Stress, stress, stress: Why Korean American children are stressed
Let’s face it. There are a lot of challenges when it comes to adjusting to a new culture. And it’s no different for immigrant families and their children. Research shows that Korean American children experience unique stress related to growing up and adjusting to the American culture. A study conducted in 2009 on 20 Korean American adolescents aged 11 to 14 and their parents gives us a glimpse into the top four reasons Korean American children are stressed.
1) Peer relationships
According to the study, the biggest stress to Korean American adolescents comes from peer relationships. Those who had immigrated relatively recently said they had a hard time communicating with their American peers because they couldn’t speak English fluently. Even for those who were proficient in English, many said that they felt left out by their American friends because of cultural differences.
2) Being treated differently or unfairly
The second main cause of stress for Korean American adolescents is being treated differently or unfairly by their peers and teachers. Many adolescents who participated in the study said they were teased by their friends because of their accent and their physical appearance with terms like “flat nose” and “pig snout.” Inside their classrooms, Korean American adolescents said that they felt stressed because their teachers were oftentimes insensitive to their culture, gave them less opportunities compared to others and gave them unfair grades and punishment.
3) Pressure to perform well academically
The third reason Korean American adolescents are stressed is because they feel the pressure to excel academically. Adolescents who participated in the study stated that they were afraid to disappoint their parents. Many times, they had to give up their favorite activities in order to study. One adolescent expressed their burden saying,
I have too many activities. I have a math tutor, an English tutor, piano lessons, Korean school. You go to the tutor, you do homework for the tutor, and go to another tutor and more homework, it is like, homework, tutor, homework, tutor. It’s like endless.
4) Strained parent-child relationships
The fourth cause of stress for Korean American adolescents is the tense relationship that they have with their parents. Many adolescents in the study said that they felt like they were growing apart from their parents and that it felt like they were living in two different cultures. Both the children and their parents thought that differences in language and culture, as well as strict parenting style and the long hours that parents have to work strain their relationship. However, both parents and their children expressed longing to have a deeper relationship with each other.
Why is this important?
The results of this study are important because these factors of stress on Korean American adolescents could have an influence on their overall mental health. For instance, research shows that stable relationships with peers is necessary in order to develop social skills and a healthy view of self. If these adolescents are not able to form strong friendships, they could internalize problems and have low self-esteem. Moreover, not having close relationships with parents and having constant conflicts within the family can lead Korean American adolescents to struggle with depression and show aggression. Whether we are parents, teachers, or community leaders of Korean American adolescents or are going through it ourselves, we need to remember these stress factors can impede the holistic growth and development of our adolescents and need to do our best to help them address these factors.
Citation: Choi, H., & Dancy, B. L. (2009). Korean American adolescents’ and their parents’ perceptions of acculturative stress. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 22(4), 203–210. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6171.2009.00200.x