2017 Parenting Conference: Asian Parents and American Children

Asian Parents and Their Second Generation Children: Culture Gaps and Emotional Alienation

This conference aims to help first generation Asian parents understand some of the culture gaps experienced at home and improve communication with their second generation children.

Culture gaps may be manifested in the following ways:

My teenager son doesn't want to talk to me.

My daughter is dating with someone I disapprove of.

My child doesn't have motivation to work hard.

My words mean very little to my child.

My child doesn't want to try new things and has low self-esteem.

If you experienced any of the issues listed above, then this conference is for you!

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This conference sheds light on the underlying cultural differences affecting Asian parents' ability to communicate with their children. Asian parents tend to overemphasize the physical and intellectual needs of children while ignoring their emotional yearnings and psychological wellbeing. Connecting with the second-generation children on the emotional level is essential to raising them to be a healthy whole person, and preparing them for a successful life.

UCA-IL is proud to present an education conference on Saturday, April 22 for parents, students, educators, school counselors, and professionals who are interested in topics relating to emotional wellness and cross-cultural communication gaps for Asian Americans. Our speakers are experts in the field and will shed light on the underlying cultural differences affecting parents’ ability to communicate with their second-generation children. They will also provide practical tips on how to help these children succeed in school. Register today for the Early Bird Rate!

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Speakers and topics (see below for bio)

The first speaker, Paul Li, will discuss the three aspects of emotional needs of a child (security, belonging/identity, and self-worth).

The second speaker, Justin Chen, will discuss common emotional health issues among Chinese American children, and what the parents should do to promote emotional health of the child.

The third speaker, Sharon Wu, will discuss personal growth/success and ways to improve students' ability to think deeply and communicate effectively.

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Agenda

8:00: registration, continental breakfast

8:30-9:00: Opening and speaker introduction

9-10am: Paul Li: Emotional needs of the children

10-10:15: Coffee break

10:15-12:15: Justin Chen: Common emotional health issues among Chinese American children

12:15-13:30: Lunch (networking and informal discussion)

1:45-2:45: Sharon Wu: Developing Communication and Deep Thinking Skills

2:45-3:00: Coffee break

3:00-4:30: Youth round table discussion about their growing up experiences (moderated by Paul Li)

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Speaker Bios

Justin A. Chen, MD, MPH is a practicing psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital, an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, and Associate Director of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. His academic interests are primarily in the areas of cross-cultural psychiatry, stigma, and disparities in mental health service utilization. His research focuses on improving engagement of psychiatrically under-served racial and ethnic minorities into treatment, and in his clinical practice, he utilizes a combination of psychotherapy and medications to treat a predominantly Asian American and international student population. He is also the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the MGH Center for Cross-Cultural Student Emotional Wellness (www.mghstudentwellness.com), a consortium of clinicians, educators, and researchers who are passionate about understanding and promoting the mental health of diverse populations through a three-fold mission of education and primary prevention; research; and consultation, treatment, and referral. Dr. Chen received BS and MD degrees from Yale University and an MPH in clinical effectiveness from the Harvard School of Public Health. He completed his residency in adult psychiatry at the combined Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital training program.

Sharon Y. Wu is the co-founder of US-China Education and Culture Center, founder of a non-profit organization Veritas Education Leaders, and Chair of Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance – DC Chapter. Dr. Wu obtained a master's degree in education with a concentration in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in business administration from University of Missouri. She is also the affiliated faculty of the MGH Center for Cross-Cultural Student Emotional Wellness to promote mental wellness. She is an expert in student motivation and serves as a mentor to students globally, including Harvard College students. She has been invited as keynote and panel speaker to discuss global competence, international education, mental wellness, and race relations in America by schools such as Harvard University. She also teaches a self-growth class in the Washington DC area to help students enhance their thinking, leadership, and communication skills. Her research interests are interpersonal in nature, and include mentoring, cultural differences, business communication, social skills, and emotional intelligence.

Paul Li is the Founder of Calvin J Li Memorial Foundation, which was established in 2015 to honor his late son who died of a tragic automobile accident just a month after graduating from high school. Overcoming indescribable pain, Paul and his wife Ingrid established a non-profit foundation focusing on promoting the welfare of Asian American children growing up in immigrant families. The mission of the Foundation is to help bridge cultural gap between parents and children, raise the awareness of emotional wellbeing of the children, and promote a more supportive social and family environment for the children to grow and thrive. Paul came to the US in 1991 and received an MBA and Ph. D from Cornell University. He became a Christian in 1992 and served in First Ithaca Chinese Christian Church, first as a deacon and later as an elder. He also led the Cornell Chinese Christian Student Fellowship. In 2000, he was relocated to Allentown Pennsylvania, and served in Lehigh Valley Chinese Christian Church. In 2002, he further moved to Rockville Maryland, and served in the Chinese Bible Church of Maryland. He also led the Young Family Group, and taught both adult and children Sunday school, and currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Asian American Community Center in Frederick Maryland. 

