Critically assessing the methodological challenges of exploring Chinese immigrant fathers

Immigrant Chinese fathers remain severely under-researched despite their sizable and growing presence in host countries around the world and recent progress in research on immigrant and ethnic minority fathers. In this chapter, we review the major themes and methods used in existing studies involving immigrant Chinese fathers and explore reasons behind immigrant Chinese fathers’ low visibility in the fatherhood scholarship. While the demographic under-representation of immigrant Chinese families may be a possible reason, stereotypical assumptions about immigrant or ethnic minority fathers and particularly Chinese men may have contributed to the neglect of immigrant Chinese fathers. Specifically, these stereotypical assumptions include that immigrant Chinese fathers are well-integrated immigrants who successfully fulfill essential paternal responsibilities of co-residence and provision, as typically defined by the white mainstream fatherhood ideal. A focus on immigrant Chinese fathers would considerably enrich the fatherhood scholarship, especially when the fathers’ parenting experiences, beliefs, practices, and influences are examined through a critical ecological approach.