Projects

Here are the past, present and future projects that the CFACCT lab is working on.

Current Projects 

Supporting Asian Parents and Children Talking about Race and Racism (ACTRR)

Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Americans have experienced a significant increase in racism across the U.S., including in Boston. However, there is limited research on how anti-Asian racism is affecting the mental health of elementary aged Asian children. Parental engagement in ethnic-racial socialization (ERS)–which consists of the ways in which families transmit information to children about race, ethnicity, cultural heritage, and group social status–may protect young children against negative racism-related mental health effects. With this recent increase in racism, Asian parents are seeking guidance on how to discuss racism with their children.

This project aims to provide important information on experiences of racism and ERS among Chinese and Vietnamese immigrant families with elementary school aged children. This project will also pilot an ERS intervention to help Chinese and Vietnamese parents prepare their children to cope with racism, increase their children’s cultural pride, and empower their children in the face of racism. The pilot data will be used to adapt the intervention for the broader Chinese and Vietnamese communities; the long-term goal of the intervention is to mitigate the effects of anti-Asian racism on children as a whole. 

This study is funded by Boston University Initiative on Cities and William James College Faculty Seed Grant.

In Development 

Structural Racism Trauma, Coping, and Mental Health Among African American, Caribbean American, and Afro Latinx Youth

My overall objectives are to 1) better understand how to conceptualize perceived structural racism and Black youths’ and families’ perspectives on perceived structural racism, its influence on mental health, and protective factors; and 2) develop neighborhood-specific comprehensive reports using the perspectives of Black youth, their families, community organizations, and administrative data, and document how community organizations use the report to address structural racism influential to mental health.This study is in development. 

Past Projects 

Raising a Hand Against Young African American Children: The Effects on Mental Health Trajectories and Consideration of Moderating Cultural Factors (completed)

Physical discipline and physical child maltreatment, two types of home-based violence, are linked; both are associated with increased risk of psychopathology. Among African Americans (AA), maltreatment occurs early, with high rates. Given cultural acceptance of physical discipline in AA families, it is important to understand its impact on mental health trajectories in comparison to child maltreatment and whether the relationship is moderated by cultural influences. Using longitudinal data from AA families, my dissertation will investigate 1) demographic and contextual predictors of physical discipline and physical child maltreatment during early childhood; 2) mental health trajectories across middle childhood and adolescence of children who experienced early home-based physical violence; and 3) how parental warmth, perceived discrimination, preparation for bias messages, and racial identity moderate the relationship between these two types of home-based violence and mental health.

Preparing Black Youth for Bias: Understanding Family Socialization Messages Related to Racially Hostile Situations

Black youth frequently experience racism and racial discrimination in the U.S. and these experiences may negatively impact their development. Black families engage in preparation for bias socialization to raise youths’ awareness of racism and discrimination in society and to suggest coping strategies with the goal of buffering these negative effects. The present study investigated the content and frequency of combinations of family preparation for bias messages transmitted to Black youth related to specific racially hostile situations; associations between the combinations and demographic factors were examined as well.

Cultural and Contextual Influences on Parenting Among Low-Income Chinese Immigrant Caregivers Living in the Greater Boston Area

This exploratory qualitative project has three aims 1)To gain an in-depth understanding of normative parenting attitudes and practices among low-income Chinese immigrant families, including their conceptualization of supportive, harsh, and abusive parenting; 2) To examine the cultural and social contexts of Chinese families and how they influence parenting attitudes and practices; and 3) To elicit Chinese caregivers’ recommendations about effective methods of leveraging community- based services for increasing culturally relevant safe, supportive and nurturing parenting practices.

No One Can Feel My Pain: The experiences of Black homicide survivors and the impact of homicide in the Boston area 

The rate of homicide is the highest in Black communities and many people are left behind to deal with the murders. These homicide survivors must deal with the trauma of the death and try to get justice for their loved one. The experiences of Black homicide survivors is still not fully understood. This qualitative study will examine the experience of Black homicide survivors in the Boston area and the impact that homicide deaths have on survivors and the entities that are directly involved with the aftermath of the death. Qualitative interviews were conducted with three Black family members of homicide victims and three key informants who are directly involved with homicide deaths that occur in Boston, Massachusetts. A narrative approach was used to analyze the data. Findings indicate that the experience of a Black homicide survivor in Boston is characterized by dealing with the unique pain caused by the murder and navigating weak relationships with law enforcement and criminal justice system. Implications for practice and research are discussed. The research will have implications for further development of research and practice for the development of support services and interventions that are appropriate for Black homicide survivors.