Effects of Perceived Discrimination on Multicultural Adolescents’ Ethnic Identity Conflict: A Moderated Mediation Effect of Parent-Child Open Communication through Bicultural Competence

Abstract

This study examined the effects of perceived discrimination on multicultural adolescents regarding feelings of conflict over their ethnic identity by investigating the moderating role of father-child open communication and mother-child open communication mediated by bicultural competence. A total of 234 middle school students (grades 7-8; 139 girls and 95 boys) from multicultural families, from which the father is Korean and the mother is not, participated in the study. Data was collected through an online self-report questionnaire and was analyzed via SPSS 26.0 and Process (Version 4.1) MACRO. The results can be summarized as follows. First, bicultural competence mediated the effects of perceived discrimination on feelings of conflict over one’s ethnic identity. Enhanced bicultural competence resulting from a lower perception of discrimination contributed to a reduction in feelings of conflict over one’s ethnic identity. Second, the moderated mediation effect of fatherchild open communication was significant, while the effect of mother-child open communication was not. Thus, the mediation relationship (lower perceived discrimination increased bicultural competence and, thus, reduced conflict over one’s ethnic identity) grew stronger as the level of father-child open communication increased. The significance of this study lies in uncovering the causal relationships between individual and environmental factors that contribute to ethnic identity development among multicultural adolescents, particularly highlighting the important role of Korean fathers within multicultural households.