensitive issues such as parenting and the law of corporal punishment. Th

This study examined the daily routines and activities of Mexican-heritage mothers and their children with autism spectrum disorder. Experienced sampling methods were used to capture families' current daily routines and activities, how parents valued those activities, and whether the activity was part of the child's autism spectrum disorder intervention. A total of 32 mothers were texted five times per day over five consecutive days for a total of 721 observations. Mothers frequently engaged in Self-Care (e.g. showering), General Caregiving (e.g. cooking), and House Chores (e.g. laundry). Children engaged in activities in which interventions could easily be integrated (e.g. Academics, Self-Care, and Playing with Others). Families spent less than one-third (26.1%) of their activities participating in interventions. Mothers and children jointly spent time in General Caregiving, Playing with Others, and Using Electronics. Practitioners should focus on integrating evidence-based interventions into daily joint routine activities.

Introduktion: Föräldrar spelar en viktig roll när det handlar om utvecklingen av barns fysiska och psykiska hälsa, deras sociala kompetens, hur de klarar sin skolgång och vilka levnadsvanor de själva får i vuxenlivet. För att stötta föräldrar i att bli trygga i sitt föräldraskap så erbjuds föräldrastöd. Studier visar att asylsökande och nyanlända föräldrar i Sverige deltar i mycket lägre grad än vad svenskfödda föräldrar gör. Många rapporterar psykisk ohälsa och upplever svårigheter i sitt föräldraskap efter ankomsten till Sverige. Det finns en ideell förening som lyckats inkludera denna målgrupp och det är därför av intresse att undersöka hur de upplever det arbetet. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka kursledares erfarenheter av att arbeta med föräldrastöd till nyanlända och asylsökande föräldrar. Metod: I studien genomfördes individuella intervjuer med sex ledare från en ideell förening i Västra Mellansverige. Resultat: Resultatet visar att föreningen har anpassat verksamheten på en kulturell nivå för att kunna inkludera denna målgrupp. Många av ledarna har exempelvis liknande bakgrund som föräldrarna och kurserna erbjuds på föräldrarnas modersmål. Ledarna har vidare kunnat identifiera vissa behov och utmaningar som nyanlända och asylsökande uttryckt. Det handlar framför allt om hur det upplevs att komma till Sverige som förälder och hur man kan hantera föräldrarollen i det nya landet. Bland annat uttrycks ett behov att få veta mer om normer kring föräldraskap och barnuppfostran i Sverige eftersom det skiljer sig från hur det sett ut i deras hemländer. Slutsats: Föräldrastöd kan vara betydelsefullt för målgruppen nyanlända och asylsökande föräldrar. Genom att de får prata sitt eget modersmål kan de uttrycka sig på ett annorlunda sätt än vad de hade kunnat göra i en svensk kurs. Det är en trygghet för föräldrarna att möta en ledare som har förståelse för deras kulturella bakgrund och det gör det möjligt att diskutera känsliga frågor som exempelvis barnuppf, Introduction: Parents play an important role when it comes to the development of children's physical and mental health, their social skills, how they manage school and what living conditions they get as adults. To support parents in their parenting, parental support is offered. Studies show that asylum seeking and newly arrived parents in Sweden participate to a much lesser extent than Swedish-born parents do. Many people report mental illness and experience difficulties in their parenting after arriving in Sweden. There is a non-profit association that has managed to include this target group and it is therefore of interest to investigate how they experience this work. Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate the course leader's experience of working with parental support for newly arrived and asylum seeking parents. Method: Six individual interviews were conducted with leaders from a non-profit association located in the middle west of Sweden. Result: The result shows that the association has adapted the support on a cultural level to be able to include this target group. For example, many of the leaders have similar backgrounds to the parents and the courses are offered in the parents' native language. The leaders have also been able to identify certain needs and challenges expressed by newly arrived and asylum seekers. It is primarily about how it feels to come to Sweden as a parent and how to handle the parent role in a new country. More information is required about norms regarding parenting in Sweden as it differs from their home countries. Conclusion: Parental support can be important for newly arrived and asylum seeking parents in Sweden. By being able to speak their native language, they can express themselves in a different way than they could in a Swedish course. It feels safe for parents to meet a leader who understands their cultural background. It makes it possible to discuss sensitive issues such as parenting and the law of corporal punishment. Th

