Jackson County

Why Asian Families Stay Together

Nina Chen, Ph.D., Human Development Specialist

More than 8 out of 10 Asian-American children in the United States live with both parents. According to a new Census Bureau study, about 84 percent of all Asian-American children in 1997 were living with two-parent families which was significantly above the national average. The rate of two-parent families is higher than other ethnic groups. The second highest rate for any major ethnic group was non-Hispanic white families. About 77 percent of non-Hispanic white children live in two-parent homes.

The study also found that 78.5 percent of the 2.2 million Asian families are headed by married couples, more than the 76.3 percent for non-Hispanic whites or any other major group. About 80 percent of Asian-Americans graduated from high school and 40 percent had a bachelor's degree. In 1996, the median income for Asian-American families was $49,105, which was above the national average of $42,300.

Although the divorce rate is slightly increasing in Asian countries, divorce is new to these countries since Asian families are more family-oriented and less individualistic. The majority of Asians still keep their values and traditions, such as living in a two-parent family, expecting parents to stay together, children are taught to respect parents and ancestors, etc.

Asians immigrants emphasize how to establish themselves and a family and how to help their children have a good future. They focus on higher education, children's education, and family life. The family- centered values keep them away from nightclubs or other social alternatives that may result in affair-type situations. Their values, traditions, beliefs, education, and income are factors to help bring stability to Asian family structure.

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		University of Missouri Extension Jackson County Jacksonblsp@missouri.edu Updated 12/13/06