The Role of Adolescents' Native Language Fluency on Quality of Communication and Respect for Parents in Chinese and Korean Immigrant Families

This study examines whether loss of the native or parental language among adolescents from immigrant families has consequences for their relationships with their parents. The study sample included 614 ninth-grade adolescents from Chinese and Korean immigrant families. All adolescents completed measures of native and English language fluency, parental respect, and quality of communication. Results indicated a positive association between adolescents' native fluency and parental respect, even after accounting for parents' English fluency. In addition, quality of communication mediated the association between adolescent native fluency and parental respect. The findings support the contention that maintaining native language fluency may facilitate parent-adolescent communication due to its linguistic component as well as through greater understanding and respect for the culture heritage.