As immigrant families settle in their host culture, acculturative stress occurs affecting an individuals’ identity development, as well as the family dynamic. The task of maintaining their heritage culture and navigating through the host culture challenges many first generation American and immigrant adolescents, often unsure which culture, or possibly both, best aligns with their identity. Both parent and child alike experience the acculturation process, although children acculturate into the host culture faster than their parents do. This difference in acculturation speed creates a gap that ultimately affects the family dynamic and the parent-child relationship. However, it is the opinion of this author that with the opportunity to share stories can minimize the familial conflicts could be better served. Parents could feel empowered by sharing stories of their heritage and through those stories; children could feel grounded in their ethnic identity. Sharing family narratives could also aid in developing the family identity. Overall, this literature review explores the acculturation challenges and (a) its effects on individual identity development, (b) its effects on the family dynamic, and (c) the effects sharing family narratives has on identity development and the family dynamic.

Des de fa unes setmanes, ha proliferat l’arribada a la ciutat de Barcelona de famílies procedents de Geòrgia, moltes d’elles amb fills i filles menors d’edat. Les entitats encarregades de l’atenció social per a persones refugiades es troben desbordades i aquestes es veuen obligades a dormir al carrer.

Des de fa unes setmanes, ha proliferat l’arribada a la ciutat de Barcelona de famílies procedents de Geòrgia, moltes d’elles amb fills i filles menors d’edat. Les entitats encarregades de l’atenció social per a persones refugiades es troben desbordades i aquestes es veuen obligades a dormir al carrer.

Immigration has rapidly increased throughout the world, especially from developing to developed countries. Through immigration, most people are searching for better career opportunities, better economic outcomes, and a pleasant environment. For a relatively long time, Australia, the United States of America, Canada, Europe, and New Zealand are ranked as the top popular destinations. New Zealand is renowned as a country of immigrants, and the numbers entering are increasing annually. While Europeans used to dominate the early waves of immigration, more recently, especially after the commencement of the points system for skilled migrants, more people are coming from Asian countries, such as China, Korea, Southeast Asia, and India. China, in particular, had been a significant contributor to the inflow of migrants to New Zealand. The Chinese workforce is becoming a critical part of the current labor market in New Zealand (Badkar &Tuya, 2010). Unlike many other Asian countries, those from mainland China do not have English as a key language, which has been the top barrier for Chinese migrants’ employment and settlement in New Zealand. Underemployment has become a collective experience for many Chinese migrants throughout New Zealand. The current study replicated a study that examined the work experiences of Asian immigrants in New Zealand (Sobrun-Maharaj, Rossen, & Kim, 2011), with some changes that have been made. To conduct this research, a 30-45mins qualitative semi-structured interview was undertaken with each participant and were content analyzed. The results showed that a large portion of new Chinese migrants was experiencing underemployed or have the experience of being underemployed. The experience of underemployment has generated many negative effects on their psychological and physical health. Besides, those adverse effects may not only constraint on an individual level but also extend to their families and the social context of their families. However, many fa

