Skip to main content

Abstract

The story above sets the tone for this chapter that examines the concept of resilience as it relates to Asian Americans, specifically, from countries in Asia that were greatly influenced by Confucianism and include China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and other surrounding countries.

An old Chinese folk tale tells of a father who gathered his sons around him as he was dying. Drawing an arrow from its sheath, he snapped it in two, and said to his sons, “If you stand alone, you are vulnerable and easily broken.” Taking all the arrows from his sheath, he handed the bundle to his eldest and asked him to break it. His son could not. He asked the next and the next. None of the brothers could break the arrows. Then, he said, “If the arrows band together, it is not easily broken. My sons, if you stand united, you will live strong and protected.” (Source unknown)

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aldwin, C. & Greenberger, E. (1987). Cultural differences in the predictors of depression. American Journal of Community Psychology, 15, 789–813.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, J., & Mandel, F. (1990). Connecting math achievement to parental Influences: Annual meeting of the association for Research in Science Teaching. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 15 (1), 64–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, E.C. (1996). Cultural differences in optimism, pessimism, and coping: Predictors of subsequent adjustment in Asian American and Caucasian American college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 43, 113–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chin, J.L. (1998). Mental health services and treatment. In L.C. Lee & N.W.S. Zane (Eds.), Handbook of Asian American Psychology (pp. 485–504). Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, C.R., Baker, H., Polichar, D., & Welsh, M. (1993). Values and Communication of Chinese, Filipino, European, Mexican, and Vietnamese American adolescents with their families and friends. New Directions for Child Development, 62, 73–89.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dornbusch, S.M., Ritter, P.L., Mont-Reynaud, R., & Chen, Z.Y. (1990). Family Decision making and academic performance in a diverse high school Population. Journal of Adolescent Research, 5, 143–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaw, A. (1982). Chinese Americans. In A. Gaw (Ed.), Cross-Cultural Psychiatry (pp. 1–29). John Wright: Littleton, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grove, K.J. (1991). Identity development in interracial, Asian/White late adolescents: Must it be so problematic? Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 20, 617–628.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu, I.C.Y. (1976). The Rise of Modern China. Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang, D.D., & Charter, R.A. (1996). The origin and formulation of Chinese character: An introduction to Confucianism and its influence on Chinese behavior patterns. Cultural diversity and mental health, 2 (1), 35–42.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, C.L. (1977). Interdependence, reciprocity and indebtedness: An analysis of Japanese American kinship relationships. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 39, 351–363.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leong, F.T.L. (1986). Counseling and psychotherapy with Asian-American: Review of the Literature. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 33, 196–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, C.Y.C. & Fu, V.R. (1990). A comparison of child-rearing practices among immigrant Chinese, and Caucasian-American parents. Child Development. 61, 429–433.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, Y.T. (1966). The Wisdom of Con fiucius. The Modern Library. New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lum, J.L. (1998). Family violence. In L.C. Lee & N.W.S. Zane (eds.) Handbook of Asian American psychology. (pp. 505–526) Sage Publishers: Thousand Oaks, California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A.S. (2001). Ordinary Magic: resilience processes in development, American Psychologist, 56, 227–238.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miyazaki, I., & Schirokauer, C. (translator) (1981). China’s Examination Hell: The Civil Service Exams of Imperial China. Yale University Press, New Haven.

    Google Scholar 

  • Okazaki, S. (1997). Sources of ethnic differences between Asian American and White American college students on measures of depression and social anxiety. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 106 (1), 52–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • O’Reilly, J.P., Tokuno, K.A., & Ebata, A.T. (1986). Cultural differences between Americans of Japanese and European ancestry in parental valuing of social competence. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 17(1), 87–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phinney, J.S. (1989). Stages of ethnic identity development in minority groupadolescents. Journal of Early Adolescence, 9 (1/2), 34–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Triandis, H.C. (1995). Individualism and Collectivism. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Uba, L. (1992). Cultural barriers to American health care among Southeast Asian refugees. Public Health Reports, 107, 544–548.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Westermeyer, J. (1987). Clinical Considerations in cross-cultural diagnosis. Hospital and community psychiatry, 38(2), 160–165.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yu, E.S. (1986). Health of the Chinese Elderly in America. Research on Aging, 8, 84–109

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2004 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Wong, G. (2004). Resilience in the Asian Context. In: Clauss-Ehlers, C.S., Weist, M.D. (eds) Community Planning to Foster Resilience in Children. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-306-48544-2_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-306-48544-2_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-0981-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-306-48544-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics