2026 Theses Doctoral

Blurring Boundaries: Acculturation Of Asian-Indian American Parents and Their Perspectives on Their Children’s Mathematics Education

Verma, Sunita R.

Asian-Indians, often referred as the forgotten Asians, are usually grouped with other Asians even though they come from diverse backgrounds and are culturally different from other Asian ethnic groups. Although extensive research exists on Korean, Chinese, and Filipino American populations, Asian-Indian Americans have received far less attention, especially with regard to the academic performance of their children in the field of mathematics, where they excel and outperform other ethnic groups.

Drawing inspiration from Amy Chua’s book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and Lydia Jos’s study on Asian American College Students’ Mathematics Success and the Model Minority Stereotype, the study explores how Asian Indian American parents’ beliefs and cultural values influence their children’s mathematics education. The purpose of the study was twofold: first, to explore the extent to which AIA parents report satisfaction with the mathematics education of their children in U.S. schools and to determine whether that satisfaction relates to their level of acculturation; and second, to identify the alternative educational resources they employ to enhance their children’s mathematical performance.

The theoretical foundation rests on Berry’s Acculturation Framework, which contextualizes the parenting strategies of immigrant families, Baumrind’s Parenting Styles (based on two factors: demandingness and responsiveness), and Epstein’s Parental Involvement Model, exploring the role of parents in shaping children’s academic trajectories. These studies form a pathway: acculturation influences parenting style, which shapes involvement, and all three contribute to children’s mathematics attitudes and educational outcomes.

The present study employed an ethnographic mixed research design. A sample of Asian-Indian American parents (n=69) whose children were attending or have attended a school in the United States and were in honors or advanced mathematics class participated in the study. Quantitative data were collected and a subgroup (n=7) participated in a follow-up semi-structured interview for the qualitative part of the study. The Instruments used in this study were the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA) to measure the acculturation of parents and the Attitude Towards Mathematics Inventory (ATMI) to understand parental attitudes, confidence, value, motivation, and enjoyment in mathematics education.

Results indicated that higher acculturation was associated with greater satisfaction, greater adaptability, and a shift from hierarchical, control-oriented parenting toward more democratic and responsive practices. Moreover, higher acculturation corresponded with greater adaptability and emotional responsiveness, indicating a cultural shift from hierarchical to more democratic family dynamics. In line with Epstein’s Parental Involvement Model, both groups emphasized learning at home and community collaboration, reflecting active educational engagement adapted to their degree of acculturation.

In short, AIA parents run a parallel support system along with school mathematics but the degree and intensity of the program varies depending on the acculturation level of the parents and their evolving negotiation between Indian and American educational values. Parents do not rely solely on school-based instruction but instead construct an ecosystem—merging formal tutoring, online learning, home instruction, and cultural community resources—to reinforce mathematical success.