Research in developmental psychology has traditionally focused on parents' roles as agents of emotion socialization in their children's socioemotional development. By contrast, little longitudinal research has examined sociocultural mechanisms shaping parents' own emotional development. Immigrant parents are an ideal population in which to examine these processes and advance conceptual models of culture and continuing emotional development in adulthood. Using developmental functionalism and bioecological models of development as theoretical frameworks, the present study examined how immigrant parents' and children's cultural orientations were prospectively related to parents' self-reported emotional expressivity in the family context. Chinese American immigrant parents (n = 210) with elementary-aged children were assessed at two time points approximately 2 years apart. Path analyses using longitudinal panel models indicated that immigrant parents' cultural orientation in various cultural domains (language, social relationships, media) prospectively predicted their emotional expressivity in the family context. Parents' emotional expressivity was also predicted by children's cultural orientation and by discrepancies between their own and their children's cultural orientations. Our results underscore pathways through which immigrants' interactions with the family and broader sociocultural context can contribute to continued emotional development in adulthood. We discuss implications of our findings for developmentally informed approaches to the study of culture and emotion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Dual language learners (DLLs) make up 32% of all children in the U.S. Past research showed that proficiency in a heritage language (HL) was associated with better psychological adjustment in school-aged children and adolescents, but the associations of HL and English (EL) proficiency to preschool-aged DLLs' socioemotional adjustment remain understudied. This study included a sample of low-income Mexican and Chinese immigrant families with preschool-aged DLLs (N = 90). Children's HL and EL proficiencies were assessed using language tests. Parents rated their own cultural orientations, parenting styles, and children's socioemotional adjustment. Children's expressed anger/frustration and sadness were observed from an emotion-evoking task. Path analyses were conducted to test: 1) the unique relations of children's HL and EL proficiency and parents' American and heritage cultural orientations to parenting styles, and 2) the relations of parenting styles to children's adjustment. Results showed that children's expressive HL proficiency and parents' American and heritage cultural orientations were positively associated with authoritative parenting, which in turn, was associated with children's lower externalizing problems and higher prosocial behaviors. Children's expressive EL was negatively associated with parents' use of authoritarian parenting, and both expressive and receptive HL were negatively associated with children's expressed sadness. These results indicate that children's HL development and parents' host and heritage cultural orientations are associated with socioemotional benefits for young DLLs growing up in low-income immigrant families.

Des de fa unes setmanes, ha proliferat l’arribada a la ciutat de Barcelona de famílies procedents de Geòrgia, moltes d’elles amb fills i filles menors d’edat. Les entitats encarregades de l’atenció social per a persones refugiades es troben desbordades i aquestes es veuen obligades a dormir al carrer.

Des de fa unes setmanes, ha proliferat l’arribada a la ciutat de Barcelona de famílies procedents de Geòrgia, moltes d’elles amb fills i filles menors d’edat. Les entitats encarregades de l’atenció social per a persones refugiades es troben desbordades i aquestes es veuen obligades a dormir al carrer.

The chapter presents the results of focus groups carried out with migrant families and educational professionals, in primary schools of Brescia. Five key-dimensions are considered in the analysis: 1. Welcome of migrant families and their integration 2. What migrant families know about the local education system 3. Parent-school communication 4. Parental involvement in the school setting 5. Parental support at home and academic socialisation

In a recent systematic review on ethnic inequalities in education, four research traditions are identified among nearly one hundred Italian studies carried out from 1990 to 2017 (Azzolini et al., 2019). The first tradition, called “school inclusion and intercultural practices”, includes pioneering research on the topic of the transformation of Italian schools, facing the challenge of immigration for the first time. These studies investigate the school practices that were implemented to receive the newly-arrived students, highlighting the role of the key actors in the process of educational integration of these children, and analysing school-family relationships and interactions. This research focuses on school practices aimed at encouraging parental involvement and inspired by the intercultural approach. In fact, since the 1990s in Italian schools many educational interventions concern migrant families in school: i.e. second language teaching for parents and children; guidance to support school choice; support through extra-school activities and help with homework; acceptance and recognition of linguistic, cultural, and religious diversities (deriving from family background); maintenance of mother tongue and plurilingualism; linguistic-cultural mediation to facilitate school-family relations; involvement of immigrant students and parents as leaders and initiators of projects, and as representative on school bodies (Santagati & Zanzottera, 2018). Following the process and the methodology used in previous literature review (cf. the sampling process in: Santagati, 2012; Santagati, 2015; Azzolini et al., 2019), this chapter updates and broadens the number of studies on the family-school relationship, presenting a synthesis of sociological research on migrant families’ involvement through a meta-analysis of 34 studiesfrom kindergarten to secondary schools carried out between 1990 and 2018 (par. 5.3), then focusing on studies carried out in primary schools (14 out of

