Professors share recent book club project aiming to help immigrant parents communicate with their second-generation children

Pictured is the Cho Family: Peter, Yeon Erin Kim, Morgan (left, age 11) Mina (middle, age 8) Taylor (right, age 5) and their Puppy, Paris

Ji-Yeong I and Constance Beecher, associate professors in the School of Education, recently completed their two cohorts of the “Changing the Gap” parents book club, which aims to help immigrant parents communicate with their second-generation children. The project was a partnership with Ames Korean School and funded by the College of Human Sciences’ Extension and Outreach Heddleson Grant. As part of the book club, the parents wrote two children’s books that centered Korean American children using Korean and English language.

“This book is full of the parents’ efforts to make connections to their children and shows the parents’ hearts – their wish to support all Asian American students to grow their true dreams no matter what obstacles they encounter,” I said.

According to research, immigrant parents are the main Heritage culture provider but may have difficulty accessing second-generation children’s experiences due to language barriers and cultural differences.

The two books were published through Iowa State digital press.