Acculturation status, filial piety and work-family conflict in Chinese-Americans

The present study examines how acculturation status and filial piety expectations influence work-family conflict in Chinese-Americans. Work-family conflict has been an increasing issue in American society with the escalation of single-parent families, dual-earning families, and mounting cultural differences. Immigrants, particularly Chinese-Americans who migrated to America to fulfill their "American Dream," find that the work ethics and family values that are acceptable in America differ from those esteemed in their home country. In addition, immigrants usually have different responsibilities from their Anglo-American counterparts due to cultural differences, availability of opportunities and language barriers. The sample consisted of 145 Chinese-Americans (82 females, 63 males). The majority of the sample were single and ranged between 26 and 35 years of age. Furthermore, 105 participants reported living in America since birth, but their parents migrated from an Asian country. Results indicated that Acculturation Status Gap and Filial Piety Expectations Gap had a negative association on the perception of Work-Family Conflict. In addition, when participants' and parents' data were analyzed separately against these factors, results showed negative significances. Implications of the results and possible directions for future research are discussed as well.