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【亚裔父母 - 美国孩子】如何跨越代沟？如何帮助华裔青少年在美国的文化下健康成长？相信一定是你我全身心关注的问题。

我们一直都在寻找平衡点，可总是不能如愿，随着孩子的成长，我们的沟通越来越少，代沟越来越大。孩子认为中国父母只关心成绩及上好的大学，并没有真正了解社会、社区及倾听孩子们的心声……终于等到一个为我们设计的全天讲座，请资深专家为我解答问题。

演讲嘉宾介绍 

Justin Chen 目前是马萨诸塞洲综合医院的精神科执业医生，哈佛医学院助理教授，哈佛医学院精神病医学教育副主任。他的学术兴趣主要在跨文化精神病学，精神病学的污名化，以及精神健康服务的使用差异方面。他的研究重心是改进一些很少使用精神科服务的少数族裔参与使用精神科服务和接纳治疗。在他的临床实践中，他使用心理和药物的组合治疗方法，主要服务亚裔美国人和国际学生人口。他还是MGH跨文化学生情感健康中心（www.mghstudentwellness.com）的执行董事和联合创始人。这个中心是一个由怀有极大热情的临床医生，教育工作者和研究人员组成的联盟，他们正在通过三重方面的努力来理解和促进多族裔人口心理健康：教育和初级预防，研究和咨询；治疗和转诊。陈博士曾获得耶鲁大学的学士和医学博士学位，以及哈佛公共卫生学院临床有效性的MPH。他在马萨诸塞州综合医院/麦克莱恩医院的综合训练计划中完成了在成人精神病学的住院实习。

Sharon Wu 伍育贤博士为美中教育文化交流中心共同创始人和哈佛大学美国亚裔校友会DC分会的主席。伍博士拥有哈佛大学人类发展与心理学专业的硕士学位和密苏里大学工商管理博士学位。在加入在线教育公司 K12 Inc. 担任高级经理之前曾担任商学院教授多年。作为一名学生导师，她特别擅长挖掘学生的学习动力（Motivation)，个人成长(Personal growth) 和基于自我认知（Self-discovery）基础上的情绪管理建设。伍博士曾经被各种组织／机构，包括哈佛大学，麻省理工学院的组织，机构邀请作为主题演讲嘉宾或圆桌嘉宾讨论青少年的全球竞争力发展、国际教育、心理健康和美国的种族关系等问题。伍博士在担任管理学教授时开始对帮助学生产生兴趣，她在2010年合作创办了美中教育文化交流中心，并在2015年创办了Veritas教育（www.uscecc.org）。近年来伍博士在华盛顿DC地区创办并推动NGO STEAM公益项目，帮助underprivileged students 在STEAM领域提高，获得学区各界人士的大力支持。

Paul Li 李秋波于一九九一年来美国，现就职于巴尔的摩一家金融投资公司，是布朗咨询Brown Advisory 合伙人之一。李秋波同妻范鹰育一子一女: 佳信 (Calvin)，佩仪 (Christin)。其子佳信在十八岁因车祸丧生。在极度痛苦中，李秋波感悟到美国第一代亚裔移民家庭中亲子关系中存在的独特的问题和挑战，以及亚二代在成长过程中情感需求上 (emotional needs) 的缺乏。在二零一五年，他成立了李佳信慈惠基金 (Calvin J Li Memorial Foundation)，致力推动对亚裔后代成长的支持。他在马里兰州立大学设立了 李佳信(Calvin Li Endowment)，支持亚裔研究。他活动于教会和社区，致力推动亲子对话和父母教育。他曾接受多家媒体采访，以帮助提升社会对亚裔孩子成长问题的关心和意识。其中，华盛顿邮报(Washington Post)二零一六年八月廿七日对他的采访报 告受到广泛关注。李秋波曾获得康乃尔大学 (Cornell University) 博士和商业管理硕士 (MBA), 以及武汉大学学士, 并中国科学院硕士学位。

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