Split Household, Small Producer and Dual Wage Earner: An Analysis of Chinese-American Family Strategies

Abstract

In contrast to the institutional approaches frequently used in studies of black and Hispanic family life, research on the Chinese-American family has relied almost exclusively on cultural explanations. The latter perspective emphasizes the continuity of Chinese-American family patterns over time, portraying them as basically static. Instead, using an institutional framework, this study emphasizes the changing structure of Chinese-American families resulting from the interplay between shifting institutional constraints and the efforts of Chinese Americans to maintain family life in the face of these restrictions. Historical analysis reveals three distinct immigrant family types which emerged in different periods in response to particular political and economic conditions: split household, small producer, and dual-wage worker. The existence of these distinct types suggests that characteristics often interpreted as products of Chinese culture actually represent strategies for dealing with conditions of life in the United States.