Family Literacy Practices and the Home Learning Environment of Asian and Latino Americans: Path to Literacy and Social-Emotional Learning

Abstract

The home learning environment (HLE) consists of myriad formal and informal values, beliefs and attitudes realized in the provisions, resources and socialization experiences parents provide their children. Often through everyday interactions, parents promote cultural values related to children’s socioemotional and literacy learning. Although well understood among European populations, research on the HLE of Latino and Asian Americans is not well understood. Latinos are now the largest of the ethnic minority groups with Asian Americans the fastest growing. Sharing many common immigrant experiences, in this chapter, the HLEs of Latino and Asian Americans are explored, highlighting traditional cultural values and their influence on socioemotional and literacy learning. Among Latinos, the values of respeto (respect), familismo (familism), and bien educado (well educated) are defined. The Asian values of Confucianism, familism, filial piety, and face-saving are elaborated on. In addition, among Latino immigrants and later generations, the immigrant paradox phenomenon is explored in terms of children’s academic performance. Among Asian American children and youth, the pressures associated with the model minority stereotype are discussed. Theoretical frameworks applied to understanding the HLEs of Latino and Asian American include Bronfenbrenner’s (2005) ecological systems theory, Weisner’s (2002) ecocultural theory, and social capital theory. The chapter ends with studies on parent involvement in children’s literacy and socioemotional development.