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By Minjae Suk
BIS316 Multicultural Counseling | Winter 2025 | University of Washington Bothell
About This Project
Asian American families often navigate a complex intersection of racial discrimination, cultural identity, and intergenerational stress—yet counseling resources that address these dynamics at the family level remain limited. This guide was developed as a practical, culturally responsive tool for mental health professionals working with Asian American and South Asian American families who have experienced race-based discrimination.
Research shows that Asian American parents' experiences of discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic predicted increases in their children's internalizing and externalizing problems over time, with parental acculturation intensifying this effect (Kim et al., 2026). At the same time, South Asian Americans remain significantly underrepresented in psychological research, with only 53 peer-reviewed studies published over the past decade focusing on this population (DeVitre et al., 2026). These findings highlight a critical gap: counselors need accessible, subgroup-aware tools that go beyond treating Asian Americans as a monolithic group.
The rise in anti-Asian discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic brought national attention to the racism Asian American communities face. However, much of the conversation has centered on individual mental health—overlooking how discrimination affects families as a whole. Research demonstrates that parents' experiences of racial discrimination can spill over into parenting stress, which in turn affects children's emotional and behavioral adjustment (Kim et al., 2026).
Rather than focusing solely on a child's presenting symptoms, this guide encourages counselors to consider the broader cultural and systemic context shaping the family's experience.
Clinical Application: The Patel Family
Priya Patel is a 38-year-old South Asian American mother of two children—Arjun (age 12) and Meera (age 7). Priya immigrated to the United States from India at age 10 and considers herself highly acculturated. She works as a software engineer and lives in a suburban community where her family is one of few South Asian households.
Presenting Concern
Priya was referred to counseling after Arjun's school reported increasing behavioral outbursts and declining academic performance. Meera had also become more withdrawn and clingy at home. Priya initially described the issue as "the kids are just going through a phase."
Exploring the Context
During intake, the counselor used culturally responsive questions to explore the family's broader context. Priya disclosed that over the past year, she had experienced multiple incidents of racial discrimination—including a coworker making derogatory comments about her accent and a stranger at a grocery store telling her to "go back to your country." She also described feeling increased anxiety about her children's safety since the rise in anti-Asian hate incidents.
Priya admitted that she had not discussed these experiences with her children, stating: "I don't want them to feel afraid. I want to protect them." However, she acknowledged that she had become more irritable at home and found herself being more controlling about where her children could go and who they spent time with.
Clinical Interpretation
This vignette illustrates the discrimination spillover effect described by Kim et al. (2026): racial discrimination experienced by parents can increase parental stress, which then influences children's emotional and behavioral outcomes. Priya's heightened anxiety and overprotective behaviors—while rooted in genuine concern—may have inadvertently contributed to Arjun's acting out (externalizing) and Meera's withdrawal (internalizing).
Additionally, Priya's high level of acculturation may have amplified the impact of discrimination. As Kim et al. (2026) found, parents with higher acculturation reported a stronger association between discrimination and children's adjustment problems.
The fact that Priya's family is South Asian American is also clinically significant. As DeVitre et al. (2026) noted, South Asian Americans are often aggregated under the broader "Asian American" umbrella, which can lead counselors to overlook the specific cultural values, immigration experiences, and discrimination patterns unique to this community.
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