'Children Understand More at That Age': African American, Mexican, Dominican, and Chinese Heritage US Mothers' Conceptions of Race Readiness
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| Title: | 'Children Understand More at That Age': African American, Mexican, Dominican, and Chinese Heritage US Mothers' Conceptions of Race Readiness |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Yana Kuchirko (ORCID |
| Source: | Social Development. 2025 34(4). |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 18 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Preschool Children, Mothers, Mother Attitudes, African Americans, Chinese Americans, Latin Americans, Mexican Americans, Beliefs, Race, Racial Identification, Socialization, Developmentally Appropriate Practices, Age, Racial Differences, Ethnicity |
| DOI: | 10.1111/sode.70020 |
| ISSN: | 0961-205X 1467-9507 |
| Abstract: | Children are highly attuned to race early in life, yet parents often underestimate their capacity to process race-related information, delaying discussions about race. Research suggests that parents' perceptions of their children's readiness to learn about race influence the timing of these conversations; however, few studies have explored how such perceptions shape ethnic-racial socialization across different ethnic/racial groups. In this mixed-analytic study, we interviewed African American, Mexican-, Dominican-, and Chinese-heritage US mothers (N = 271) of 4-year-olds and assessed their conceptions of children's capacities through two lenses: (1) the age parents believed children should learn about ethnicity/race, and (2) whether parents thought children knew their own ethnic/racial labels. We tested whether demographic factors and parents' ethnic-racial socialization practices were associated with these beliefs. Findings revealed that mothers commonly estimated ages 5-6 as appropriate for discussing race, with over half believing their children know their ethnic/racial identity. Mothers provided a varied range of justifications for speaking early on ethnicity/race, delaying conversations, not providing an age, or adjusting age estimates depending on the child and their context. Notably, mothers' age estimates negatively predicted the frequency of ethnic-racial socialization practices, while beliefs about children's awareness of their identity positively predicted cultural socialization and egalitarianism. Our study highlights how mothers' conceptions of childhood can drive ethnic-racial socialization practices, offering insights into the socialization processes among children from minoritized groups. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1487722 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Children are highly attuned to race early in life, yet parents often underestimate their capacity to process race-related information, delaying discussions about race. Research suggests that parents' perceptions of their children's readiness to learn about race influence the timing of these conversations; however, few studies have explored how such perceptions shape ethnic-racial socialization across different ethnic/racial groups. In this mixed-analytic study, we interviewed African American, Mexican-, Dominican-, and Chinese-heritage US mothers (N = 271) of 4-year-olds and assessed their conceptions of children's capacities through two lenses: (1) the age parents believed children should learn about ethnicity/race, and (2) whether parents thought children knew their own ethnic/racial labels. We tested whether demographic factors and parents' ethnic-racial socialization practices were associated with these beliefs. Findings revealed that mothers commonly estimated ages 5-6 as appropriate for discussing race, with over half believing their children know their ethnic/racial identity. Mothers provided a varied range of justifications for speaking early on ethnicity/race, delaying conversations, not providing an age, or adjusting age estimates depending on the child and their context. Notably, mothers' age estimates negatively predicted the frequency of ethnic-racial socialization practices, while beliefs about children's awareness of their identity positively predicted cultural socialization and egalitarianism. Our study highlights how mothers' conceptions of childhood can drive ethnic-racial socialization practices, offering insights into the socialization processes among children from minoritized groups. |
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| ISSN: | 0961-205X 1467-9507 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/sode.70020 |
