Roles and responsibilities: A critical exploration of Chinese fathers in Canada and China

Abstract

Research on ethnic minority families, and more particularly, fathers, has increased in recent years, particularly with respect to the context of immigrant (see Chuang & Moreno, 2008 ; Chuang & Tamis-LeMonda, 2009). However, compared to the general body of literature on fathers, "the study of immigrant fathers is still very incipient (and) the study of fatherhood in the context of immigration was neglected" (Strier & Roer-Strier, 2010 , p. 435). Early portrayals of ethnic minority and immigrant fathers have been stereotypic and overgeneralized, placing fathers in a negative light. However, more recent findings have suggested that the portrayal of immigrant or ethnic minority fathers as "strict" or "distant" are not accurate. Rather, a more comprehensive examination reveals that these fathers are caring and involved in their children's lives (see Chuang, 2009 ; Chuang & Moreno, 2008 ).