“What we have done is baking together”: Asian Immigrant Parents’ Perspectives and Experiences Regarding Children’s Mental Health Related to Online Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study reports Asian immigrant parents’ perspectives on the challenges linked to the mental health their families, particularly their children, experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Literature on children’s mental health, the importance of social-emotional health, and theoretical perspectives on literacy were investigated in order to guide this inquiry. The data sources included interviews with Asian immigrant parents and informal conversations. The findings indicated that the challenges regarding the mental health of families included parents’ use of digital technology for school online learning, loneliness in navigating mental health, and limited social activity. Parents indicated how their children’s healthy emotions and feelings were negatively influenced by school closures and limited social and physical interaction with peers during the pandemic. The findings also showed that the parents helped their children navigate their mental health in a positive way through various experiences such as indoor and outdoor activities. The findings informed recommendations for formal U.S. school settings to include parents’ concerns and their perspectives on the use of technology during school closures with online home instruction and the family activities parents can use to help their children manage their mental health and support their social and emotional well-being.