SugarThe culture emphasizes “family” and everything revolves around family. As the Chinese saying goes, “Marry a family and establish a career.” Marriage is the foundation of the family.For Chinese working hard on foreign landMigrantIn particular, the relationship between spouses has become the basis of their social network and emotional support. However, under the guise of low divorce rates, little attention has been paid to Chinese marriage issues. The lack of relevant research and social resources has allowed many Chinese couples to continue in a vicious circle of conflict, falling into a “relationship black hole”.
Marital conflict can have a significant impact on the mental health of Chinese people, and immigration status, loneliness, and social stigma against seeking psychological counseling add to the complexity of the problem that many Chinese couples struggle with silently. A study released in 2020 by the University of Georgia found that couples who experienced frequent conflict were more likely to experience loneliness and poor physical health. The study followed 250 couples for more than 20 years.
Furthermore, a study titled “Marital conflict, depressive symptoms, and functional impairment” reported that marital conflict increases depressive symptoms; In a low-quality marriage, the body will show adverse reactions before negative emotions arise.
Although research on marital relationships among the Chinese population is extremely limited, a 2017 survey showed that the quality of relationships with one’s spouse has a significant impact on the mental health of Chinese elders, and that spouses’ suspicions and criticisms are associated with depressive symptoms. Severity is positively correlated.
Asian immigrants have long been considered to have more stable marriages, as divorce rates among Asians have long been lower than the American average. In fact, the divorce rate cannot be used as an indicator of marital satisfaction. Especially for Chinese immigrants, under the constraints of traditional Chinese cultural concepts such as “family harmony and everything prosperous”, divorce is often seen as a “last resort”.
A Chinese lawyer in the San Gabriel Valley said the cases he has handleddomestic violenceIn this case, only 15% of Chinese families will divorce due to domestic violence. “Some victims will also try to help domestic abusers avoid punishment – because once the abuser is sentenced, the family will face a huge financial burden.”
A study published in 2020 showed that one in five Chinese immigrant women surveyed had experienced intimate partner violence in the past year; Chinese immigrant women experienced domestic violence at higher rates than other ethnic groups. However, many statistics show that the divorce rate among Asians is much lower than that of other ethnic groups, and the Chinese have the lowest divorce rate among Asian groups.
On the other hand, some couples are unable to divorce due to immigration status restrictions. An immigration attorney explained that immigrants who depend on their spouse’s work to obtain a green card must remain married to their spouse until they receive a green card. According to the current immigration schedule from mainland China, the wait time for a green card can take five to 10 years. Divorce means losing your legal status to live and work in the United States. Although the United States implements special visa protection measures for victims of criminal activity, including victims of domestic violence, few immigrants understand the relevant policies.
In addition, factors such as children, finances, housing, and shame are also reasons why Chinese couples still choose to maintain their marriage even if their relationship breaks up.
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