Nearly 86% of Head Start preschools serve non-English speaking families. The Head Start preschool program has been shown to increase academic proficiencies in children entering kindergarten and has been particularly successful in helping immigrant children entering the U.S. education system. Family involvement in their child’s education as early as preschool has been correlated with positive academic and behavioral outcomes throughout childhood. Given the importance of Head Start services for immigrant families, this study seeks to better understand variables associated with involvement in Head Start among immigrant families. Data was collected from a diverse sample of immigrant and U.S. born families to better understand what factors influence a family member’s level of involvement in their Head Start program (n = 196). Participating parents and caregivers were from 17 different countries and completed surveys regarding a variety of demographic information, caregiver’s level of satisfaction in Head Start services, and caregiver’s level of involvement in Head Start services. Results indicate a family’s language and birthplace have no significant relationship with a family’s level of involvement in their child’s education. Rather, a family’s satisfaction in the services provided by the school shows the strongest associations with a family’s involvement in services. Demographic variables associated with involvement in a child’s education include a caregiver’s level of education and a caregiver’s relation to the child. Findings indicate that caregivers with low educational attainment and in non-traditional families may be in need of targeted intervention focused on increasing levels of satisfaction in services.

Background and Objective: Restrictive immigration policies and discrimination are associated with negative health outcomes for immigrant and Latino families. Mixed-status families represent a unique subpopulation of Latinos affected by restrictive immigration policies. This qualitative study explored discrimination against mixed-status families and its potential health impact on Latino children from the perspective of Latina mothers. Methods: In 2017, twenty in-depth interviews with Latina mothers of mixed-status families living in northwestern North Carolina were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed. Constant comparison, an approach to grounded theory development, was used. Results: Nine themes emerged that reflected experiences with discrimination and its negative impact on children. Themes included more frequent and severe discrimination during and after the 2016 US presidential election, determination to stay together and remain in the US, experiences of discrimination in multiple settings, the impact of discrimination on child health and well-being, the impact of fear and stress on meeting the needs of children, the burden on children serving as liaisons between families and services, the inability of citizenship to protect against the effects of discrimination, positive and hopeful responses to discrimination, and the potential role of education in building a foundation for reducing discrimination (and thus promoting the health and well-being of Latino children) in the future. Conclusions: Discrimination against mixed-status Latino families constitutes a critical threat to the health and well-being of Latino children. Further research should inform immigration policies that support (rather than threaten) the health, well-being, and health care practices that mitigate the stresses experienced by Latino children.

Ms. Karen Wang was born and raised in Taipei city, Taiwan. She emigrated to the United States with her husband and her young son to establish their international trading business. They lived in Houston, Texas before relocating to Atlanta, GA permanently. After relocating to Atlanta, they started their restaurant La Maza in Buford, Georgia., In this interview Ms. Karen Wang talks about her experience as a Taiwanese immigrant living and running a business in Atlanta, GA. She mentions the reasons why her family and several other Asian families at the time came to Atlanta, GA and how they decided to emigrate to the United States for a better life. She recalls her memories of the old Buford city and the Asian restaurants that called the city home before Atlanta had hosted the Olympic games.

BACKGROUND: Child psychiatric treatment facilities vary greatly worldwide and are virtually non-existent in many low-income countries. One of the most common psychiatric disorders in childhood is ADHD, with an estimated prevalence of 3-5% in Sweden. Previous studies have shown a similar prevalence of ADHD in minority and majority children in Sweden and the UK. However, clinical studies demonstrated that children from immigrant families living in Sweden received less psychiatric care than those of native-born parents. We tested the hypothesis that the consumption of child psychiatric care in immigrant families would be determined by the availability of such treatment in the parents' country of origin. Patterns of medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were studied as a proxy for child psychiatric care. METHODS: This was a register study of dispensed stimulant medication during 2013-2014 in Swedish national birth cohorts from 1995-2009. The study population, consisting of nearly 1.4 million children, was divided by national income of the parental country of origin and whether the parents were native Swedes, European immigrants, non-European immigrants or a mixture. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratios of having been dispensed at least one ADHD drug during 2013, with adjustments for gender, family status indicating whether the child is living with both parents, household income and area of residence. RESULTS: Having parents born in low-income (OR [95% confidence interval] 0.27 [0.24-0.29]) or middle-income (European: OR 0.23 [0.20-0.26], non-European: OR 0.39 [0.34-0.41]) countries was associated with lower ADHD treatment levels than having parents born in high-income countries (European: OR 0.60 [0.54-0.66], non-European: OR 0.68 [0.59-0.79]), when compared to children of parents born in Sweden. In families with a background in low or middle income countries, there was no significant association between household income and

