Mothers’ Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Socialization of Transracially Adopted Asian Children*

Abstract

Abstract: This study examined maternal and child predictors of White mothers’ cultural socialization/pluralism and preparation for bias of Chinese and Korean adopted children in families participating in the Northeast‐Northwest Collaborative Adoption Project. Mother’s psychological connection to Asian Americans, but not White identity, and children’s age predicted cultural socialization/pluralism and preparation for bias. Birth country was related to cultural socialization/pluralism but not preparation for bias. Cultural socialization/pluralism was related to fewer externalizing problems but not to internalizing problems. Preparation for bias was not related to behavioral problems. The implications of these findings are summarized in terms of interventions aimed at increasing mothers’ connections to Asian American communities or individuals, providing Korean cultural information to parents of Korean adoptees, and the timing of interventions.