Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

In writing this article, we have tried to integrate personal observations, clinical impressions, and available research findings. Where clinical cases have been described of individuals in therapy, care has been taken to insure anonymity. Since there is a lack of research on Chinese-American personality and mental health, much of our discussion should be regarded as tentative rather than as the “final” word. Hopefully, this article will stimulate further thinking and raise issues.Sometimes it seems as though a Chinese-American must possess great ego strength in order to survive the conflicts surrounding him. He must develop within the interplay of forces such as parental upbringing, the clash between Chinese and Western values, and racism. As a basis for developing a conceptual scheme of personality, let us briefly examine them.Although generalizations of the “traditional” Chinese family do injustice to differences among families, we have decided to define the traditional family as having certain values and behavioral characteristics. A more extensive analysis can be found in studies by DeVos and Abbott and Cattell.In the traditional family, ancestors and elders are viewed with great reverence. The primary family unit is strong and typically exerts great control over its members. Emphasis is placed on obtaining a good education, on being obedient to parents, and in giving the family ... log in or subscribe to read full text