Ms. Karen Wang was born and raised in Taipei city, Taiwan. She emigrated to the United States with her husband and her young son to establish their international trading business. They lived in Houston, Texas before relocating to Atlanta, GA permanently. After relocating to Atlanta, they started their restaurant La Maza in Buford, Georgia., In this interview Ms. Karen Wang talks about her experience as a Taiwanese immigrant living and running a business in Atlanta, GA. She mentions the reasons why her family and several other Asian families at the time came to Atlanta, GA and how they decided to emigrate to the United States for a better life. She recalls her memories of the old Buford city and the Asian restaurants that called the city home before Atlanta had hosted the Olympic games.

[EUS] Gaur egun gure geletan bizitzen ari garen aniztasun kulturalari modu inklusibo batean aurre egiteko asmoz, eskolan familia etorkinen parte hartzearen garrantzia aztertzea da Gradu Amaierako Lan honen helburua. Horretarako, Bakioko eskola batean ikerketa kualitatibo bat aurrera eraman da, bai eskolako dokumentuen azterketaren bitartez, hezkuntza komunitateari egindako elkarrizketa zuzenen bitartez zein behaketa partehartzailearen bidez lortutako datuen analisiarekin, bertako guraso etorkinek eskolan duten partehartzea ezagutzeko. Ikerketa, Haur Hezkuntzako etapara mugatu da. Lortutako emaitzak marko teorikoarekin alderatu ostean, ateratako ondorioak oinarritzat hartuz, hobetzeko proposamen bat aurkeztu da., [ES] Este Trabajo de Fin de Grado tiene como finalidad analizar la importancia de la participación de las familias inmigrantes en la escuela, en aras a afrontar la diversidad cultural que encontramos hoy en día en nuestras aulas de una forma inclusiva. Para ello, se ha llevado a cabo una investigación cualitativa en una escuela de Bakio, utilizando el análisis de documentación de la escuela, entrevistas directas a la comunidad educativa y la observación participativa con el objetivo de recabar información sobre la participación de las familias inmigrantes en dicha escuela. La investigación se ha limitado a la etapa de educación infantil. Una vez cotejados los resultados obtenidos con el marco teórico, se ha presentado una propuesta de mejora, tomando como base las conclusiones obtenidas., [EN] The main issue of this End-of-Degree Essay is to analyse the importance of immigrant families´ participation in school, in order to tackle the cultural diversity we find these days in our classrooms in an inclusive way. To that end, a qualitative research has been carried out in a school located in Bakio, focusing the research on pre-school education. Sources like analysis of school documentation, interviews with the educational community and participatory observation have been used to gather information and draw conclusions about the participation of immigrant families in such school. Once the results obtained have been compared with the theoretical framework, a proposal for improvement has been presented based on the conclusions achieved.

Susie Corbett was born in Chicago, Ill. in 1956 to Japanese immigrant parents. She grew up in Doraville, Ga. Her family moved to Doraville in 1960; they were one of the first Asian families to live in the area. Corbett has lived in Doraville most of her life. She has a daughter and works as a realtor., In this interview, Susie Corbett describes her experiences growing up as a member of one of the first Asian-American families in Doraville, Ga. She talks about racist treatment she received from her peers and members of her community, and describes the isolation and otherness she felt as a child and a teenager. Corbett describes her parents' experiences being placed into internment camps during World War II and of working hard to succeed after immigrating to the United States. She discusses the changes she has witnessed in the Buford Highway area over the course of her life.

