Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints
Document Type
Research Article
Abstract
This qualitative study explores how eleven Mandarin-speaking Chinese immigrant mothers of young children in a southwestern U.S. city navigate and mediate media in their households. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Findings show mothers balance media’s educational affordances with concerns about health and age-appropriate content, employing gatekeeping, time limits, and purposeful sharing. Mothers described children as learners, co-learners, and cultural connectors, sometimes reversing mediation by teaching mothers about U.S. media norms. Interpreted through a lens of Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy while also drawing on Confucian concepts, results underscore the need for early childhood educators to honor immigrant families’ practices while fostering ongoing critical media literacy.
Recommended Citation
Gui, X., & Krutka, D. (2026). “Whenever You are Using Media, You Should Always Have a Purpose”: A Study of Chinese Immigrant Mothers’ Media Practices. Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/jmle-preprints/63
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Included in
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Early Childhood Education Commons