2026-10-12T06:11:22Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33991969 2026-09-25T04:22:06Z category_175 portal_316 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

Supplementary file 1_Experiences of intergenerational communication about historical trauma among Asian American adult children of immigrants: a qualitative study.pdf Jieyi Cai (12217315) Shujianing Li (25106983) Richard M. Lee (7682972) Developmental and Educational Psychology Asian Americans children of immigrants historical trauma intergenerational communication intergenerational trauma intergenerational family storytelling Introduction<p>Historical trauma refers to large-scale distressing or life-threatening events experienced collectively by a group with a shared identity, such as ethnicity or nationality, which have intergenerational psychological impacts. Although many Asian American families immigrated to the US as a result of such events, little research has been conducted on Asian American experiences of historical trauma, particularly in terms of how immigrant parents communicate about their past trauma with their children. This study aimed to investigate what adult Asian American children of immigrants learn about their family history and how intergenerational communication about historical trauma takes place in Asian American immigrant families.</p>Methods<p>Twenty Asian American adult children of immigrants completed qualitative interviews about their families' immigration histories and their experiences of intergenerational communication about historical trauma. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.</p>Results<p>Four themes were identified: (1) Family History Related to Historical Trauma, (2) Communication About the Past, (3) Silence About the Past, and (4) Psychological Meaning-Making. Participants reported varied levels of knowledge about family and ethnic group history and varied degrees of engagement in intergenerational communication about historical trauma in their families. While most participants had some knowledge of their families' pre-immigration historical trauma, their family members' willingness to discuss the past ranged widely. Limited communication or silence about historical trauma were common, and participants were often reluctant to ask their relatives about the past due to concern about upsetting them. However, some contexts, such as school assignments related to family history, extended family gatherings, and engaging with relevant media, helped facilitate communication.</p>Discussion<p>This study provides an initial description of how intergenerational communication about historical trauma takes place in Asian American immigrant families. The results are consistent with the small body of previous research on intergenerational communication in Asian American immigrant families and elucidate new aspects and dynamics of this communication. Findings point to the need for further study of the experiences of under-researched Asian American groups and how intergenerational communication about historical trauma can be most beneficial in Asian American immigrant families.</p> 2026-09-25T04:22:06Z Dataset Dataset 10.3389/fdpys.2026.1925744.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Supplementary_file_1_Experiences_of_intergenerational_communication_about_historical_trauma_among_Asian_American_adult_children_of_immigrants_a_qualitative_study_pdf/33991969 CC BY 4.0