Oscar Barrera was born in Mexico City in 1989 and grew up in the United States. He holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Georgia Gwinnett College. Barrera, a father of three, works alongside his parents and sisters running a bakery and a restaurant on the Buford Highway., In this interview, Oscar Barrera details his family history, including his and his parents' immigration to the United States from Mexico. Barrera describes his parents' determination to build a life for their family in the Atlanta area, which eventually led to their opening a family-run bakery and restaurant. He talks about growing up in Chamblee and Brookhaven, Ga., and shares memories of his close-knit family working hard and struggling to succeed. Barrera talks about his memories of spending time with friends and family as a child, and talks about how the Buford Highway has changed since his childhood. He discusses the current status of his family's businesses and describes his hopes for his own children. He ends the interview by showing and describing photographs from his childhood.

Joanna Choi was born in Los Angeles, California in 1991, but her family moved to Atlanta, Georgia roughly 1-2 years after her birth. She explains what growing up in Atlanta was like for her and how she visited family in South Korea as a child. She talks about how she studied abroad in South Korea during her time in college. She was interested in the relations between North and South Korea. She explains how she focused on non-profit work after college, which did not work out. She ended up going into media and advertising., In this interview, Joanna Choi explains her Korean roots and how her family came to Atlanta, Georgia. She also discusses studying abroad in college and her difficulties identifying with Koreans in Korea and her American friends in the United States.

[EUS] Gaur egun gure geletan bizitzen ari garen aniztasun kulturalari modu inklusibo batean aurre egiteko asmoz, eskolan familia etorkinen parte hartzearen garrantzia aztertzea da Gradu Amaierako Lan honen helburua. Horretarako, Bakioko eskola batean ikerketa kualitatibo bat aurrera eraman da, bai eskolako dokumentuen azterketaren bitartez, hezkuntza komunitateari egindako elkarrizketa zuzenen bitartez zein behaketa partehartzailearen bidez lortutako datuen analisiarekin, bertako guraso etorkinek eskolan duten partehartzea ezagutzeko. Ikerketa, Haur Hezkuntzako etapara mugatu da. Lortutako emaitzak marko teorikoarekin alderatu ostean, ateratako ondorioak oinarritzat hartuz, hobetzeko proposamen bat aurkeztu da., [ES] Este Trabajo de Fin de Grado tiene como finalidad analizar la importancia de la participación de las familias inmigrantes en la escuela, en aras a afrontar la diversidad cultural que encontramos hoy en día en nuestras aulas de una forma inclusiva. Para ello, se ha llevado a cabo una investigación cualitativa en una escuela de Bakio, utilizando el análisis de documentación de la escuela, entrevistas directas a la comunidad educativa y la observación participativa con el objetivo de recabar información sobre la participación de las familias inmigrantes en dicha escuela. La investigación se ha limitado a la etapa de educación infantil. Una vez cotejados los resultados obtenidos con el marco teórico, se ha presentado una propuesta de mejora, tomando como base las conclusiones obtenidas., [EN] The main issue of this End-of-Degree Essay is to analyse the importance of immigrant families´ participation in school, in order to tackle the cultural diversity we find these days in our classrooms in an inclusive way. To that end, a qualitative research has been carried out in a school located in Bakio, focusing the research on pre-school education. Sources like analysis of school documentation, interviews with the educational community and participatory observation have been used to gather information and draw conclusions about the participation of immigrant families in such school. Once the results obtained have been compared with the theoretical framework, a proposal for improvement has been presented based on the conclusions achieved.

Though a number of language socialization processes are theorized to promote children's heritage language proficiency (HLP), little research has considered these processes in a single study and examined their prospective relations to multiple domains of HLP in school-age children. In a two-wave longitudinal study of Chinese American children of immigrant parents (N = 258, age = 7-11 years), language socialization processes (e.g., adult HL use at home, parental attitudes towards HL, child participation in HL classes or extracurricular activities) were assessed using parent reports and behavioral observation at Time 1 (1st to 2nd grade). Children's HLP (Cantonese or Mandarin) was assessed using vocabulary and literacy tests at Time 2. Results of structural equation modeling showed that adults' Chinese language use with children at home predicted children's higher Chinese receptive and expressive vocabulary two years later, and children's participation in Chinese language extra-curricular activities predicted their higher Chinese receptive and expressive vocabulary and higher Chinese word reading. By contrast, parental valuing of Chinese language and children's exposure to Chinese media did not predict children's Chinese proficiency. These findings provided support for the benefits of HL use at home and HL classes in promoting HL development in children in immigrant families.

[EUS] Gaur egun gure geletan bizitzen ari garen aniztasun kulturalari modu inklusibo batean aurre egiteko asmoz, eskolan familia etorkinen parte hartzearen garrantzia aztertzea da Gradu Amaierako Lan honen helburua. Horretarako, Bakioko eskola batean ikerketa kualitatibo bat aurrera eraman da, bai eskolako dokumentuen azterketaren bitartez, hezkuntza komunitateari egindako elkarrizketa zuzenen bitartez zein behaketa partehartzailearen bidez lortutako datuen analisiarekin, bertako guraso etorkinek eskolan duten partehartzea ezagutzeko. Ikerketa, Haur Hezkuntzako etapara mugatu da. Lortutako emaitzak marko teorikoarekin alderatu ostean, ateratako ondorioak oinarritzat hartuz, hobetzeko proposamen bat aurkeztu da., [ES] Este Trabajo de Fin de Grado tiene como finalidad analizar la importancia de la participación de las familias inmigrantes en la escuela, en aras a afrontar la diversidad cultural que encontramos hoy en día en nuestras aulas de una forma inclusiva. Para ello, se ha llevado a cabo una investigación cualitativa en una escuela de Bakio, utilizando el análisis de documentación de la escuela, entrevistas directas a la comunidad educativa y la observación participativa con el objetivo de recabar información sobre la participación de las familias inmigrantes en dicha escuela. La investigación se ha limitado a la etapa de educación infantil. Una vez cotejados los resultados obtenidos con el marco teórico, se ha presentado una propuesta de mejora, tomando como base las conclusiones obtenidas., [EN] The main issue of this End-of-Degree Essay is to analyse the importance of immigrant families´ participation in school, in order to tackle the cultural diversity we find these days in our classrooms in an inclusive way. To that end, a qualitative research has been carried out in a school located in Bakio, focusing the research on pre-school education. Sources like analysis of school documentation, interviews with the educational community and participatory observation have been used to gather information and draw conclusions about the participation of immigrant families in such school. Once the results obtained have been compared with the theoretical framework, a proposal for improvement has been presented based on the conclusions achieved.

Joanna Choi was born in Los Angeles, California in 1991, but her family moved to Atlanta, Georgia roughly 1-2 years after her birth. She explains what growing up in Atlanta was like for her and how she visited family in South Korea as a child. She talks about how she studied abroad in South Korea during her time in college. She was interested in the relations between North and South Korea. She explains how she focused on non-profit work after college, which did not work out. She ended up going into media and advertising., In this interview, Joanna Choi explains her Korean roots and how her family came to Atlanta, Georgia. She also discusses studying abroad in college and her difficulties identifying with Koreans in Korea and her American friends in the United States.

Ms. Karen Wang was born and raised in Taipei city, Taiwan. She emigrated to the United States with her husband and her young son to establish their international trading business. They lived in Houston, Texas before relocating to Atlanta, GA permanently. After relocating to Atlanta, they started their restaurant La Maza in Buford, Georgia., In this interview Ms. Karen Wang talks about her experience as a Taiwanese immigrant living and running a business in Atlanta, GA. She mentions the reasons why her family and several other Asian families at the time came to Atlanta, GA and how they decided to emigrate to the United States for a better life. She recalls her memories of the old Buford city and the Asian restaurants that called the city home before Atlanta had hosted the Olympic games.